To him, techniques and methods were far more interesting than casual conversations.
Tang Xiu brushed her hair aside and said with a smile, "Chief Zheng, I'm here to interview you about how you rescued Yang Lili."
Zheng Ren's expression hardened. His gaze shifted and he looked like a child who had to lie to his parents.
"This here is Professor Rudolf Wagner from Heidelberg University. We're currently in the midst of a discussion. We have an important surgery tomorrow," Zheng Ren introduced the professor who was engrossed in his study.
Tang Xiu could sense the reluctance in Zheng Ren's words and actions.
"Alright, Chief Zheng. I'll come over next time when you're free?" she said with a smile.
"Sure, sure. Next time," Zheng Ren said hurriedly.
Some doctors liked the attention that came with the media, but Zheng Ren was not one of them. He found interviews to be tedious and would rather spend the time on his patients, surgeries, or discussions with Professor Rudolf Wagner.
Fame was the last thing he wanted.
The smile on Tang Xiu's face never faltered. She pulled out her phone. "Chief Zheng, let me add you on WeChat. It'll be easier to contact you."
Zheng Ren was hesitant but could not bring himself to reject Tang Xiu. The woman was nice and had helped him in the past.
They exchanged contacts. Tang Xiu's smile widened.
They shook hands again when they parted. "Till next time," the lead editor of Sea City Metropolis Daily said.
She did not wait for Zheng Ren's response before turning to leave with her crew.
When the group exited the emergency ward, the cameraman sighed. "This Dr. Zheng is a good man but is a bit of an oddball. Isn't that right, Lead Editor Tang? The interview would be for his benefit."
This was the same cameraman who had traveled to Imperial Capital with Tang Xiu. He was involved in the doc.u.mentary's making and knew of Zheng Ren's good deeds.
While he did not know the full situation, he believed Chief Resident Zheng was a reliable doctor from Sea City General Hospital.
The man was a stellar doctor, but he was not a great interview subject.
He was quite a pain in the neck.
It was the first time the cameraman had encountered someone this adverse to having an interview.
Tang Xiu adjusted her glasses and smiled. "I think he's alright. Do you want a doctor who is obsessed with his image and branding, or one who is wholly-focused on treating his patients?"
The question was a no-brainer.
If a doctor spent most of his time appearing on camera… What kind of doctor was that?
The logic was sound, but the cameraman still thought Zheng Ren was eccentric.
He let out a sigh and shook his head.
…
…
Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf Wagner missed lunch. The discussion about using diffusion-weighted MRI to determine the site for the TIPS surgery was still ongoing.
Since the discovery of diffusion-weighted MRI, doctors had been using it for diagnosing and identifying strokes.
The diagnostic technique was important to determine if the stroke patient required thrombolysis treatment. Zheng Ren's idea was to use the diffusion-weighted MRI for better positioning during the TIPS surgery.
Back in the System's operating room, the trials Zheng Ren did had given him satisfactory results. He had been thinking of applying it in a real-life surgery.
However, the intellectual exchange with Professor Rudolf Wagner showed Zheng Ren the gaps in his idea. There were more things to consider.
The professor was a well of knowledge when it came to interventional radiology.
To be in the top five globally, he truly had the actual credentials to back himself up.
The professor had performed TIPS surgeries before, probably more than the common doctor in a province-level hospital had ever done in their lifetime.
TIPS surgery was regarded as a new procedure in a prefecture-level hospital like Sea City General Hospital.
The professor's countless clinical experiences made up for Zheng Ren's lack of real-life exposure. The simulation mannequins were not 100% representative of human patients.
Moreover, there was a time limit in the System's training room, which meant less attention was paid to the details. Professor Rudolf was able to contribute in that aspect.
As the afternoon gave way to night, Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf's research into the new method had almost been perfected.
The two men were jolted from their discussion when Chang Yue bid them goodbye. It was after working hours.
