"Mayor Pan, good to see you," Zheng Ren replied in kind.
"I just came from Old Pan's office. I'm sorry you had to go through all this trouble. All these families think of is the betrothal money; it's embarrassing. The young lady's life is more important than money!" Pan Ziyao exclaimed.
"I should be the one apologizing for your trouble."
"No, no. Grassroots like me have very little power. We often only deal with trivial matters. If it was at the beginning of my term, my presence here wouldn't even make a difference," Pan Ziyao said.
Zheng Ren did not know what to say after that.
Pan Ziyao was an intuitive man. He took the pause in the conversation to be his cue to leave. He asked for the patient's ward number and went on his merry way.
Zheng Ren had offered to accompany him, but Pan Ziyao declined, citing how he should not take up Zheng Ren's time for a small matter like this.
A series of angry shouts could be heard from the ward.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-surgeon's-studio_16489637605120805/the-blunt-approach_49051026292008293 for visiting.
"F*cking hell, do you know how much trouble you've given me? Do you want to die? You can go ahead, but leave your daughter out of it. You don't own that land of yours anymore, do you?"
A string of curse words came from the mayor's mouth.
Zheng Ren could hear them from his office.
After a few minutes, Pan Ziyao returned to the office with a smile on his face. Zheng Ren would have never guessed he was the one swearing like a sailor.
"I made Dr. Zheng laugh, I see," Pan Ziyao said.
Zheng Ren ordered his expression.
"It's hard-working at a grassroots level. Being nice gets you nowhere in this job. Right or wrong, you just gotta give the other party a good scolding before trying to talk sense," Pan Ziyao said.
Zheng Ren was unsure as to how he should respond.
"The girl is sick to the point of dying and Old Wang is thinking about betrothal money. He's out of his g*dd*mn mind," Pan Ziyao said dramatically. Then, he shot Zheng Ren a smile before saying, "I'm sorry for the language. Please don't hold it against me."
Zheng Ren waved a hand. "Oh no, no. How did the conversation go?"
Pan Ziyao beamed. "Immediately prepare for surgery. Old Wang's coming to sign the papers."
Zheng Ren let out a relieved sigh.
The System display got redder by the hour and Zheng Ren believed it was not long before the girl's appendix would rupture.
He was glad the family had finally given in.
Zheng Ren quickly called Chang Yue to begin presurgical preparations while he went to visit the patient. He would personally see to the appendectomy.
A few months ago, Zheng Ren would not even have the choice.
Back then, having a chance to step inside the operating room was a blessing. Occasionally, Chief Surgeon Liu would allow him to close up the surgical site and that was enough to brighten his mood.
Who knew that a few months later, appendectomies would not even be on Zheng Ren's to-do list.
The arrival of Mayor Pan was the only reason Zheng Ren was handling this appendectomy himself. It was a favor called in by a friend of Old Chief Physician Pan and he had helped resolve the family's reluctance to consent to surgical intervention.
Half an hour later, the informed consent doc.u.ments were signed and the patient was ready for the surgery.
Su Yun pushed the patient into the operating room. Zheng Ren excused himself and went to scrub in, leaving Pan Ziyao in the emergency ward office.
Pan Ziyao exhaled and relaxed.
He had graduated 20 years ago and was now in his forties, and yet he was stuck in a mayoral position. His career progression was uninspiring.
His stunted career growth was mainly due to his upright and honest manner in handling matters.
He spent many years at the grassroots level, never really climbing the ranks. His ambition faded throughout the years of toiling for the community.
Today, he was supposed to be busy working on a project on targeted poverty alleviation via mobile registration.
However, when the call from the village chief came, he immediately abandoned his work and rushed over to Sea City.
Pan Ziyao was not surprised to hear the village folk refusing treatment.
He was aware of their reasons.
A few years ago, there was a family who adamantly rejected surgical intervention and their daughter lost her life because of their selfishness. This all happened in Sea City People's Hospital.
It was the family's choice, so they took the body to the funeral parlor without a fuss and did a cremation ceremony. However…
A life was frivolously snuffed out; it would have been an avoidable death if the parents consented to the surgery.
The village chief's call reminded him of that unnecessary death. Although Pan Ziyao had been kicked around by life, he was not about to stand aside and let a girl die.
Thank God he made it to the hospital in time. Pan Ziyao went to the restroom to smoke a cigarette before heading to the operating room.
He wanted to give the patient's father another scolding. He had a hectic day planned and the man-made it worse.
Before he could begin his harangue, the operating room door opened and a stretcher trolley was pushed out. The patient was on board with Su Yun steering them.
Chapter 414 - Cultural Adaptation
'That was quick,' Pan Ziyao thought.
The surgery was likely not over.
Appendectomies were one of the few procedures the rural healthcare center could perform.
Each appendectomy took at least 30 minutes to complete.
Pan Ziyao had only stepped out for a cigarette. There was no way the procedure could be over so quickly.
This must be another patient.
