The Surgeon's Studio c1-799

by Black Ursa Prime

  After going through the entire department, the scene returned to Zheng Ren.

  "Not long ago, Dr. Zheng Ren was invited to Imperial Capital to participate in the research of a new surgical method. However, shortly after his arrival, he was involved in an unfortunate incident."

  Tang Xiu's voice became sharper and the picture of Zheng Ren smiling slowly faded away.

  A phone camera video began playing.

  It was one of the leads Tang Xiu had found after reaching Imperial Capital. She knew that an official account had uploaded the video, but that had been taken down after only two hours for unknown reasons.

  After some digging, she found the source and paid a tidy sum to purchase the video clip.

  The camera was shaking frantically, a nightmare for anyone with motion sickness. However, the irregular trembling came with a sense of authenticity, as if the fear experienced by the person behind the camera was spreading to its audience.

  A man lay in the middle of a pool of blood, while Zheng Ren performed his emergency rescue, head lowered in the direction of the camera.

  Suddenly, he lifted his head and yelled something gutturally; his visage was terrifying and the veins on his neck bulged out as he screamed.

  The crack in his voice was heart-wrenching, but his words were lost in the commotion.

  Soon after, a doctor brought him an incision set and other equipment. After organizing them briefly, Zheng Ren tore open the man's shirt and made a cut in one swift motion.

  He then inserted his hand into it before any blood could pour out.

  At the same time, blood dripped from his left shoulder.

  The video was too real and gory, the atmosphere so heavy that it choked even the viewer.

  General public notwithstanding, even the women in the room cried out.

  "Argh!" refers to the practice of rubbing one's back or "bumping" against trees, a practice among some elderly people said to improve circulation, stimulate acupoints and lead to better health. It is not an uncommon sight to see older people do this in Beijing parks.

  Chapter 264 - Our Hero (Part 3 of 5)

  The stretcher trolley, the injured victim, Zheng Ren's awkward position, a stream of medical personnel rushing alongside—the scene read like a wordless, harrowing poem.

  Their only source of news from Imperial Capital had been Su Yun. Now, the actual incident was playing out onscreen; even Su Yun had fallen silent.

  Actions always spoke louder than words.

  Leaving a trail of blood as it went, the stretcher trolley moved at breakneck speed. Zheng Ren kicked a doctor aside. Shocked bystanders flashed past as the camera raced to catch up.

  Xie Yiren had a hand over her mouth, the other clutching Zheng Ren's heart-shaped guide wire tightly. Her shoulders trembled with anxiety as she watched the recording.

  Old Chief Physician Pan's hands remained on his knees. His fist was clenched so tightly that its bones were audibly grinding against each other.

  Su Yun watched, rapt with attention, adrenaline rushing through his veins. Although he had been present that day, he had been busy tending to Professor Gu's heart attack and was not witness to the dramatic scenes currently being played back.

  Mr. Sun sat unmoving, head craned awkwardly as the video went on. As the stretcher entered the elevator, the person filming was not allowed access and playback ended.

  The scene cut to black as the elevator doors closed.

  They shut like the gates of the afterlife, separating the living and the dead.

  "Dr. Zheng's accurate assessment of the situation and timely emergency rescue gave the patient a fighting chance. After hours of surgery, the bleeding was put under control and the patient sent to the ICU to recover."

  Tang Xiu's narration was quiet and cold, balanced to deliver the perfect level of suspense.

  Mr. Sun's hand went to his neck as he hissed. "Chief Pan, I think I've sprained my neck."

  "Outstanding." Old Chief Physician Pan remained seated. A sore neck was not worth his attention.

  Mr. Sun frowned as he massaged his neck, his eyes still fixated on the television screen.

  The doc.u.mentary was more entertaining than long-winded, boring news programs. It had been a while since Mr. Sun felt such a rush from watching TV. He angled his body slightly to get a better view of the screen without blocking anyone.

  The next scene took place in a restaurant.

  It was obvious from the setup and lighting that the recording was not professionally done.

