The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 427: The suture technique has been upgraded to
(Thanks to friends No name Hero, Silence529, Book Friend 20180602234317808, and Momo Ji for their monthly ticket encouragement)
"Don’t look so troubled; you can watch the recording tomorrow," Liu Banxia consoled as he prepared to go into surgery.
"Teacher Liu, why is my luck so bad? I was the first one to draw lots," Xu Yino said with a woeful expression.
"Isn’t my luck worse? I didn’t even get a chance to draw; I was just assigned directly," Miao Rui said.
"Haha, weren’t you both rewarded with First and Second Assist for this surgery? Thyroid surgery is quite invasive, and this patient has multiple nodules," Liu Banxia said with a smile.
"Ah, I can only think of it that way. A total abdominal organ autotransplant—that’s a once-in-a-lifetime case," Xu Yino still lamented.
"Alright, clear your minds of all distracting thoughts. When it’s your turn to take the lead, you never know what kind of cases you’ll encounter," Liu Banxia said.
"Haven’t you noticed that with the advancement of medicine, more and more new types of cases are appearing? In the past, due to technical limitations, these were often just grouped into broader categories."
"Now, there are many specialized departments, like nephrology, breast surgery, and colorectal surgery. Actually, no matter the field, as long as you specialize and excel, you can truly shine."
"You all have excellent potential; keep up the hard work. Whether or not you can stay at the Second Hospital in the future, I hope to see you all succeed. I’ll be truly pleased when I see you on TV or read about your achievements in the news."
"Hehe, Teacher Liu, you’re just trying to entice us to stay at the Second Hospital, aren’t you?" Xu Yino said with a grin.
"It’s a great opportunity, allowing you to get an attending physician’s contract in the shortest possible time. Can other hospitals offer that? People are lining up and waiting elsewhere," Liu Banxia said. He wasn’t lying; this was the truth.
Currently, only the emergency center of the Second Hospital could offer such convenient conditions; even the inpatient department didn’t have such advantages.
And Xu Yino and her group now had high standards. Would they go to ordinary small hospitals? They were definitely aiming for top-tier Grade A Class Three hospitals.
After scrubbing in, they entered the operating room. Today’s anesthesiologist was Li Liwei.
"Xu Yino, First Assist, verify the patient’s information," Liu Banxia said.
Xu Yino hurried to the patient’s side to begin verification.
This was a mandatory procedure. Even if one recognized the old lady at a glance, the protocol had to be followed.
It wasn’t as if every patient in every surgery would be familiar. If a patient were mistakenly sent to the wrong operating room and one proceeded to operate, it would be a serious medical malpractice incident.
"Madam, don’t worry. We should be done in about two hours." After the verification was complete, Liu Banxia approached the old lady’s side.
"Thank you, Doctor, for all your trouble," the old lady said. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
"Please don’t say that. You came to us for treatment, so we must do our best to cure your illness," Liu Banxia replied.
"Alright, let’s begin the surgery. We’ll administer general anesthesia shortly. You’ll just take a nap, and when you wake up, it will all be over. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to drink the soup your children made for you. I heard everyone else is quite envious."
The old lady nodded.
Liu Banxia also nodded to Li Liwei, signaling that they could begin anesthesia.
"That surgery of yours tomorrow is quite something; it’s already causing a stir throughout the hospital," Li Liwei said after the anesthesia was administered.
"The pressure is immense. I’ll need a good rest after today’s surgery," Liu Banxia said. "Success is one thing, but failure is another entirely. The key is that it’s a young patient, which will be a significant factor in any evaluation."
Li Liwei nodded. "Old Wang is also preparing for this surgery. You guys can start."
"Miao Rui, what are the key points to watch for during thyroid dissection?" Liu Banxia asked suddenly.
"The thyroid gland has a very rich blood supply, primarily from the superior and inferior thyroid arteries on both sides. Therefore, meticulous care is essential during dissection," Miao Rui responded.
"Another important point is that the thyroid is enveloped by two layers of capsule. The space between these two layers is very narrow, requiring extra caution during separation."
Liu Banxia nodded. "Good, your fundamentals are very solid. It’s precisely because of these factors that this is classified as a Level Three surgery."
"Furthermore, as we saw in the preoperative examination, our patient’s condition is somewhat severe, with involvement on both sides, so there’s quite a bit of work to do."
As Liu Banxia spoke, he made an arcuate, collar-type incision along the skin lines, about two finger-widths above the patient’s sternal notch. This was a common incision for thyroid surgery.
He incised the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and platysma muscle layer by layer. Xu Yino skillfully retracted the platysma with tissue forceps. Liu Banxia then switched to an electrosurgical knife and began dissecting the skin flap.
Gradually, the thyroid gland was exposed.
"Ah, I don’t mean to brag about our President Liu, but watching him operate is always a distinct pleasure," Li Liwei remarked.