He scanned the waiting area. The only other people there were the family members he had scolded.
Su Yun hollered, "The head of the family, please stay back. Chief Zheng wants a word with you. The others should assist with transport."
'So, it was the patient,' Pan Ziyao concluded.
When he found out Old Chief Physician Pan would not be personally handling the case, he was slightly offended, but that feeling quickly faded when he saw the patient being wheeled out in record time.
The family members went to the patient's side and assisted Su Yun. Pan Ziyao stayed behind with the father.
A few minutes passed before Zheng Ren walked out of the operating room in surgical scrubs. There was a specimen tray in his gloved hand; the other hand held a pair of hemostatic clamps. He was ready to enlighten them about the patient's appendicitis.
"Here is the appendicolith. The wall of the appendix is quite thin; if left to its own devices, it would have ruptured in a few hours," Zheng Ren used the hemostatic clamps to probe the appendix as he explained.
The swelling of the appendix was evident. There were signs of perforation at its tip.
The speed of the surgery was not indicative of the severity of the disease.
Zheng Ren was not exaggerating when he said the appendix was about to rupture. If that had happened, the aftermath would be a severe case of peritonitis.
High pressure in the appendix would cause intense pain right before the rupture.
When the rupture occurs, the pressure in the appendix is relieved. In that case, the patient's symptoms would abate, despite the worsening internal conditions.
The feedback of an improving patient could lead to an error in judgment whereby the peritonitis is neglected.
By the time the patient's condition visibly worsened, the patient would already be in a critical state of toxic shock. The patient would require intensive medical treatment to address the spreading infection.
There was a chance the patient would die fighting such an infection.
The patient that day was considered lucky.
The appendectomy proceeded swiftly once the relevant doc.u.ments were signed.
As Zheng Ren ended his explanation, the father wore a shocked expression. The appendix piece in the specimen tray taunted him.
In the father's experience, appendicitis could be easily cured with antiinflammatory medication.
People who had suffered from appendicitis back in the village never required surgery. His daughter was of marriageable age, so surgery was simply not an option. What if the neighbors started spreading rumors?
The father only agreed to the surgery after Pan Ziyao gave him a scolding and an ultimatum.
Who was he to refuse the mayor of the Zhonghe District?
The father never considered the possibility of his daughter dying from appendicitis.
Pan Ziyao gave the father a kick in the shin. "You old fool. You nearly killed your daughter. Still thinking about that dowry? A dead daughter will fetch you nothing, and how will you retire then? Probably end up in an old folk's home."
The father scratched his head and put on an innocent face. "Mayor Pan, I really didn't know it was this serious."
"You think this is a trick? Look at that!" Pan Ziyao pointed at the swollen appendix and the obstructing appendicolith in the specimen tray.
There was nothing more the father could say, so he let out an awkward chuckle.
Zheng Ren brought the specimen tray back into the operating room and went to change.
Just as he was done changing, his phone rang.
Another emergency case? It was what Zheng Ren was hoping for, just so he could have a reason to not attend dinner with Pan Ziyao.
Not that Zheng Ren did not like Pan Ziyao; he just did not enjoy business meals.
He answered the call. It was Director Zhang from the Secondary Hospital.
"Director Zhang, hi." Zheng Ren held the phone between his ear and shoulder. His hands were busy putting on his shoes.
"Oh yes." he continued. "Not an issue. If the patients do not exhibit complications, we can keep it to ten or less.
"Alright. I'm done here, so I'll have a look. If everything checks out, we can begin tomorrow."
The call ended.
Director Zhang from the Secondary Hospital had found a few patients who fit the criteria for the TIPS procedure. The patients had undergone the diffusion-weighted MRI and the director wanted to know if Zheng Ren would be willing to operate on them.
There would be eight patients in total this round.
The mission required Zheng Ren to complete one more TIPS procedure. The other patients were extraneous in relation to the mission. As a responsible doctor, Zheng Ren was willing to spend his time to help them.
Director Zhang had sent a courier to deliver the scans. Zheng Ren rushed upstairs to his office.
A plump man stood at the emergency ward entrance.
"Good day, Chief Zheng. We meet again." The plump man gave Zheng Ren a welcoming smile.
"Good day to you too," Zheng Ren greeted as he approached the man.
The plump man noted Zheng Ren's outstretched hand and thought, 'Chief Zheng isn't so aloof once you get to know him.'
He raised his hand to accept Zheng Ren's handshake.
Their hands missed each other by inches. The plump man was stunned.
Zheng Ren reached over and took the bag. "I want the scans." Then, he turned around and walked into the emergency ward.
The plump man was baffled by his social gaffe.
He was slightly disappointed, but he felt no anger toward the young doctor.
Professionals at the top of their game often behaved this way.
The plump man consoled himself and followed Zheng Ren out.
"Lil Fugui, come take a look at the scans." Zheng Ren's voice echoed from the office.
The plump man went into the office and situated himself in a corner to listen in on their conversation.
