Chapter 53: Oops, He Learned A Real Technique
The water faucet in the sink gushed water like a flood, water droplets splashing like weaving, pattering and splashing onto the large mirror above the sink, leaving winding wet streaks like flying snakes.
At ten in the morning, Lu Cheng stood by the sink, scrubbing his hands. He glanced sideways at Elder Brother Zeng Huanqi and, upon closer inspection, found that Zeng Huanqi’s features were actually quite refined.
It was just that Zeng Huanqi’s skin tone obscured all of that, the opposite of how “one white covers a hundred ugliness.” “Brother Zeng, Professor Chen is off today, and Director Lin just got off work. This gallbladder removal surgery will have to be guided by you.”
Zeng Huanqi smiled, revealing white teeth, his expression kind and his tone calm. “Xiao Lu, while I know your talent is considerable, you’ve grasped the suturing of tendons throughout the entire upper limb in less than a month.”
“But gallbladder removal is quite different from tendon suturing. For this surgery, you still need to learn patiently.”
Zeng Huanqi quickly added, “What I mean is, perhaps gallbladder removal has better long-term applicability.”
“After all, Peng Kun from Orthopedics will eventually learn tendon suturing one day.”
Tendon rupture is a standard orthopedic disease. The County People’s Hospital is just a county hospital with a limited number of patients, so they can’t afford to outsource such cases to the Emergency Department like Xiangya Second Hospital.
Lu Cheng can seize the temporary opportunity to monopolize the “surgical right,” but he can’t rely on this surgery for his entire career.
Gallbladder removal surgery, on the other hand, was a procedure that Lin Qianlong fought for from the specialty department and is now under the Emergency Department, a surgery without controversy.
“Mmm, I understand. Thank you, Brother Zeng. I’ll still need you to back me up later…” Although Lu Cheng understood this, his thoughts weren’t entirely aligned with it.
Tendon suturing has many different areas, and while Peng Kun can slowly learn it, it will be at least a few years away.
By the time Young Master Kun masters tendon suturing, he will have already learned other surgical procedures and will be too lazy to compete with Peng Kun for tendon suturing.
The disinfection and draping for gallbladder removal surgery are similar to appendicitis, with only the area for central disinfection being different.
After disinfection and draping, when the circulating nurse connected the electrocautery and adjusted the current, Lu Cheng only asked one question: “Brother Zeng, is it okay for me to use the subcostal incision under the right rib margin, a Kocher incision, to enter the abdominal cavity?”
“Yes, it’s fine!” Zeng Huanqi nodded. As an attending physician capable of performing gallbladder removal surgery, he naturally understood the English terms Lu Cheng was using.
This is one of the more common incisions for gallbladder removal surgery, and it’s a basic skill that must be mastered for such procedures. Since Professor Chen Song assessed Lu Cheng as capable of performing gallbladder removal, he would have done the necessary preparatory reading.
Without much hesitation, Lu Cheng directly used a scalpel to incise the skin and enter the abdominal cavity. His local movements were smooth, but his overall operation lacked fluidity.
Zeng Huanqi knew that Lu Cheng’s basic skills were sufficient, but he hadn’t performed gallbladder removal surgery before.
He has the knowledge and the manual dexterity, but he hasn’t done it, so he lacks overall proficiency…
“Retractor!” Lu Cheng called out, and Zeng Huanqi complied.
“No variation in gallbladder position.”
“Right-angle forceps!”
“Hem-o-lok clip, cystic artery.”
“Hem-o-lok clip, cystic duct.”
“Drainage tube…”
Zeng Huanqi’s expression began to freeze. From early August until the sixth of the current month, in just six days, Lu Cheng had not only learned the difficult Tajima Suturing Technique that Professor Tong Yuan’an spoke of, but his proficiency in gallbladder removal had also become extraordinary!
Zeng Huanqi’s gaze lingered on Lu Cheng, noticing that his actions were meticulous, and his individual maneuvers, such as hemostasis, incision, and debridement, were superior to his own…
It was only during the transition between one step and the next that Lu Cheng needed a moment to think, clearly recalling instructions.
This was indeed Lu Cheng’s first foray into this procedure, yet, by relying on memorization and “mastered” basic skills, Lu Cheng advanced the surgery so smoothly that even Zeng Huanqi couldn’t find any flaws.
Lu Cheng had truly learned a valuable skill, and he couldn’t suppress it—
Some people, given a bit of sunshine, can bloom brightly; given a hint of color, they can create a whole tapestry.
Now, Lu Cheng’s proficiency in gallbladder removal has reached a high level. Even if he were to see patients alone, he wouldn’t fear “mistakes.” Even after Professor Chen Song leaves, Lu Cheng will be able to operate independently…
The suppression within the county hospital doesn’t mean they completely “lock you out” of performing surgeries! That’s impossible. Everyone is an adult, and no one would choose to offend someone so completely.
What can be controlled is that I can choose not to teach you or guide you!
If no one guides you in the basics… you can go and court disaster. Like Director Peng of Orthopedics, if you’re willing to bear all responsibility, that’s your prerogative.
However, the learning of techniques is a closely guarded secret. Operating without a superior to provide backup is courting disaster…
“Brother Zeng, I think it went well. What do you think?” Lu Cheng asked, turning his head to Zeng Huanqi after completing the drainage tube insertion procedure step-by-step.
Zeng Huanqi carefully examined the situation within the abdominal cavity. He found that after the gallbladder was removed from the gallbladder region, the field was clear, with no bleeding points, no bile leaks, and the drainage tube was placed at a standard angle.
Being able to achieve this, Zeng Huanqi couldn’t find any fault and nodded, teasing, “Xiao Lu, you must be an amphibian.”
Zeng Huanqi could only express “mutated” in a rather elegant and subtle way.
…
Below Elephant Trunk Ridge, there is a black fish pond, which is where many fishing enthusiasts in Long County are taken advantage of by the boss.
Zhang Tiesheng and Chen Song each set up a parasol and a complete fishing platform. Chen Song sat regally, cast his bait, and waited for the fish to bite.
Glancing sideways, he quickly reached out to grab Zhang Tiesheng’s fishing rod. “The float dipped, why aren’t you reeling it in?”
“It got away.” Chen Song’s words were in vain.
Zhang Tiesheng quickly checked his phone, put it down, and re-baited his hook. After giving Chen Song a cigarette and some pleasantries, he chuckled, “Professor Chen, I apologize, I was distracted.”
“Zeng Huanqi just messaged me saying that Xiao Lu’s gallbladder removal surgery he performed earlier was exceptionally beautiful. This was his first time as chief surgeon, so I found it quite unbelievable.”
“It’s as if he’s defying reason.” Zhang Tiesheng’s expression seemed relaxed, but his heart was also tightening, feeling a sense of subtle pressure and urgency.
Chen Song reeled in his fishing rod and re-baited his hook. “This is quite normal. Xiao Lu’s basic skills are good, so he learns specialty surgical procedures quickly.”
“Specialty surgeries, at their core, are organic combinations of numerous basic skills. All surgeries, when broken down to the very end, can be reduced to constituent units of basic skills.”
“In teaching hospitals, during master’s and doctoral studies, we basically don’t learn specialty surgeries; we just focus on basic skills!”
“There are two purposes: first, basic skills are easy to learn but difficult to master, and they influence a person’s clinical ceiling; second, they represent a person’s overall potential.”
“Therefore, we generally don’t formally begin learning surgical operations until we are in our thirties. With about five or six years of experience, we can catch up to the main group.”
Seeing Zhang Tiesheng still somewhat perplexed, Chen Song used an analogy: “It’s like how many majors welcome math undergraduates to take postgraduate entrance exams in other fields.”
“Is math useful? In practical applications, it’s difficult to connect directly. But all science disciplines are essentially derived from mathematics.”
“Basic skills are equivalent to the mathematical prowess in science.”
“It got away again!” Chen Song reeled as soon as his float moved, but the fish in the pond were too cunning; it was just a slip, and he cast his line again in vain.
Chen Song mused, “The learning process for most people, like you, Zhang Tiesheng, seems to be learning surgical techniques, but in reality, it requires the simultaneous progression of basic skills, professional techniques, and methods, which is why it takes longer…”
“But if you first build up a reserve of basic skills and theoretical knowledge, and then accumulate strength to learn specialty surgeries and techniques, you don’t need to advance on all fronts at once.”
“Mmm.” Zhang Tiesheng pushed his glasses up and nodded.
Although he understood the essence of Lu Cheng’s rapid progress, the root cause made Zhang Tiesheng even more helpless.
