My Medical Skills Give Me Experience Points-Chapter 41 - 35: A Great Teacher Produces Outstanding Students

As Zhou Can slowly released the hemostatic forceps, the previously shriveled blood vessels began to fill. Following this, the patient's right lower limb started to gradually regain coloration. It was no longer pale.

"Blood circulation is smooth; the anastomosis is very successful."

Smiles blossomed on everyone's faces.

For doctors, there is nothing more gratifying than witnessing the improvement of a patient's condition.

Restoring blood flow in the lower limbs also signifies a greatly increased chance of saving the patient's leg. From a medical standpoint, if blood flow is blocked in a limb, it might result in death within about 20-30 minutes.

If it's cerebral ischemia, it's even more terrifying.

Brain death could occur in just four to five minutes.

Even if saved, there's a high probability of becoming a vegetative state or intellectually disabled.

"Doctor Lin, is the anastomosis almost complete?"

Dr. Xu asked.

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"Almost, give it another five or six minutes."

Doctor Lin was intently repairing the damaged arterial blood vessels.

"Given the patient's current condition, moving the patient is not advisable. Please have a surgeon come over for consultation to see if the surgery can be completed right here."

What the Emergency Department can do is initial life-saving work.

Once the patient's vital signs stabilize, they are handed over to specialized departments for further treatment.

In the long wait, Doctor Lin finally completed the repair of the blood vessels.

"Let's test the blood flow!"

Doctor Lin, after speaking to Zhou Can, looked with anticipation at the repaired blood vessels and the patient's left lower limb.

Zhou Can was still slowly releasing the hemostatic forceps.

You could see the shriveled blood vessels gradually being expanded by the incoming blood. However, the color of the lower limbs remained pale.

After watching for dozens of seconds, Doctor Lin looked nervously towards Dr. Xu.

"Don't worry, I think the blood flow is relatively smooth. The slow return of blood in the left lower limb could be for two reasons. First, the repaired blood vessels have narrowed, reducing blood supply to the lower limb. Second, excessive blood loss from the injury has resulted in low blood pressure, leading to insufficient blood supply to the extremities."

Dr. Xu appeared very calm.

Not panicking at all.

Senior doctors can manage more complex surgeries not only because of their superior medical skills but also because they have stronger mental resilience in crisis situations. Coupled with richer experience, they can provide the correct solutions in a shorter time for sudden complications.

In short, a doctor's growth is quite challenging.

Including academics, medical skills, experience, mental strength... many aspects.

"Xiao Zhou, watching us perform vascular anastomosis, have you learned anything?"

Dr. Xu asked him privately.

This made other doctors and nurses enviously look at him. It was clear that Dr. Xu favored this new trainee.

"I've learned a lot, such as ensuring that there's no air left inside the blood vessels in the final stage of anastomosis. Also, to what extent damaged blood vessels should be removed, and how to extract the great saphenous vein, etc. Apart from medical techniques, your composure in the face of crises also greatly benefited me."

Zhou Can roughly shared his learning experiences.

"Hehe, you even manage to learn the psychological quality of senior doctors, I admit defeat to you."

The usually strict Dr. Xu showed a rare smile.

"If it were you doing the repair on the artery that Doctor Lin just fixed, how would you proceed?"

During the procedure, Dr. Xu had imparted many skills to him.

Had Zhou Can genuinely absorbed it?

Could he put it into practice?

This was what Dr. Xu cared most about.

He disliked those who were all talk and no action.

"If it were up to me to repair, I might choose a triangular anastomosis. The reasons are twofold: a circular anastomosis isn't as firm, and a triangular anastomosis is stronger. Secondly, it perfectly avoids a small damaged part of the vessel wall, removing it. This can maximize the prevention of narrowing of the vascular lumen, or even secondary rupture."

Zhou Can gave his view.

Doctor Lin felt a bit ashamed after hearing this.

Although his suturing level was higher than Zhou Can's, he clearly wasn't as flexible in applying surgical strategies.

"Not bad, it seems that my teaching was not in vain. It might still be a while before the surgeon arrives, so you can anastomose these two small saphenous veins."

This was clearly providing Zhou Can an opportunity to practice.

Even if he messed up, there wouldn't be too much risk.

Dr. Xu was watching.

He could always step in if needed.

Zhou Can was thrilled; he relished any opportunity to earn Experience Points.

He had just learned a wealth of vascular anastomosis techniques and key points, and now he could practice on a patient. This is definitely what every early-career doctor dreams of.

Because this method of combining learning with practice can double the effectiveness of the learning.

Many people only know about famous teachers producing outstanding students.

But they don't know why disciples taught by famous teachers are so impressive.