  Tang Xiu had conducted a formal interview after that night, but finally decided to use the material from the restaurant.

  The complicated turn of events was simplified and explained in layman's terms, its ups and downs conveyed in dramatic fashion.

  The video was an eye-opener for many a curious soul.

  After the short interview, the screen went dark and Tang Xiu's voice rang out. "Romain Rolland once said, 'There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.'"

  It was a simple line, but her delivery was aimed at touching her audience's hearts.

  "He is our hero.

  "Always in search of better treatment methods.

  "Dr. Zheng had been invited to contribute in developing new interventional surgical techniques. While there, his clinical and surgical skills were appraised by the country's top experts and professors and he successfully completed a demonstrative surgery three days ago. According to experts in the field, the surgery was the first of its kind, filling a long-existing gap in medical history!"

  At Tang Xiu's proclamation, Zheng Ren's live surgery recording was presented onscreen.

  On it, he was focused on the imaging machine before him as he maneuvered the micro-guide wire with his thumb and index finger.

  His intense expression was clearly visible through his surgical cap and mask.

  That expression was familiar…

  Su Yun squinted at the television. Odd.

  He rifled through his memories and a light bulb flickered in his head.

  It was the same expression Zheng Ren had had when figuring out what to get Xie Yiren.

  Zheng Ren, you little sh*t!

  Su Yun did not know whether to laugh and cry.

  Picking out a gift for Xie Yiren was as hard as a world-class surgery for Zheng Ren.

  Su Yun looked at the micro guide wire bent into a heart and gently sighed.

  "Chief Resident, you look pretty cool when you're operating." Chu Yanzhi bounced on the balls of her feet, pointing at the man onscreen.

  "Heh." Zheng Ren could not think of any other response.

  "Tsk tsk. Is it true that the procedure will fill a gap in medical history?" Chu Yanzhi's excitement was not put out by Zheng Ren's monosyllabic response.

  "I don't think anyone has done it before, but it was just a prostate surgery. It's not a widely prevalent disorder," Zheng Ren replied with a wave of his hand.

  "It's still impressive," she said with a smile.

  "It's more than impressive," Old Chief Physician Pan cut in. "Before Zheng Ren performed the surgery, a professor from Germany had attempted a similar procedure. His patient experienced severe complications post-surgery and that procedure was considered unsuccessful."

  "What about Chief Zheng's surgery? Which professor? Is he famous?" Chu Yanzhi's questions came one after another.

  "He is an interventional lead surgeon from Heidelberg University and a participant of the German Excellence Initiative," Old Chief Physician Pan explained. He had been keeping track of the ongoings in the field of interventional surgery.

  "Incredible." Chu Yanzhi was still a research graduate and knew little of the academic world. Old Chief Physician Pan had not even mentioned the specialized micro guide wire provided to Rudolph Wagner for the surgery.

  "Very much so." Old Chief Physician Pan was silent for a few seconds. "This clearly started as an interview by the Sea City Metropolis Daily lead editor. It must have piqued someone's inter
est for them to make it into a doc.u.mentary and air it on Sea City News Network. The recording would have required multiple permissions before making it on air."

  "Who could it be?" Chu Yanzhi asked.

  "I don't know." Old Chief Physician smiled.

  Could it be important?

  Maybe, in the future.

  But not now.

  The doc.u.mentary ended at the 15-minute mark. The production was somewhat choppy and there were aspects that could have been fine-tuned, suggesting a rushed job.

  However, such a simple and honest program on the news network would easily garner the attention of the citizens of Sea City.

  There was only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it was, and to love it. The quote echoed in the hearts of many.

  The doc.u.mentary was shocking.

  A tearjerker, even.

  Old Chief Physician Pan was so caught up with the video that he had to pinch himself awake. As he took out his phone to call up either Sea City Metropolis Daily or Sea City News Network, it rang in his hand.

  His eyebrows rose as he saw the caller ID.

  "Zheng Ren, work just follows you everywhere. You've just returned and there are already people looking for you," Old Chief Physician Pan said before answering the call.

