It was unlike Zheng Ren to make decisions on a whim.
Department Chief Kong held his breath as he watched the movements of the micro guide wire onscreen.
Su Yun had the wire in one hand while his other hand supported the guide catheter. Zheng Ren slowly inserted the catheter along the wire.
He moved with utmost care and patience.
The guide catheter was in place and imaging would begin soon.
If they decided to perform embolization at this branch, it was unlikely for the outcome to be any better than the surgery performed by Professor Rudolph Wagner.
Was this a gamble? Did they hope that the embolic agent would not flow back into the vesical artery?
Department Chief Kong's face was stony as hypotheticals ran through his mind. His eyes were transfixed on the screen.
Once the catheter was in place, Zheng Ren retrieved the micro guide wire and made a gesture.
Su Yun presented him with another wire, which was then inserted into the guide catheter.
"Chief Kong, what is he doing?" one of Department Chief Kong's peers asked.
This had to be it, he thought.
During Lin Jiaojiao's surgery, they had lacked the finer materials to access the ophthalmic artery. Zheng Ren had had to use a standard guide wire to force his way into the artery and perform suction.
It was a rare technique in this day and age.
The branching arteries were less robust than the main trunk. Hence, there was a high risk of damage to the vessels during insertion of the micro guide wire.
Although the resulting damage and blood loss were unlikely to be fatal, it increased the risk of failure of the surgery overall.
All in all, It was a risky technique to employ.
These young doctors had guts!
…
In Shenzhen Economic Development Zone People's Hospital, Wu Haishi, Mu Tao and a few key technical personnel were watching the livestream in the chief's office.
No handover had been done today.
By 7.00 am, Old Wu was already in the hospital, waiting eagerly.
His expression was strained as the surgery progressed.
Mu Tao worried about the old man.
The surgery was done in a methodical fashion. Mu Tao estimated that the Sea City surgeon's skill was just a tad higher than his own. Given some time, he was confident he could close the gap.
Although the young surgeon was skilled in interventional surgery, Mu Tao believed that the surgery would not succeed without the top-of-the-line guide wires and catheters from Biosensors International.
There was no chance he could surpass Professor Rudolph Wagner, and Mu Tao predicted the surgery would end halfway.
He wished his teacher would calm down and avoid cardiac arrest.
Mu Tao had an array of medication on standby and kept an eye on Old Wu.
The superselection was completed and the micro guide wire was replaced with a finer version. The second wire was pushed into the small arterial branch of the superior vesical artery.
Based on its thickness, Mu Tao figured it was a neuro micro guide wire—the models with the smallest diameter.
Mu Tao could guess the surgeon's intentions but felt it was a rash maneuver. The surgeon was going to use the neuro micro guide wire to access the next arterial branch.
This method allowed for targeted delivery of the embolic agent, thus reducing the risk of postsurgical complications.
There were disadvantages, too, however.
Internal bleeding was possible but a small artery leak could easily be stopped by pressure from the abdominal cavity.
The biggest issue lay in the difficulty of manipulating the guide wire.
Nonetheless, it was a creative approach. Mu Tao kept a closer eye on Old Wu.
As time passed, Mu Tao saw a gentle glow on the old man's face.
For a moment, he thought something bad was going to happen.
He shook the thought out of his head. Old Wu did not suffer from any illness, so it had to be a glow of happiness.
Huh… A while ago, Old Wu looked sad and helpless. Was he glowing with joy now?
How odd.
What had happened?
Mu Tao had an IQ of 152 and was not a foolish man.
He quickly took a look at the surgery livestream.
Mu Tao was confident that the junior doctor, Zheng Ren, would fail to pull off the superselection. There was no way he could outperform Professor Rudolph Wagner, who had been equipped with a specialized micro guide wire.
Despite having his mind made up, he focused on the livestream.
The imaging was unfamiliar.
There were few images that were foreign to Mu Tao, but the one before him showed countless fine blood vessels. The neuro micro guide wire had successfully entered the subsequent arterial branch without casualty.
Impossible!
"It's done!" Old Wu struck his palm with his fist.
The sound startled Mu Tao, who had been fixated on the recording.
"What's done?" Mu Tao asked.
"Pay attention." A grimace appeared on Old Wu's face. "The prostate interventional embolization was a success."
The micro guide wire moved forward slightly before stopping. Another dose of contrast agent was administered. Once its placement was confirmed, the embolic agent was delivered, as the elderly professor had predicted.
Old Wu let out a shaky breath and smiled.
The smile only made it halfway before it froze.
He stared at the screen in disbelief.
Chapter 250 - Higher, Faster, Stronger! (Part 4 of 5)
From Old Wu's perspective, the surgery would be complete once embolization had been performed on the arterial branch from the superior vesical artery.
This was a palliative surgery and its main aim was to alleviate the patient's symptoms.
Although the embolized area was small, the decrease in blood supply would shrink the prostate, improving the patient's condition.
The surgeon had not stopped the surgery. Right after embolization, he was again performing superselection.