After Zheng Ren's first visit to the Secondary Hospital, Professor Rudolf Wagner's identity was no longer a secret.
Heidelberg University's top professor, whose main field of research was in interventional surgery, was here in China. The plump man's image of Professor Rudolf was no longer as pristine as it was before.
The first thought that went through his mind when he thought of the foreign professor was his heavy Northeastern accent.
In the plump man's mind, the accented Mandarin coupled with his Caucasian features overshadowed whatever academic accomplishments he had. He was truly adapting to the local customs and language.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-surgeon's-studio_16489637605120805/cultural-adaptation_49051029244798385 for visiting.
The professor's reputation had taken a hit due to the odd Northeastern accent that he had adopted at Sea City General Hospital.
"Sure thing, Boss. How many are there?" the professor asked.
"Four new patients. We'll try to settle all of them tomorrow."
"I admire that Chinese efficiency," Professor Rudolf said.
The plump man smiled at the compliment.
The Secondary Hospital had gone through great lengths to obtain and prepare 16 patients who were eligible for the TIPS procedure.
The professor's words stroked the plump man's ego.
"The researchers back home will be getting a mouthful from me when I get home. They're a reckless bunch. Something always ends up horribly wrong, even when I give clear instructions," Professor Rudolf grumbled in his Northeastern accent as he moved closer to Zheng Ren to get a better look at the scans.
The plump took some time to digest what the professor had said.
Northeastern slang that locals hardly used littered the professor's words.
At this point, the plump man felt like the professor was more in-tune with the local language than he was.
He shook his head with dismay.
Chapter 415 - Hospital’s Internal Struggle
Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf Wagner began to study the scans.
If they had been studying the scans a few days ago to find out the significance of MRI diffusion in guiding the location of TIPS, a few days later, Zheng Ren and Professor had evolved to a level of proficiency that had already been determined.
Previously, it had taken them more than an hour to look at a single scan.
A few days later, the two of them had finished watching the first scan in 20 minutes. Not only did they finish discussing the surgical approach, but they also discussed how to reduce the complications of hepatic encephalopathy after the surgery and the estimated number of days that they would need to take out recyclable stents.
The short and fat man could not tell much, but Su Yun knew that what Professor and Zheng Ren were studying was worth something.
He had grown so fast. It was as if he was watching a video at twice the speed. Just a brief moment and he was about to turn to a new page.
Su Yun was deeply moved. What could she do to be able to keep up with this man and not getting further and further away?
Such a situation had never happened in Su Yun's life until now.
The first time he performed emergency TIPS surgery with Zheng Ren, Zheng Ren's puncture technique was still a little rusty. But it was said that the last time he went to the Secondary Hospital for surgery, all of them succeeded with one puncture.
Su Yun knew that when Zheng Ren performed TIPS surgery for the first time, the technique he displayed was already at the top of the world.
But he seemed to have no limits. In the eyes of others, the mountain peak was just a slope in his eyes. After he climbed over it, he instantly climbed up another taller and steeper towering mountain.
Facing such a person, even a genius like Su Yun felt a trace of helplessness.
It seemed that he had to work harder. Su Yun thought of having to accompany Old C
hief Physician Pan to eat and drink in a while and felt inexplicably frustrated.
At 4:30, Chief Pan went upstairs and called everyone to eat.
Chief Pan, who had once worked at the grassroots level, could not be more familiar with the welcoming and sending of people. This time, he looked for someone to do something and the person had done it properly.
It was only right to have a meal, drink some wine, and act as a host.
Although the matter of saving a life had nothing to do with Chief Pan. But if he had the ability, did he really have to ask the patient's family to sign the written doc.u.ment that exempted the hospital from liability and then watch a 16-year-old girl die?
Impossible! Whether it was in Chief Pan's mind or Zheng Ren's, this kind of situation was impossible.
After Chief Pan entered the room, Zheng Ren immediately stood up. He was slightly apologetic. Before he could speak, Chief Pan said, "You study the film. I'll bring the others. "
Knowing that Zheng Ren did not like socializing and drinking, Chief Pan was very understanding.
"Chief, we have to go to the Secondary Hospital again tomorrow. " Zheng Ren had forgotten whether he had mentioned this to Chief Pan. Since the old chief supported it, it was not too late to say it now.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-surgeon's-studio_16489637605120805/hospital%E2%80%99s-internal-struggle_49437161300227590 for visiting.
"Okay. " Director Pan pondered for a moment and said, "Su Yun, don't drink tonight. "
This was the rhythm of Su Yun being asked to work the night shift.
Su Yun responded and there was nothing to be unhappy about. After all, Zheng Ren had to go for the TIPS surgery tomorrow, so it was necessary to maintain vigorous energy.
Drinking was a small matter but the surgery was a big matter. Chief Pan would definitely not let go of this opportunity due to this careless mistake. Su Yun also knew the severity of the matter. It was a habit to tease Zheng Ren, but when it came to serious matters, he was still very serious.
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