At the sight of the time, Zheng Ren checked his phone. There was a red dot next to Xie Yiren's icon.
He quickly tapped on the message.
[What do you want for dinner?]
[If there's no emergency case, let's have a nice dinner. We won't get to eat well tomorrow.]
[I see you're discussing a case with the professor. You look quite handsome when you're so focused.]
The few messages sent a warm and tingly sensation down Zheng Ren's spine.
Professor Rudolf was trying to get his attention with something about the work. Zheng Ren quickly swatted away the question and told him what they had planned was solid. The excited professor wanted to talk more about their discovery and Zheng Ren was the only person who understood him.
But on the other hand, Zheng Ren wanted to spend the night with Xie Yiren.
[I'm good with anything. What do you want to eat?]
Zheng Ren replied to the messages.
He thought for a moment and felt that single reply was not enough.
[I was speaking to the professor about the TIPS surgery. Tomorrow there's a second surgery to retrieve a stent and a TIPS surgery. It won't be too long, maybe about an hour or so.]
Zheng Ren sent the message. He felt much better after that.
At that moment, a bell sounded in his ears.
[Main Mission: The Crown Jewel - Second Stage
[Mission Details: Complete 10 TIPS surgeries with a 100% score.
[Mission Rewards: Interventional surgery success rate +2, 100000 experience points and 3000 radiofrequency ablation cases worth of experience.
[Mission Duration: 1 month.]
The second stage of the mission was finally here. Zheng Ren read through the mission. Ten TIPS surgeries cases were no longer a challenge to him.
Zheng Ren had managed to perform an emergency TIPS surgery, so the routine variant would pose no difficulties to him, especially with a world class assistant like Professor Rudolf Wagner.
The rewards were interesting.
3000 radiofrequency ablation cases worth of experience!
In Zheng Ren's memory, the System had never provided a single-procedure skill as a reward. The liver dissection was an exception.
Radiofrequency ablation… Zheng Ren sighed.
It was almost time for Zheng Yunxia's follow-up.
Slowly, Zheng Ren was beginning to understand how the System worked. Each skill and reward was preparing him for a future encounter.
This was not a coincidence but rather, the System's meticulous calculation or some unknown predictive powers at work.
Zheng Ren deduced the procedure would come into play in Zheng Yunxia's upcoming surgery.
He had one month to complete this second stage mission.
Getting patients with decompensated cirrhosis was the problem. In one month, the hospital could have 20 patients or none.
It was all up to Lady Luck.
Chapter 359 - Acute Pulmonary Embolism
The mission was put aside for the moment. There better not have been any emergency cases today. His movie date with Xie Yiren was ruined once so today's dinner had to be perfect!
It was such a lovely thought, having dinner and going to the movies with Xie Yiren.
Zheng Ren's world turned pink for the very first time. He had been a single dog for his whole life and now, the unexpected had ha
ppened.
He tapped his feet in anticipation as he waited for a reply. The seconds passed like years. Suddenly, his phone lit up. Xie Yiren was parked downstairs in the underground parking as usual.
Zheng Ren took the elevator down to the bas.e.m.e.nt. All the while, his heart was beating wildly in his c.h.e.s.t.
Little Yiren's car was parked at her usual spot so Zheng Ren had no trouble finding it after multiple rounds of practice.
"What do you wanna eat?" Little Yiren asked hastily. She was nervous.
Zheng Ren was similarly affected. "I'm okay with anything."
Both of them had no experience with relationsh.i.p.s. While they worked well together in the operating room, the two were an awkward mess when it came to dating.
Like a junior doctor on his first surgical assignment coupled with a junior scrub nurse on her first job, both were anxiety-ridden.
"Let's have steak then. There's an old steakhouse that's pretty good," Xie Yiren said as she fired up the Volvo. They inched out of the parking lot and headed for the exit.
Previously, Zheng Ren's meal after work would be whatever was convenient. He would then stay in his rented room and read novels to pass the time.