The guide wire was moved into the renal artery.
Based on typical human anatomy, the renal artery contributed nothing to the prostate.
What was Zheng Ren doing?
Old Wu and Mu Tao were stunned.
A thought popped up in both their minds. Had Zheng Ren performed 3D reconstruction on a 64-slice CT scan of the prostate prior to surgery?
Did reconstruction even work on capillaries?
The two doctors said nothing. Mu Tao no longer paid any heed to Old Wu, his focus fixed solely on the screen.
The micro guide wire entered an arterial branch of the renal artery. When advance was no longer possible, the guide catheter was inserted. Then, the neuro micro guide wire was used to explore the smaller blood vessels through the guide catheter.
Ten minutes later, imaging began.
From the live imaging, they could see the capillaries that stemmed from arterial branches of the renal artery, supplying blood to the prostate.
The embolic agent was injected. On the second round of imaging, the capillary network was no longer visible.
The micro guide wire retraced its steps and started superselection again. It moved along the internal iliac artery and entered an unusual arterial branch.
The atmosphere in the office was palpable. Mu Tao stared at the screen unblinkingly.
"Mu Tao, why do I feel like Dr. Zheng's abilities have improved by leaps and bounds in just a few days?" Old Wu asked.
Multiple high-difficulty surgeries, along with revision and diligent study, would result in overall improvement over time.
However, Old Wu could not believe the staggering development of this young doctor from Sea City.
A few days ago, he had watched Zheng Ren perform a surgery and could sense the young man's inexperience.
The injury to his shoulder could have affected his performance then, but Old Wu wa
s sure that no injury could have hidden such incredible skill.
There was no doubt in his mind.
Zheng Ren's handling of certain steps had changed this time around.
More accurate!
More attentive!
More precise!
Watching the young doctor work, Old Wu wondered if it was a robot performing the surgery.
Each decision made was apt and the surgery progressed in a timely and stable manner.
The surgery was nearing the one-hour mark and three capillary networks branching out from three different arteries had been embolized. There were no signs of fatigue in Zheng Ren's movements.
After some consideration, Old Wu let out a sigh that was a mixture of admiration and resignation.
How great it was to be young.
When Wu Haishi first encountered international radiology-assisted surgery, he was already in his forties. He took three years to gain the basic skills.
At that point, age was already catching up to him.
He had never been able to move comfortably under a heavy lead apron, unlike the young doctor on the screen.
The youth also adapted faster to new developments. Perhaps Zheng Ren was a savant who could master new information much faster and innovate as he went.
To be gifted and young.
How blessed.
Old Wu's sigh was wrought with complex emotions. On the other hand, Mu Tao only had one thought in mind—how far had he fallen behind Zheng Ren?
Mu Tao had been full of confidence before the interventional surgery conference in Imperial Capital.
Young, talented and a graduate from a famous institute, he had earned the distinction of being the disciple of the famous Wu Haishi.
Then came Zheng Ren.
Younger.
More gifted.
The gulf between them was immense and filled Mu Tao with a deep uneasiness.
How did he do it?! Mu Tao was beyond words.
Old Wu was full of praise. "This young man is incredible!"
Mu Tao was still in shock at how easily he had been surpassed to harbor any jealousy and hate towards Zheng Ren.
In a flash, the fourth capillary network was sealed with the embolic agent.
Zheng Ren started the fifth superselection of the surgery.
There was pin-drop silence in the control room.
It was as if there had been a major incident or an ongoing emergency rescue.
All eyes were glued to the screen and no one said a word. They were entranced by the rhythmic movements of the young doctor.
Department Chief Kong had known the surgery's outcome after the first successful embolization.
He counted his lucky stars that he had made the right choice.
Zheng Ren would be well-known after this stint. It was a near-perfect surgery, and with Professor Rudolph Wagner's surgery as comparison, Department Chief Kong was certain that this success would be known internationally.
When people spoke of this surgery, they would mention the hospital in Imperial Capital. The ripple effect would bring Department Chief Kong's interventional surgery department to the forefront.
"Chief Kong, where did you find this doctor?" the department chief beside him asked just as Zheng Ren began the fifth embolization.
Department Chief Kong chuckled.
"Old Kong! How did you find this young man? Such amazing skill!"
"Of course he's amazing. Why else would I invite him over? We are teaming up to develop a differential diagnostic method for liver cancer as well as its surgical treatment." Department Chief Kong would have guffawed if there were less of a crowd. He was ecstatic.
"He's not even your research student. What are you so proud about?" the man next to him said.
The line of questioning was designed to dig up Zheng Ren's background. It seemed like Department Chief Kong had yet to poach the young doctor, and there was still a chance for the other department chiefs to cast their nets.
No one cared if the young doctor had the right papers.
"We've known each other for years. I can see through your plot," Department Chief Kong said with a laugh. "Let's not talk about the boss, Dr. Zheng, yet. Do you know who his assistant is?"
Assistant? What was there to know about an assistant?
The department chief was confused.
