Infection was inevitable as the surgery was conducted in an exposed surrounding. The next step was to try reducing the extent of the infection.
After they covered the patient with warm saline gauze, Zheng Ren finally relaxed when he saw that the stats and rhythm on the monitor were stable.
"Boss, I think you should think of how to explain yourself to the patient's family member," Su Yun teased.
"There's nothing to explain. I resuscitated a dead person. What more could they want? For them to go to heaven?" Zheng Ren chuckled.
Everybody was in a good mood since the surgery was a success, brightening up the atmosphere in the operating room.
The circulating nurse administered the skin test to the patient. There was a 15-minute incubation time, so they had a free window to joke around.
They chatted for a while and 15 minutes had passed.
The skin test turned out to be negative. The circulating nurse opened eight vials of Cefoperazone-Tazobactam and poured them into a bowl. Xie Yiren then passed the bowl to Zheng Ren.
After pouring the clear antibiotics into the open cavity, Zheng Ren and Su Yun proceeded to close the c.h.e.s.t.
It was a simple surgery with a clear, bright surgical field. Zheng Ren was rather envious that thoracic surgery had such a clear view.
So pleasing to the eyes!
They placed a closed-c.h.e.s.t drainage system and pericardial drainage before suturing each layer and closing the c.h.e.s.t.
Chu Yanran inflated the patient's lungs, causing the water seal chamber to bubble.
The general anesthesia had not worn off. The patient was sent to the ICU for overnight monitoring. If his condition stabilized, they could remove the tube and transfer him to the emergency ward.
"I'll go check on the patient's family members. There's so much paperwork to do." Zheng Ren turned around to leave the operating table as he removed his gloves.
"Boss, could you be more considerate?" Su Yun wailed. "If you leave, there are only two of us. Are you expecting me and Yanran to carry the patient by ourselves?"
"I'll call Lil Fugui over," Zheng Ren walked out of the operating room.
Not that Zheng Ren wanted to loaf around on the job, but the surgery was so urgent that they had skipped too many preoperative protocols.
As Su Yun had implied earlier, things would get messy post-surgery.
He searched for his phone and called Professor Rudolf Wagner to ask him to assist them in the operating room. Zheng Ren then walked out of the main entrance.
A muscular figure appeared in front of him when the door opened.
Zheng Ren was stunned for a moment, but he was quickly met with Fan Tianshui's sincere smile.
"Chief Zheng, how was the surgery?" Fan Tianshui asked.
"It's fine; the patient will be staying in the ICU," Zheng Ren continued, "Who are the patient's direct family members?"
Instantly, a group of people crowded over.
"I need someone to sign the forms and submit payment. Those who are unrelated to the patient, please step aside. Where's the patient's spouse?" Zheng Ren said loudly.
"Excuse me, who are you? Stop being so nosy and go away." A few women helped the patient's spouse over to Zheng Ren
She could not walk as her entire body had gone limp. The women tried their best to carry her to Zheng Ren.
Zheng Ren forced a smile and said hurriedly, "Help her to a chair."
After scrambling for several minutes, the patient's spouse was finally seated in a red plastic stool. Both her eyes were hollow and empty while she waited for Zheng Ren to announce the death of her husband.
"Are you the patient's spouse?" Zheng Ren asked.
There was no response from the woman, as if she did not hear Zheng Ren.
"Yes, she is. Doctor, how is Old Hai?" one of them asked anxiously.
"We managed to rescue him. He'll be monitored in the ICU for a while. If everything goes well, he can be transferred to the normal ward tomorrow."
His words struck them like thunder.
Chapter 377 - Young And Audacious
The crowd gasped in shock.
However, the patient's spouse remained unresponsive, her eyes empty and lifeless.
"Hey, Feiyi. Old Hai is fine!" One of her friends shook her by the shoulders in astonishment.
The woman still had an ashen look on her face, looking afar blankly, blocking all her senses.
Zheng Ren let out a sigh; he had seen this condition before. Her unresponsiveness was the result of an innate behavior to protect ourselves from intense shock or psychological distress.
"Sigh," Zheng Ren shook his head. "What about other family members? Anyone who can sign, submit payment, and follow me to complete the paperwork?"
Once they heard his request for payment and signature, half of the crowd dispersed.
Only a few people remained, but most of them looked hesitant.
"Doctor, I'll do it," the patient's younger cousin brother came up to Zheng Ren.
"Get someone to hold the elevator. Take the patient to the ICU after they push him out.
"You, follow me." Zheng Ren led the guys into the fire escape.
"Doctor, is my cousin brother really alright?" The young man was still trying to digest the information.
He was one of the witnesses at the scene. The patient fell to the ground after being stabbed in the c.h.e.s.t. It was obvious that he should be dead.
When he arrived at Sea City General Hospital later, the things he heard also confirmed his suspicion.
Now, this young doctor was saying that he was fine…
It was incredible.
"Yes, the patient's going to live for the time being," Zheng Ren said, "However, the patient's heart stopped beating for some time before we managed to resuscitate him. The lack of oxygen might cause irreversible brain damage. Also, the emergency rescue was carried out in a hurry due to the urgency, so the postoperative infection might be rather extensive, but other than that, he's alive now."