  Chapter 265 - Leave This To Me, Boss (Part 4 of 5)

  "Yes, that's me." Old Chief Physician Pan's voice was authoritative.

  "Right, right. And what do you think it is?

  "Let me ask him."

  Old Chief Physician Pan covered the phone receiver and turned to Zheng Ren.

  "Zheng Ren, there's a 72-year-old male patient who has been transferred from the gastroenterology department to the ICU. He came in two weeks ago with bloody stools.

  "The bleeding was controlled on the sixth day of admission but his condition warranted a continued stay in the ICU. At 1400 hours today, the bleeding started again. There was more blood this time and antihemorrhagic agents were ineffective. The consensus from the general surgery department was to not opt for surgery," Old Chief Physician Pan explained.

  Zheng Ren knew Old Chief Physician Pan was asking for his medical opinion.

  The department had decided to forgo surgery as the patient was elderly and they could not identify the bleed.

  The patient's intestines were a mix of fresh and old blood. An endoscope would not be able to pinpoint the site.

  It was not an uncommon case in hospitals.

  Such situations often depended on the patient's luck.

  The best-case scenario was for the bleed to stop without external interference. Once the patient was stable, they could proceed with thorough examination and treatment.

  However, the worst outcome would be acute uncontrolled bleeding leading to death.

  With a standard laparotomy, locating the bleed required some luck.

  Although luck was the last thing one wanted to hear in the field of medicine, it was inevitable.

  Zheng Ren pondered for a moment then said, "It's doable."

  His answer was curt. A life was at stake and there was no time for long-winded explanations.

  Old Chief Physician Pan had total faith in Zheng Ren. "We'll be there in 20."

  The call ended.

  "Let's go. How much is the total?" Old Chief Physician Pan stood up swiftly.

  The restaurant owner laughed and said, "Chief Pan, we are honored by your patronage here. If we were to take your money, you…"

  There was an emergency back in the hospital to attend to; Old Chief Physician Pan could not be bothered with ceremony and threw down a 500 yuan note before turning to leave.

  The group, earlier in good humor, immediately snapped to attention like well-trained soldiers.

  Unwilling to accept the money, Mr. Sun tried to return it to Old Chief Physician Pan.

  However, his approach earned him a glare from the old doctor. He slinked away in fear.

  The group got into their car and drove off toward the hospital without another word.

  As a surgeon, one had to always be prepared for any emergency surgery. Even though it was a welcome party, Chu Yanran, Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren had not consumed any alcohol.

  It was better to err on the side of caution and be prepared for emergencies.

  Upon reaching the hospital, each went to attend to their own duties. Old Chief Physician Pan brought Zheng Ren and Su Yun to the ICU.

  "Zheng Ren, what's your plan?" Old Chief Physician Pan asked as they walked.

  "We have to perform a radiology imaging: if it's a standard bleed, we'll open up the abdomen. If the bleeding site is difficult to find, we'll perform interventional embolization then cut off the necrotized parts of the intestines," Zheng Ren answered confidently.

  Old Chief Physician Pan had no words.

  Zheng Ren was suggesting destructive surgery!

  Superselection of the superior mesenteric artery and embolization of the subsequent arterial branch would stop the bleed, but it also meant cutting blood flow to parts of the intestines.

  This was a surgical taboo!

  Su Yun's footsteps faltered for a moment before picking up to catch Zheng Ren, whispering, "I think it's possible."

  "Yeap." Zheng Ren nodded.

  "Zheng Ren, are you confident?" Old Chief Physician Pan asked.

  "Yes, as long as the patient's condition is stable for surgery," Zheng Ren said reassuringly.

  "Alright." Old Chief Physician Pan said nothing more. The three men walked in silence toward the ICU.

  They changed their outfits before entering the ward; its chief, Dr. Qian, was by the patient's bedside with crossed arms, watching the vital signs monitor and speaking to Chief Sun from the second general surgery department.

  Both monitor and ventilator worked with an urgency to keep the patient alive.