Besides the high level of the famous teachers themselves, the most important reason is that these teachers can provide their disciples with various real combat opportunities.

For example, the current venous blood vessel anastomosis, ordinary residents yearning for such an opportunity is just wishful thinking.

…

After about twenty minutes, an orthopedic attending physician hurried over.

"Old Xu, is this the patient?"

He nodded at Dr. Xu, which counted as a greeting.

His gaze then fell on the patient.

"Right! The patient's legs have been severely crushed by a vehicle. The Femoral Artery has been temporarily attached, the remaining surgery will probably have to be handled by your department. Personally, I suggest if your specialists could finish the surgery here and then transfer the patient to the ward?"

Dr. Xu briefly explained the situation.

Zhou Can was still intently performing the venous anastomosis.

His speed was very fast; he has just successfully completed one.

The one he is doing now is more complex, requiring cutting off a small damaged section before anastomosis.

"The conditions in your operating room are quite basic, and bone connection and repair are complicated; it can probably only be done in our orthopedic surgery room. Also, the patient's thigh muscles and bones are severely damaged; it's hard to say whether his legs can be saved. You are the primary physicians, it's essential to communicate this point with the family. Also, the medical costs will be high, the family must make a clear decision on whether to save the legs or amputate."

These kinds of crush injuries easily lead to necrosis in the leg muscles and skin.

It's hard to tell just with the naked eye.

Only after the surgery and observing for a few days can the final conclusion be drawn.

"Well then, after we communicate well with the family, we will transfer him to your orthopedics for further treatment."

Dr. Xu did not say much more.

He was just an attending physician in the Emergency Department, with limited capabilities. Many things were beyond his control.

Before leaving, the orthopedic physician glanced at Zhou Can who was still stitching.

"Is Old Xu preparing to train a successor?"

"What successor could I possibly have? Being an attending is my endpoint."

Dr. Xu spoke with a hint of desolation.

"Old Xu, to say something you might not like to hear. The environment and conditions of the Emergency Department are simply not conducive to training highly specialized talent. You would be better off letting go of some of your fixations and switch to emergency and critical care. With your talent, you actually might achieve something."

The orthopedic attending seemed to know about Xu's past as well.

Zhou Can became even more curious, Dr. Xu's medical skills were clearly not weak, why was he assigned to manage in the worst department, the Emergency Department?

What exactly had happened back then?

"What talent can I possibly have, I'm already a has-bean."

Dr. Xu sneered at himself mockingly.

"Don't ever say that, at least to many doctors in our surgery department, you are still the legendary Xu Yidao. Anyway, I must go now!"

The orthopedic physician waved his hand and quickly left.

Orthopedics doctors are probably some of the busiest clinical physicians in departments.

At that moment, Zhou Can finally completed the second venous vessel anastomosis.

[Stitching Experience Points +1, Ligation Experience Points +1, Anastomosis Experience Points +1.]

Earning Experience Points is simply flying.

Anastomosing two venous vessels earned him 30 stitching Experience Points, 4 ligation Experience Points, and 2 anastomosis Experience Points.

The orthopedic physician said that the Emergency Department could not train highly skilled doctors, Zhou Can disagreed.

At the current rate of progress, it might take less than three years for the Emergency Department to produce a top-class surgeon.

After completing the anastomosis, Zhou Can tried to restore blood flow.

Not bad.

At least the anastomosis was successful.

Dr. Xu carefully inspected it and then said, "The method of anastomosis is correct, but the level of stitching still needs improvement. For example, here, due to your inadequate suturing, the internal lumen of the blood vessel has become narrowed. Also, this should have been chosen as the starting point for suturing. You must pay attention to these details in the future."

Having Dr. Xu point out issues in the stitching one by one was of great benefit to Zhou Can.

Being involved can cloud one's judgment, while an observer sees clear.

Many problems are hard to notice on one's own, having a wise teacher outright point them out can prevent taking a longer path.

"Doctor Lin, go and communicate with the family again. Tell them that the massive bleeding of the patient's legs has been controlled, but now he needs to be transferred to orthopedics for further treatment. The cost to attempt to save the limbs would be at least 200,000, and there is a chance of failure. After understanding the family's wishes, we can then proceed with the next step in treatment."

Doctors can only give diagnostic suggestions.

How the patient and their family ultimately decide is not something doctors can interfere with.

Zhou Can had seen families opt for withdrawal of care over a mere 20,000 yuan treatment cost.

The injured person was about fifty years old. Judging from his attire and his sun-darkened skin and rough hands, his family was likely not wealthy. Whether they would choose to spend hundreds of thousands to save his limbs was still very much in question.

Everyone patiently waited for the result of Doctor Lin's communication.