"..." The patient's cousin was stunned.
His body followed Zheng Ren forward, but his legs remained rooted.
He instantly lost control and rolled down the stairs.
My God… Zheng Ren was too late to grab hold of him.
"Are you okay?" Zheng Ren asked.
"Doctor, will my brother be in a coma?" Life and death situations were new to this young man. Even the experiences of a seasoned man might pale in comparison to what Zheng Ren dealt with on a daily basis.
What Zheng Ren said terrified him.
"Theoretically, the chances of him being in a coma are slim," Zheng Ren said, "Let's go. Follow me to complete the admission procedures and proceed to payment. Otherwise, if he can't get the medication he needs after surgery, he'll never wake up."
Zheng Ren sounded as if he was exaggerating, but it was not entirely untrue.
When the brain is deprived of oxygen for five to ten minutes, even if they manage to save the patient, the brain would be seriously damaged and be subjected to irreversible injury. By then, the chances of the patient going into a vegetative state would be almost 100%.
Fortunately, Zheng Ren was very decisive. If he had delayed another few minutes, the patient would have been gone.
The patient's cousin remained silent while he trailed behind Zheng Ren all the way to the emergency ward. Zheng Ren wrote down the patient's admission as the ICU so that Chang Yue would not need to fill in his medical records.
Zheng Ren told him to proceed with payment and showed him the way to the ICU. He then strode toward the ICU.
The plump courier from the Secondary Hospital subconsciously followed Zheng Ren and Su Yun the moment they dashed off.
Working so long in hospital settings had that effect on hospital staff, even if they were not clinical physicians.
When the plump courier saw the ghostly-white patient being carried out of the ambulance, he was certain that the patient was dead.
Under normal circ.u.ms
tances, the doctors would routinely administer a closed-c.h.e.s.t cardiac massage for 20 minutes to comfort the patient's family members and give them some time to accept the reality before announcing the patient's death.
To his surprise, Chief Zheng studied the scans that he brought like an old pedant. He then had the audacity to perform a thoracotomy in the emergency rescue room and administer an open-c.h.e.s.t cardiac massage!
Either this Chief Zheng was a thug.
Or he truly had great skills.
The moment the plump courier saw blood shooting out of the patient's c.h.e.s.t, something struck his cold, numb soul that had long been used to witnessing death and its inner workings.
A cardiac tamponade!
He was aware of the patient's condition.
Could they save him?
When Zheng Ren was running and pushing the stretcher forward, the plump courier made way for them.
Instead of helping, he just watched.
Over years of clinical experience, he knew not to involve himself in such complicated matters.
It was as if he felt a kick to his own c.h.e.s.t when he saw Zheng Ren kick the patient's devastated spouse who was unwilling to let go of the stretcher.
Stifling,
Suffocating,
Hard to breathe.
Was it possible? The plump man covered his c.h.e.s.t as he watched Zheng Ren's back disappear around the corner in shock.
He saw the patient's family members slowly gather together.
They were all very emotional.
Fan Tianshui maintained the order.
He watched them in awe.
How did Sea City General Hospital manage to find someone like him to work for their security?
He also noticed something else—those wandering medical dispute profiteers who preyed on dissatisfied family members were nowhere to be found.
It was so quiet and peaceful. No one was trying to stir the family member's emotions and make a scene so that they could turn a profit.
This…this was so surprising.
The plump courier was rather curious, so he followed the family to the operating room.
Soon after, Zheng Ren came out to announce that they successfully rescued the patient.
He was dumbfounded, not only by Chief Zheng's TIPS surgery but the sheer courage to cut the patient's c.h.e.s.t open in the emergency rescue room and give him an open-c.h.e.s.t cardiac massage.
The fact that Sea City General Hospital was free from medical disputes… he guessed had something to do with Chief Zheng in some capacity.
He trailed behind Zheng Ren who was leading the family member to the emergency ward.
There were numerous thoughts running through his mind as he watched Zheng Ren's figure from behind. He believed that the TIPS surgery would be a success with this young and audacious chief resident.
The hospital was not a playground. He knew that no one could be this daring if they were not equipped with the skills.
He waited patiently for the family member to submit payment. When Zheng Ren was finally free, he walked toward him.
He lowered his back further and put on a sincere smile. "Chief Zheng, you were amazing in that emergency rescue!"
"Oh." Zheng Ren answered calmly.
When he saw that Zheng Ren had remained expressionless, the plump guy wondered to himself, 'Was his expression not genuine? Were his words not moving enough?'
Flattery usually never failed.
Why was he unmoved by his sweet-talking?
While he pondered, his smile grew wider until his eyes stretched into a thin line. He then extended his right hand and raised his thumb. "Well done!"
"Lil Fugui, how was the patient's last scan?" Zheng Ren ignored the compliments and turned around to ask, as if he did not notice the plump man at all.
Chapter 378 - Unprofessionalism
"I've looked through them. He's suitable for surgery." Professor Rudolf Wagner was not bothered by the emergency rescue. All the while, he was standing in front of the film viewer and carefully studying the scans.