  How familiar… Zheng Ren studied the scene before him, his comfortable stint in Imperial Capital a distant memory.

  "Little Su, you're back." Department Chief Qian neglected Old Chief Physician Pan and Zheng Ren in favor of Su Yun.

  Su Yun smiled in response.

  Old Chief Physician Pan went by the patient's side and analyzed the man's vitals: blood pressure at 70/50 mmHg, breathing at 24 breaths per minute, pulse at 121 beats per minute, oxygen saturation 89%.

  The patient was going into hypovolemic shock.

  "Chief Pan, you've arrived. Oh, Zheng Ren, you're back too," the second general surgery department chief said.

  "What is general surgery's view on this?" Old Chief Physician Pan asked.

  "There's not much we can do but issue a critical illness notice. Chief Pan, you know that surgery is near impossible." Department Chief Sun shook his head but his eyes flicked surreptitiously to Zheng Ren.

  Chief Qian let out a sigh. "Indeed."

  Old Chief Physician Pan had come to fulfill his responsibility as a doctor, but his presence was of no help to the patient.

  At the top right corner of Zheng Ren's vision, the System display flashed red as it diagnosed the patient: hemorrhagic shock, electrolyte imbalance, lower gastrointestinal tract bleed.

  The patient's condition was deteriorating by the minute. Zheng Ren let out a heavy sigh.

  He understood their reluctance to operate as he, too, was once a general surgeon. What could a general surgeon do with a GI tract filled with blood? Cut open the intestine to find the bleed?

  In such cases, there was a high chance that opening up the abdominal cavity would lead to the patient dying of blood loss before the bleed could even be identified.

  It was either death on the operating table or death in the ICU ward.

  From the second phase of the System mission, The First Stage of The Great Beginning, Zheng Ren had been rewarded with the memory of 3,000 gastrointestinal anatomical dissections.

  However, his surgical skill was limited to appendicitis and hernias.

  This case would require him to spend some time in the System's intensive training modules.

&nbs
p; Recalling the amount of training time he had, he said unhesitatingly, "Let's give it a try."

  "Oh? Little Zheng, you have a different opinion?" Department Chief Sun responded, evidently waiting for Zheng Ren to speak up.

  "We can try an interventional method to search for the bleed."

  Department Chief Qian's brows furrowed. Interventional radiology was a foreign topic to him, but he was willing to give any proposal a shot.

  Department Chief Sun was all smiles. "I knew we could count on you."

  "We have to give it a try at least," Zheng Ren replied.

  "Little Zheng, we're not familiar with the process, so could you communicate it to the family?" Department Chief Qian asked.

  "Sure." Zheng Ren looked at the patient and asked, "I need at least 10U of RBC 1 and 1L of plasma. Are there signs of coagulation failure?"

  "Boss, you head on and talk to the family, I'll handle the arrangements," Su Yun interjected, "I've just had some drinks so it's best I don't meet them."

  Department Chief Qian and Department Chief Sun stared at Su Yun in surprise.

  Boss? Was that what he called Zheng Ren? Red blood cells.

  Chapter 266 - Rescue Mission! (Part 5 of 5)

  Zheng Ren nodded; along with Old Chief Physician Pan, he went to the ICU workstation to carefully study the patient's recent test results and history.

  The patient's results were chilling, his condition staggeringly critical.

  As Zheng Ren went further into the old man's files, his frown deepened.

  Old Chief Physician Pan was on another computer, viewing the patient's details. A few minutes later, he said, "Zheng Ren, this man is not fit for surgery. It's clear he won't survive the procedure."

  "If we don't operate, he won't last the night," Zheng Ren retorted.

  Equipped with the patient's medical records, he did some mental calculations.

  With surgery, the patient had a 20% chance of survival.

  Without it, the patient had nil.

  Were this a game, everyone would choose the surgical route as a last ditch effort.

  However, in the real world, a doctor's ability to treat a patient was heavily dependent on other factors.

  Even if the doctor was willing to risk his career to perform a procedure with a low chance of success, the patient's family likely could not afford it.