"What’s the phrase I’m looking for? ’Just right,’ isn’t it? Every move is so perfect, without a single wasted motion. If you two can learn his technique, you’ll undoubtedly become renowned surgeons in this field."
"Brother Li, please don’t praise me so much. How about I treat everyone to chicken drumsticks for dinner?" Liu Banxia suggested.
"Haha, that’s a deal!" Li Liwei chuckled.
The "add chicken drumsticks" line was an enduring inside joke, always well-received.
"Miao Rui, examine," Liu Banxia said.
Miao Rui hesitated for a moment, surprised that Liu Banxia had given her this opportunity. Not hesitating for long, she began her careful examination.
"Multiple cystic nodules are palpable on the left lobe, the largest approximately 0.5 x 0.3 cm. A 1.2 x 0.8 cm cystic nodule is palpable at the inferior pole of the right lobe," Miao Rui reported.
"Good job," Liu Banxia praised. Then, he started the operation.
"Send for frozen section," he said softly after removing part of the left thyroid with the cysts.
The pathologist, who had been ready nearby, quickly placed the specimen in a container and hurried out.
Frozen section pathology slides demand promptness. However, this case was less tense than preparing pancreatic pathology slides, as it wasn’t as delicate or nerve-racking.
Yet, the requirements for intraoperative frozen sections are still quite high, as the patient remains on the operating table awaiting the pathology results.
Meanwhile, Liu Banxia busied himself carefully suturing the remaining left lobe.
After about ten minutes, the pathology results came back: thyroid cysts.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. There were no unexpected findings, so they could proceed with the operation.
Once the cysts on the right side were also addressed and the suturing was complete, Miao Rui rinsed the area with saline at the appropriate time.
"As you can see, hemostasis is complete. Miao Rui, you can handle placing the drain and the final sutures," Liu Banxia said.
"Sigh... I initially thought this would take two hours. It finished so quickly; it feels a bit anticlimactic," Xu Yino sighed.
"Well, what do you expect when you’re with him? His surgeries are always this fast," Li Liwei replied. "We’re quite happy about it. The shorter the duration of general anesthesia, the more stable the patient’s vital signs, and the less likely complications are to arise."
"I feel I’ve let Teacher Liu down; my speed couldn’t match his. Otherwise, perhaps this surgery could have set a new record for our Second Hospital," Miao Rui confessed.
"Just focus on your suturing, alright? What’s the use of breaking records? That’s just for show," Liu Banxia said nonchalantly.
"Truthfully, every patient’s situation is different, and the circumstances encountered during surgery vary. A cholecystectomy might be done in under half an hour, or it could take over two hours. There’s no real basis for comparison."
"There’s no need to chase records. If it’s not a life-or-death situation, just operate according to your own approach. Our ultimate goal with all operations is to treat the patient’s illness."
This wasn’t him posturing. He genuinely no longer had an excessive desire for speed. In the past, he had indeed felt that the faster he performed surgeries, the more skilled he appeared.
That was all superficial. Shi Lei’s surgeries weren’t fast, but they were exceptionally thorough.
Often, in many situations, speed isn’t everything. Moving too quickly can, in fact, be counterproductive.
Ding! Surgery Completed
You’ve gained 400 XP, 300 Diagnostic Skills proficiency, 200 Dressing Skills proficiency, 400 Suturing Skills proficiency, 500 Thyroid Surgery Skills proficiency, and 3 Glory Points.
This operation’s rating is Flawless, granting 500 XP, 400 Diagnostic Skills proficiency, 300 Dressing Skills proficiency, 500 Suturing Skills proficiency, 500 Thyroid Surgery Skills proficiency, and 5 Glory Points.
Congratulations! Your Suturing Skills level has risen to Level 4, 50,799/99,999.
Staring at the system prompts, Liu Banxia froze. This was a golden opportunity.
He really hadn’t expected his Suturing Skills to reach Level 4 after this operation, nor had he anticipated that this surgery would grant so much Suturing Skills proficiency.
His confidence for tomorrow’s surgery increased significantly. Tomorrow’s challenge is all about suturing speed. The faster I can manage it, the more secure the child’s life will be.
"The surgery was successful. She can be transferred back to her ward shortly," Liu Banxia said as he stepped out of the operating room.
"Since the procedure involved the thyroid gland, she should stick to a liquid diet for a few days. Once she’s in the ward, the physician and nurses in charge of her care will explain the detailed nursing requirements."
"Doctor, will there be any complications?" the patient’s son asked.
"We can’t give you a definitive answer right now; it depends on her condition tomorrow. No food or water for her today, as she’s just recovering from general anesthesia and needs to lie flat. Miao Rui, please accompany her back to the ward," Liu Banxia instructed.
After a successful operation, he actually quite enjoyed chatting with the patient’s family. After all, it was something worth being happy about.
However, upon seeing the patient’s three daughters eagerly waiting to ask questions, he beat a graceful retreat.
Answering them would likely take a lot of time, so he decided to let them pester Miao Rui instead.
