Surgery Godfather-Chapter 372 - 0352: Go For It
Chapter 372: Chapter 0352: Go For It
The second phase of Shuilian Yu’s reconstructive surgery went very well, and the third and final procedure of the treatment plan was soon successfully completed.
This operation was straightforward – it involved closing the original bladder and rectal fistulas and removing the moulds that had been placed in the urethra and rectum.
The newly built ‘highway’ was ready for use, signalling an end to the expulsion of urine and feces through the fistula and allowing them to be excreted instead via the rebuilt urethra and rectum.
However, at the start, the processes of urination and defecation needed to be trained to achieve satisfactory results.
Training for the rebuilt urethra had already begun, and the urethra showed no signs of narrowing. After testing, the urinary flow rate was excellent.
In the reconstructed rectum, biofeedback training had also started to reshape bowel sensation in conjunction with sphincter muscle contraction.
When the pectoralis minor muscle was used to replace the rectal sphincter muscle, a small slit was opened along the muscle fibers instead of making a hole in the muscle, and the descending colon was implanted into this slit.
This small slit now acted as the rectal opening, with a better airtight capability than a hole.
The reconstructed rectum would be considered successful only if it could completely seal liquid. Otherwise, loose feces could leak out due to insufficient or incomplete sealing of the anus, severely affecting the quality of life.
This method of opening a slit in the muscle fibers achieved the desired airtight result, similar to the sealing ability of a normal rectum.
In this way, nearly normal control of bowel movements was restored, thus preserving Shuilian Yu’s natural eliminatory function.
Previously, the unconscious discharge of urine and feces from the abdominal fistula, collected in a plastic bag, marked a huge step forward in improving Shuilian Yu’s quality of life.
Furthermore, Yang Ping had helped her reconstruct her YD using plastic surgery and retained her womanly dignity.
What remained was to provide her with a set of powered braces to help her stand and walk like a normal person.
As for the powered braces, everyone was actively contacting the relevant companies. While these braces were not widely used, many companies already had mature products.
The most advanced were those with brain-computer interface braces, followed by braces interfacing with thoracoabdominal muscle electrophysiological signals—even simpler were those controlled by upper limb movements.
For these types of powered braces, American and Japanese companies were leading. The Boston Dynamics company in the US, relying on its robotic technology, had developed advanced power braces.
Another American company, Kinda Recovery Company, basing their designs on military power exoskeleton technology, had the most mature applications.
Because of a variety of reasons, military use of powered exoskeletons was obstructed. As a result, some companies shifted their technology for civilian use, applying it to medical rehabilitation, which allowed patients who had lost their lower limbs or suffered lower limb paralysis to walk using powered braces.
For civilian use, the environmental and usage requirements were not as stringent as for the military ones. As a result, this technology evolved rapidly.
The ART company from Japan also developed leading-edge powered braces, surpassing American companies in some aspects.
Initially, American companies developed this technology for military use, so they put a lot of effort into payload and speed, while the precision and efficiency of signal conversion lagged.
The Japanese ART company developed their technology with patients in mind, resulting in a profound foundation in signal compilation and conversion that far exceeded American companies.
According to Yang Ping’s plan, the next step was to equip Shuilian Yu with powered braces and let her walk out of the hospital.
Takahashi had been keeping in contact with the ART company. They were eager to have a typical case for experimental application to build their early market influence. With Takahashi’s mediation, they were willing to cooperate with Sanbo Hospital and provide the powered braces for free.
However, equipping Shuilian Yu with powered braces was not a straightforward task. It required studying and compiling her brain electrophysiological data.
Within the system space, Yang Ping had read numerous books and papers on brain electrophysiology and was an expert in this field.
The collaboration with the ART company was an example of cooperation between medicine and engineering, where each party brought their individual strengths. Yang Ping decided to lead everyone to thoroughly study Shuilian Yu’s brain electrophysiology to prepare for engineers to carry out the compilation.
Each person’s brain electrophysiology is different. When using a brain-computer interface with powered braces, it was necessary to compile brain electrical signals individually.
After Shuilian Yu’s entire treatment was completed, Yang Ping wanted Song Zimo to author a paper specifically discussing Shuilian Yu’s case.
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This would be a heavyweight paper, discussing life-saving emergency surgery, secondary reconstruction of the urethra and rectum, the application of powered braces, involving trauma surgery, repair and reconstruction surgery, plastic surgery, urological surgery, general surgery, power braces, brain-computer interfaces, brain electrophysiology, neural signal conversion, and so on. It was a complex and classic case of multi-disciplinary integration and combination.
Yang Ping went to find Song Zimo but did not see him in his office so he assumed that he was probably in the lab and went there.
Everyone was still performing surgeries with Xu Zhiliang and Takahashi, leaving Song Zimo alone in the laboratory.
He stood by the window. On the street below, Yu Shuilian’s husband and son were wheeling her in a wheelchair, laughing and chatting together.
Hearing footsteps, Song Zimo knew it was Yang Ping entering. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his hand.
