The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 436: The invisible wounds are the most important ones
(Thank you to my friends Bus Brother and Heartmoon for encouraging me with their monthly tickets)
"Increase the suction," Liu Banxia said.
"Dr. Liu, there are already blood clots forming in the abdominal cavity. We’re now using two suction machines, and they keep getting blocked," the operating nurse said.
"I’ll first feel around with my hand. Brother Wei, after you repair the liver, scoop out the blood clots," Liu Banxia said.
The greatest fear is this kind of unknown bleeding point. Now, all the organs inside the abdominal cavity had to be inspected. He had encountered such situations a few times before, and each time, he identified them through the sensitive touch of his fingers.
But this time was different. Wang Chao was still performing an intestinal resection. Even with his highly sensitive touch, it was impossible for Liu Banxia to discern whether it was bleeding or just the intestines moving.
"Banxia, we need to hurry. The bleeding seems to have increased, and the blood pressure is falling rapidly," Wang Lei reminded.
Liu Banxia, who was carefully searching, didn’t respond but instead reached into the abdominal cavity.
Although he couldn’t pinpoint the source yet, he had to try his luck.
As the nurse had just mentioned, his fingers told him that there were many blood clots in the blood at the base of the abdominal cavity, which greatly increased the difficulty of his exploration.
"Dr. