Chapter 31: No One Is Perfect!
“Teacher Chen, this is the recovery check video for patient Zhou Migguo on the fourteenth day after surgery. I think it’s okay; I believe his postoperative range of motion and muscle strength are at the upper-middle level of postoperative rehabilitation.”
“What do you think, Teacher Chen?” After finishing his consultation with Zhou Migguo, Lu Cheng immediately found Chen Song and reported cautiously.
Chen Song is still at the county hospital, so there are still people to cover for him and clean up any messes.
Lu Cheng now has a panel, so he is very clear about the difference between being proficient in performing the modified Kessler technique and having mastery in performing the modified Kessler technique.
The surgical procedure is one thing, and proficiency is another.
With his current level of proficiency, the treatment he provides to patients is only above the standard line, and he doesn’t dare to compare himself to the group of patients with the best postoperative recovery.
Chen Song didn’t rush to reply. He patiently watched the postoperative review video, nodding frequently and commenting, “Good. Two weeks after surgery, the muscle strength after suturing a ruptured extensor tendon can reach grade 4+, which proves the surgery quality is excellent.”
“Looking at the range of motion, it’s already close to full extension, and there’s no inability to extend the fingers. The recovery is quite good…” Chen Song finished speaking and slowly took a sip of coffee.
He then said, “There’s a manual grinder over there. Try my coffee beans and see if there’s any difference from what you usually order…”
Chen Song brought a manual coffee grinder set directly to the department. The department’s duty room has a small refrigerator that can make ice.
Lu Cheng smiled and said, “Teacher Chen, please enjoy it slowly. I’ll come over after I finish writing the medical records and revise the medical orders.”
“Just do a casual job. Although doctors from our academic school should focus on theoretical details, and it’s never too meticulous when managing patients, your recent actions are all nitpicking.”
“We are surgeons after all, and we have to spend more time practicing surgical techniques. So, we naturally have to focus on the big picture and let go of the small details.”
Chen Song dared not say Lu Cheng was wrong, but he did not advocate for such a waste of time.
What Chen Song said made sense. Lu Cheng is indeed ‘nitpicking’ right now, striving to reach the extreme of his knowledge system.
If you ask how much benefit it brings to the patient, there is some, but in reality, the effect is not significant.
Compared to the 1.0 or more benefit from surgery, the 0.1 or 0.2 skill point gain is negligible.
But if Lu Cheng doesn’t focus on these details now, and instead focuses on the big picture at his current level, then what’s the point?
Accumulating small gains leads to significant achievements, and dripping water can wear through stone. Even if it’s slow, even if others misunderstand or find him annoying, as long as the path is correct, Lu Cheng has to take it.
“Teacher Chen, I am young and have plenty of energy. I strive to build a more solid foundation in basic skills and clear away all irrelevant factors, only then can I cautiously take these first steps.”
“When my footing is firm and my techniques are better, and I don’t need to eliminate minor influencing factors, and my skills are similar to yours, Teacher Chen, I certainly won’t nitpick these small details anymore.” Lu Cheng’s voice was sincere, and his smile was amiable.
No matter how much one is criticized, flattery always works.
Well-timed and specific flattery is even more delightful.
“This is the normal mindset of a good doctor. Doing your best to compensate with your cognition and theory when your absolute operational ability is insufficient is also a choice.”
“Then go on with your meticulous work… There’s no need to care about gossip once you’ve chosen your path…”
“It’s not wrong to meticulously refine medical orders; it doesn’t become wrong just because others say you’re doing it incorrectly.” Chen Song accepted Lu Cheng’s flattery and also gave Lu Cheng some direction.
“Teacher Chen, I have something to ask your permission for later, or you can call me anytime. I’ll be free.”
“I’ve also arranged lunch. It’s the Big Bowl Rice from the bus station that you like.” Lu Cheng turned and left directly, not giving Chen Song a chance to refuse.
Chen Song was slightly taken aback, “How did you order takeout from a place that doesn’t even offer delivery?”
“A delivery runner. One of my cousins does deliveries, so I’m taking the opportunity to support his business.” Lu Cheng had already half-closed the door.