“If we had doctors like us back then, could my mother have been saved?” Song Zimo continued to stare out the window.
Yang Ping paused, did not respond, yet Song Zimo answered his own question, “She could have been saved! Do you know? She died in my arms, her breath and heartbeat slowly stopped, right in my arms, I watched her leave——”
“There are no ifs in this world, everything in the past will be forever, life is like that. That’s why we’re working so hard to improve our medical skills. It’s all about leaving fewer regrets behind. You’re a great surgeon, your mom would be proud if she knew.” Yang Ping didn’t want Song Zimo to dwell on regrets.
“Look at that little boy, how lucky he is. Even though his mother is only half a body, he still has his own mother, his only mother.”
“Her voice and laughter, her face, are still etched clearly in my mind. She was beautiful, intelligent, gentle, and virtuous. She always had a smile for everyone. When I went to school and came back, she would always hold my hand. Every morning, she made me boiled eggs with syrup, sent me to the school gate, watched me walk into the school, waved goodbye. Whenever she picked me up from school, she would always ask me, ‘Zimo, what did you learn today?’
“You’re right, the past is forever gone, there are no ifs in this world. Why do we work so hard? To reduce regrets in the world.”
Song Zimo sobbed a few times, rubbed his eyes, and turned around.
“The first surgery for the Golden Knife Award is ready. It will start tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“In the past, Director Han and Professor Hong were both students that the former director of Mo Sixth valued greatly; Director Han was the favoured one and was designated as the successor.”
“During the Golden Knife Award years ago, Director Han and Professor Hong both made it to the finals. When they were both contending for the championship, Director Han suddenly withdrew from the race. Not long after, Director Han resigned from Mo Sixth and headed south to develop his career.”
“What exactly was the reason, there has never been a definitive explanation. There have been all sorts of rumors, but one thing is certain. Had Director Han not withdrawn from the competition, the Golden Knife Award would have definitely been his. If Director Han did not leave Mo Sixth, he would be the current head of orthopedics at Mo Sixth.”
“So this time, you must win back the Golden Knife Award. Perhaps it’s a bit selfish of me, but it’s to fulfil Director Han’s wish. Even though he never mentioned it, I believe he must have had regrets from that time. I’ll be the chief surgeon for the regional competition; if we start falling behind in points, you can make it up. You should rest and prepare for the national competition.”
“At the time of the Golden Knife Award, Director Han’s assistant was Huang Zhong, who is now the director of the trauma orthopedics department at Affiliated Hospital No. 1. After Director Han resigned, Huang Zhong resigned as well. They were both invited by Professor Su to join Affiliated Hospital No. 1. It was during this period when Sanbo Hospital was planning to become established; Director Han wanted to join the hospital, with Professor Su as his recommender. He along with Dean Xia and Director Zhou became the three founding elders of Sanbo. Meanwhile, Huang Zhong entered Affiliated Hospital No. 1 and developed under Professor Su, becoming the director of trauma orthopedics.”
“The student of Hong Zhigang, Wen Rentao, represents the highest level of the young generation in Shanghai. He is indeed strong, in both academics and surgery; he’s a perfect surgeon. He used to be my idol, but not anymore.”
“Now, you’re my idol!”
“If I were to compete against Wen Rentao, I’d be at a disadvantage because of my lack of surgical experience; after all, we have an eight-year gap. Those eight years could have been spent performing numerous surgeries. But if you were to compete against him, these issues wouldn’t exist. Having been with you for so long,
experience seems to matter little to you. You seem to be able to perform any surgery with the skill of having done it thousands of times before, every time exhibiting excellent proficiency. It might be a form of higher talent.”
Whether it’s for himself, for Director Han, or for the hospital, they must win this award, thought Yang Ping.
“You need to familiarize yourself with the rules of the Golden Knife Award surgery, every single scoring point, because your surgical methods are vastly different from the traditional ones.”
“In the South China region, we will strive to advance as the number one contestant. Our strongest opponent is Affiliated Hospital No. 1, but it is also the toughest opponent you will face.”
“So, all the regional competition surgeries will be conducted by me in your place. That way, you don’t have to face Su Nanchen and Affiliated Hospital No. 1. Although it’s not an elimination match, it’s still not good to face them.”
“Let Xu Zhiliang be my assistant. According to the competition rules, he can serve as my first assistant, as an unknown one.”
Yang Ping just saw Song Zimo secretly crying by the window and was worried about his emotional state. It seemed that his worry was redundant.
Song Zimo’s mental strength is very good, he was simply reminded of his childhood memories by the joyful scene of Yu Shuilian and her son.
At that time, he was just five, having suffered such a blow, it was inevitable that painful memories remained.
Yang Ping believes that since he overcame stubborn blood phobia, there are no obstacles that can prevent him from becoming an excellent surgeon.
“Fight on!” Song Zimo extended his hand.
Yang Ping’s hand, tightly intertwined with his.
“For you, this award is insignificant. Your future lies among the stars over the vast ocean. Believe me, I will definitely be the best first assistant.”