Zheng Ren was on the sixth artery now. Department Chief Kong had reviewed the CT scan reconstruction and remembered that the patient had a total of six capillary networks supplying blood to the prostate.
It was nearing the end and Department Chief Kong was in a joyous mood indeed.
"No, I don't recognize him. Is he a research graduate?"
"Research graduate? That guy rejected multiple invites to do oncology research in Union Medical College Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Sciences," Department Chief Kong replied coyly.
"Isn't that Su Yun? I know him," another department chief spoke up. "You'll never believe how I met him."
Chapter 251 - Perfect (Part 5 of 5)
"Huh?" Department Chief Kong was intrigued.
Zheng Ren's assistant was full of surprises. What had he done now?
Publishing in The Lancet was truly an impressive feat.
Successfully performing an artificially-grown heart transplant as a research graduate was another. Were there more achievements?
One of the department chiefs, watching Su Yun handle the guidewire with utmost care, joined in the discussion. "I don't know much about Su Yun's research, but I remember a young female patient who had been traveling all over the country looking for him. She visited Union Medical, Pan Garden and us.
"I heard she went to any hospital that had a cardiothoracic department in search of Su Yun."
"Ah? Seriously?"
"I ran into her while arranging admission for a patient with pulmonary nodules. She seemed like a nice girl, albeit a little obsessed."
"Obsessed? According to my subordinates, Su Yun has a verified fan club on Weibo."
The mention of Su Yun had completely derailed the topic. It was better than Department Chief Kong had expected.
The man was not an entertainment idol but had a verified fan club on Weibo? Was he going to get a Baidu page next?
"He's a popular guy. Some of the nurses in our hospital are in his fan club. I heard they were in mourning for a few days when he left us. One of them even wanted to quit. We spent a few days persuading her to stay and her family even travelled here to join in on the effort. She did stay in the end," contributed another department chief who had previously been enraptured by the surgery.
"None of you saw him perform the heart transplant?"
"Heart transplants are common these days. In a decade or two, there won't be much fanfare. Robots could take over the surgery. We might not see another medical celebrity in another hundred years, though," someone else said jokingly. "But I'm not from cardiothoracic, so who am I to say anything? The leap from cardiothoracic researcher to interventional surgeon's assistant is rather odd."
"Su Yun is now Boss Zheng's assistant," Department Chief Kong said with a twinkle in his eye. "He is an outstanding young man with a bright future. If you were him, you wouldn't just take up an assistant role without careful consideration of who your superior was."
"Definitely not. If I were him, I would give up my medical career and be a model or actor. Who needs the adrenaline from helming an operation?"
The joke led to more nonsensical chatter.
Although the tone of the conversation was jovial, a heaviness settled in their hearts.
Su Yun, the legendary research graduate, was assistant to Dr. Zheng and Department Chief Kong called the man 'Boss Zheng'...
With the exception of a few old and respected experts in the country, Department Chief Kong never used the title 'boss' to refer to anyone.
The department chiefs were witnessing one of the hardest interventional surgeries in history. Not only had Zheng Ren not broken a sweat, the whole procedure
had been performed perfectly. None of the chiefs could replicate what they had just seen.
"Old Kong, you lucky man!" some of the department chiefs jeered.
"I have a good eye for talent." The compliments made Department Chief Kong beam.
"Ah, this is like finding a diamond on the floor. Anyone who isn't blind would pick it up. Good on you."
As the department chiefs chatted good-naturedly, Zheng Ren completed the sixth and final embolization.
One radiography later, the area around the prostate was clear. The surgery was a success.
Zheng Ren did not step away from the operating table to allow Su Yun to finish up. The System display showed that the surgery was 99% complete.
He decided to see the surgery to the end. He retrieved the materials from the patient's body and closed the entry point. Gauze and bandages were used to seal the wound.
Su Yun did not question Zheng Ren's decision and helped with the dressing. Throughout the whole surgery, he had not spoken a word.
100% completion.
The chime echoed in Zheng Ren's ears, signalling a completed mission.
[Mission: The First Stage of The Great Beginning 2
[Task: Complete the prostate interventional embolization surgery.
[Reward:
[1. Passive ability—Luck points +4
[2. Passive ability—Unlimited Charm, double effect
[3. Passive ability—Integration. Include joint diagnosis across different specializations, equipped with multiple skills during treatment.
[Time: 7 days.
[Time remaining: 6 days, 13 hours, 22 minutes.]
The passive abilities did not interest Zheng Ren as he could not see the benefits of having them.
The 6.5 days of intensive training time was what he was after.
He felt uneasy without a substantial store of training time on hand. Smiling, he removed his surgical gown and tossed it into the red bin before heading back into the changing room and returning his special lead vest to the System.
He entered the control room in an isolation suit.
The control room was sizable, at least twice the size of the one in Sea City General Hospital. However, having 20 doctors in it still made it feel crowded.
"Perfect!" Department Chief Kong stood up and patted Zheng Ren on the shoulders.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 122