“Alright…” Chen Song naturally accepted these as tuition fees and show of filial piety.
He also had to use favors to find people to evaluate Lu Cheng’s basic skills and technique proficiency.
If the master-student relationship isn’t smooth, then accepting tuition fees makes it so.
…
“You can’t be treated here. You need to be referred to Zhou People’s Hospital. This is a flexor tendon injury in District Two, and it’s very, very troublesome to handle.”
“I can’t perform this surgery here.” At 11:40 AM, Lu Cheng said with a sincere apology to an auntie, then re-tied the gauze and bandages she had used for temporary packing and hemostasis.
“Doctor Lu, my friend introduced me. He said you can perform this type of surgery. My friend is Old Ning.”
“She sells Big Bowl Rice at Huang Cang.” The auntie, in her fifties, looked quite shrewd.
“I know, Auntie Ning. She cut her hand before, but it was an extensor tendon, and it was in District Four, so I could do it.”
“Although yours was also from a kitchen knife cut, I can’t manage it… It’s not the same thing… I’m sorry, Auntie.” Lu Cheng maintained his steady demeanor.
In fact, with his current proficiency level of 8/10 in the modified Tang method, it wasn’t necessarily impossible, but the timing was still not right.
Flexor tendon injuries in District Two are considered “No Man’s Land” tendon injuries and require microsurgical instruments. This set of instruments has not yet been moved into the operating room, and Lu Cheng didn’t dare to call Director Peng to request the “equipment” for the department early.
Lu Cheng didn’t have that much face.
This instrument set was waiting for Xiang Daihong from Zhou People’s Hospital to “unpack” it!
Many surgeons are quite fond of “new instrument sets.”
Without microsurgical instruments, and with his technique not yet at mastery level, the re-operation rate was still estimated to be quite high. Lu Cheng certainly couldn’t accept the patient just to increase his surgery volume.
“Doctor Lu, are you just saying this to avoid trouble with me?” The auntie’s eyes darted around, as if appraising something.
Lu Cheng shook his head, “That’s not it.”
“If I can do it, I can do it. For surgeries I’m confident I can perform, there’s still a possibility of failure, but it’s usually less than five percent.”
“If I feel there’s a fifty or sixty percent chance, and yours isn’t an emergency that’s life-threatening, then I certainly wouldn’t gamble with you?”
“If you go to Xiangzhou People’s Hospital, there, you can at least get an eighty percent or higher excellent healing rate. So, I would definitely recommend referring you there.”
“It’s not about shirking responsibility!”
“Having a good place to go just means spending a little more money. Money is definitely more important than health.” Lu Cheng pointed out the key issue, shaking his head with a smile.
“You need to be referred. It’s better for you. I don’t have the confidence to perform it, and I can’t harm you.”
Even Associate Professor Chen Song doesn’t perform flexor tendon ruptures in District Two because it has specialized to the inner “G-spot” of hand surgery, which “surgeons” who are not specifically specialized cannot access.
“Sigh… I thought it would be similar to Sister Ning’s case, and I could get it resolved in the county…” The auntie could only sigh.
“I’m sorry, it’s my technique that’s not good enough to solve your problem.” Lu Cheng sighed, a look of helplessness on his face.
The auntie left the general ward and regretfully called her family.
Lu Cheng was also helpless. If he had absolute ability, he could have applied to Director Lin Qianlong to request the “microsurgical instrument set” and become the one to unpack it.
But Lu Cheng just didn’t have the confidence. Knowing that it was difficult here and the failure rate was high, but still wanting to use new instruments for surgery, what if something went wrong? Wouldn’t he be an easy target?
The main reason is insufficient confidence, and the fundamental reason for insufficient confidence is poor technique…
【 Patiently advising the patient for referral, enabling the patient to achieve better functional recovery, gaining 0.1 skill points… 】
【 Current remaining skill points: 3.8 】
Even referring patients yields skill points.
“To heal often, to help often, to comfort always,” perhaps this is materialized on this panel.
Humans are just human; no one is perfect.
Lu Cheng’s idea is to strive to reduce the moments and instances of his helplessness…