"Boss, can you come over here for a minute. I think that there's something wrong with your decision." The professor took a piece of paper that was fully written in German.
"What's the problem?" Zheng Ren stood up and side-stepped the plump man to walk toward the film viewer.
The professor put up one of the scans again and started discussing it with Zheng Ren.
The plump man felt conflicted.
Even though he was not pleased, his impression of Chief Zheng was renewed.
Why was he not responsive to his compliments?
It had to be his status; what else?
Did he not hear the foreigner addressing him as 'boss'?
No hospital in Sea City was affiliated with international medical schools. The only exchange students they had were those who traveled overseas.
The plump courier was sure about this.
There was hardly anyone from Provincial Capital that could host a foreign medical student, not to mention in Sea City. Moreover, this foreigner looked rather m.a.t.u.r.e. It only took him one look to know that the man was a professor instead of an exchange student.
He must be somebody to make a foreign doctor call him 'boss'.
The plump courier quickly set himself straight. Besides, Zheng Ren was invited by Director Zhang. The more he got to know him, the easier he could get on Director Zhang's good side.
He had no business with Zheng Ren, but Director Zhang had the power over his career.
He observed Zheng Ren carefully so that he could report back to Director Zhang about his deeds.
He was deeply aware that he would be commending Director Zhang indirectly if he complimented Zheng Ren, which had a much better effect than blatant flattery.
It would make Director Zhang look good by discovering such an amazing talent.
If Zheng Ren was great, Director Zhang would be even greater since he was the one who scouted him.
The plump man's logic made perfect sense.
More than half an hour later, Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf Wagner finally finished discussing the scans.
They checked each scan and put them back into their respective labeled envelopes. Then, Zheng Ren laughed and told the plump man, "We're done with the scans. Everything looks good; there are no contraindications. Tell Director Zhang not to worry."
"Mhm, as long as you're satisfied." The plump guy's back was almost bent at a 90-degree angle. Zheng Ren felt tired just watching him.
"Chief Zheng, what about tomorrow's surgery?" he asked.
"It should be fine. I'll head over in the morning," Zheng Ren said, "Please handle pre-op for the patient."
"Sure, thank you so much," the plump guy said smilingly. "I wanted to treat you for a meal to thank you on behalf of Secondary Hospital's patients and their family members. Since you're rather busy today, let's do it tomorrow. Please don't reject; it's a small gesture of our appreciation."
Zheng Ren smiled and kept quiet.
After seeing him off, Zheng Ren stretched his back and stood up. He briefed Chang Yue and the others on what to do before heading to the ICU.
Zheng Ren had nothing to worry about as Su Yun was monitoring the patient in the ICU.
However, after being a doctor for so many years, he felt like something was missing if he did not visit the patient after surgery.
He would feel restless if he kept worrying about them.
"Boss, where are you going?" the professor asked.
"I'm going to visit the patient," Zheng Ren said.
"What patient?" The professor approached him. He intended to keep Zheng Ren pinned in front of the film viewer so that he could voice out his queries and discuss it with him for another three days.
Instead, his boss was going to leave right after glancing through the scans. Professor Rudolf Wagner had a hard time accepting that behavior.
"There was a patient who got stabbed. He suffered a cardiac tam
ponade and his heart had stopped when he arrived." Zheng Ren took his phone to call the 120 emergency doctor while he spoke.
"Hello, it's Zheng Ren.
"Yes, how long did the patient's heart stop beating?
"Okay."
Zheng Ren hung up after that.
The doctor called Zheng Ren the moment the patient's heart flatlined. The entire exchange should not have exceeded more than five minutes.
Zheng Ren was relieved when he verified the duration again.
"Boss, I think you should focus on one goal at a time." Professor Rudolf Wagner was angered by Zheng Ren's 'unprofessionalism'.
"We're still saving lives. They are the same," Zheng Ren answered nonchalantly.
"How could they be the same!" The professor said, "Do you know how many lives you'll be saving if you come up with a standard procedure?"
"I have you, don't I, Lil Fugui." Zheng Ren walked toward him. "I'll leave this mission to you."
"..." Even though the professor was naturally gifted in language, he was still not well-versed enough in Mandarin to understand what Zheng Ren truly meant when he spoke in that tone.
Zheng Ren rang the ICU's doorbell.
The surveillance monitor lit up. Suddenly, Zheng Ren sensed someone approaching him from behind.
"Doctor!"
Zheng Ren turned around in shock.
It was the patient's spouse whom he had kicked earlier.
She rushed toward Zheng Ren with wobbly steps and kneeled on the floor with a thud.
Zheng Ren shied away immediately. What the h*ll was she doing?
"Doctor, I'm begging you! You must save Old Hai!"
"You…you're welcome. Quick, help her up," Zheng Ren said with desperation while he backed himself into the corner beside the ICU entrance.
"Doctor, thank you so much!" The patient's cousin came to Zheng Ren and bowed deeply while the other family members helped the spouse to her feet.
"You're most welcome. There's no need for that. I will try my best." Zheng Ren waved his hand.
The man did not know how to respond to Zheng Ren's reply as he was still young, yet to be molded by society.
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