Now, he was in a new chapter of his life and was excited.
The familiar scent in the car made Zheng Ren intoxicated. With his head in the clouds, he told Little Yiren about his day.
Imperial Capital's Professor Tian performed a lumbar artery embolization that showed promising results.
The discussion he had with Professor Rudolf regarding the usage of diffusion-weighted MRI to pinpoint the puncture position for the TIPS surgery to treat decompensated cirrhosis.
He spoke about the trivial things that happened during the day, with no particular aim or purpose.
Little Yiren listened attentively with a smile on her face.
Perhaps this was life.
30 minutes later, they pulled into a parking spot. Zheng Ren and Little Yiren walked leisurely into the restaurant.
It was not a large restaurant and the room's lighting was warm. The space was cozy and suitable for couples on dates.
Xie Yiren's nerves had calmed down at this point.
With the menu in hand, her eyes sparkled with joy as if every dish she saw gave her tastebuds an explosion of flavors.
They ordered five of the restaurant's bestsellers. The waiter took the menus and left, leaving them alone. Their gaze met.
The warm lighting and soft background music made the scene less awkward. It was as if Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren were used to staring at each other without speaking.
There was some fun that came from their exchange of glances.
No words were spoken as they gazed into each other's eyes, their focus solely on each other.
Ten minutes later, the dishes were served. At this moment, Little Yiren broke eye contact and began feasting.
The steak was no longer as aromatic as she remembered it to be, but there was a sweet taste in her mouth as if she had eaten a lollipop.
The food tasted like food to Zheng Ren. He ate two mouthfuls, then looked up to meet Xie Yiren's eyes. They smiled at each other. Such exchanges went on throughout dinner.
This exchange felt better and more sincere than Su Yun's idea of sneaking an arm around Xie Yiren in the movies.
Their eyes met again and Zheng Ren was about to ask Xie Yiren if she fancied a walk after dinner when a shout came from the corner of the restaurant.
A girl in her teens was clutching her c.h.e.s.t. Her face and lips were pale as she gasped for air.
The boy next to her was panicking and shouting.
A flashing red sign appeared in Zheng Ren's vision.
Pulmonary embolism appeared in the System's display.
While Zheng Ren was not from the cardiothoracic department, he knew about pulmonary embolisms.
Acute pulmonary embolisms could be caused by endogenous or other exogenous factors. It presented itself as a clot in the pulmonary circulation that disrupted the gaseous exchange, leading to oxygen deprivation in the body. As such, the fatality rate for pulmonary embolisms was high.
Why would such a young girl be suffering from pulmonary embolism?
There was no time to wonder. Zheng Ren quickly went over to their table.
"I'm a doctor, she needs the hospital!" Zheng Ren said politely, despite the fact that his actions were firm and demanding.
He pushed aside the panicking boy and steadied the girl. He reassured her and told her to take deep breaths to calm down.
Then, Zheng Ren got the boy to piggyback the girl as they rushed to Sea City General Hospital.
An emergency thrombolysis was effective against a pulmonary embolism. The golden opportunity to treat the problem was now.
There was no need to wait for the 120 ambulance.
Zheng Ren knew the ambulance had no medication to treat pulmonary embolism. There was no need to wait for an ambulance when they could bring the girl straight to the hospital.
Little Yiren had not managed to settle the bill before rushing out of the restaurant.
The Volvo XC60 sped down the street and stopped at the restaurant's entrance.
The boy placed the girl into the car. He was shaken by the incident.
"Inform her parents. Does she have a history of illness?" Zheng Ren asked the boy as he quickly got into the car.
"Once… Last time..." the boy stuttered.
Fear spread across his face at the mention of family.
"Recurrence?" Zheng Ren frowned.
The boy said nothing. He placed the girl's head on his l.a.p and tried to console her, not knowing if it was safe to touch her. The helplessness was clear on his face.
Zheng Ren did not need to give any instructions as Xie Yiren tore through the streets.
It was peak traffic in the evening, so Xie Yiren put on her hazard lights and honked as she rushed them to the hospital.
Zheng Ren called up the operating room and Professor Rudolf. He asked for the girl's family's contacts and informed them to head over to Sea City General Hospital.
The trip to the restaurant took 30 minutes but the trip back only took 10.
When the red Volvo braked hard in front of the emergency department, there was a stretcher trolley ready at the entrance.
Without a word, Zheng Ren and the boy transferred the patient onto the stretcher trolley. She was sent to the emergency operating room.
The best treatment of pulmonary embolism was a catheter-directed thrombolysis.
However, it was not a common procedure in Sea City General Hospital.
The angiology department was still a part of the general surgery department and they were only familiar with treating varicose veins.
Zheng Ren was calling Feng Xuhui and Old Chief Physician Pan as he ran along the corridors. He needed the materials for the surgery.
As the patient was pushed into the operating room, Zheng Ren was out of breath.
Chapter 360 - A Life-Threatening Pregnancy
The patient was pushed into the operating room. As the requested material was still on its way, the team set up a dopamine drip to regulate the patient's blood pressure and improve her condition.
Then, 5000U of low molecular weight heparin was administered intravenously to combat the coagulation factors.
The thrombosis in pulmonary embolisms often arose from veins in the lower body.
It was unknown how the girl had developed venous thrombosis, but it was likely that the clot had dislodged and traveled up the veins to cause a pulmonary embolism, inducing c.h.e.s.t pains and breathing difficulties.
Early emergency rescue efforts could save the girl's life.
She looked to be 18 or 19, a life barely lived.
After the heparin was administered, Zheng Ren ordered Chu Yanran to sedate the patient and administer painkillers. A constant infusion of 1000U heparin per hour was set up.
It would have to work.
Zheng Ren left the patient's c
are to Chu Yanran while he dialed for Feng Xuhui to rush the man. He also gave Old Chief Physician Pan regular updates on the patient.
The family had yet to arrive. There was only the young boyfriend who was in shock. It was a tricky situation.
There was nothing that could be said about how successful this emergency rescue would be but if the patient died in the process, there would be a lot of trouble.
Zheng Ren got changed. His phone rang.
Feng Xuhui was here with all the necessary materials.
Sea City General Hospital was of utmost priority to the Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery. They opened up a branch nearby the hospital and Chairman Ma had decreed that Zheng Ren should be served like a prince.
To be honest, the sales volume in the whole of Sea City was not comparable to even a single hospital in Imperial Capital.
Despite that, Manager Feng was willing to rush over to the hospital in less than 20 minutes. This showcased Zheng Ren's influence over Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery.
Zheng Ren did not dilly dally. He took the materials from Manager Feng and headed straight back into the operating room.
Professor Rudolf Wagner arrived at the operating room and gave Zheng Ren a warm greeting.
Stone-faced Zheng Ren ignored the professor's greeting and quickly checked through the materials.
The professor was confused but went up to Zheng Ren.
"Boss, what do we have here?"
"Pulmonary embolism."
"That…requires an emergency procedure."
"Yes, now shut up and help," Zheng Ren snapped. The professor was a capable doctor but he talked too much, especially now when Zheng Ren was rushing to save a girl's life.
Professor Rudolf instantly sealed his lips and got down to helping Zheng Ren prepare the equipment.
Emergency thrombolysis was the first-line treatment against pulmonary embolism. A filter insertion in the inferior vena cava was also necessary in some cases of pulmonary embolism.
With the emergency medication administered, the patient's condition was better than before.
Zheng Ren wondered how a girl this young had developed a blood clot. Pulmonary embolisms usually plagued senior citizens, especially those who were bedridden. Reduced physical activity increased the chances of blood clot formation in the lower body.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 170
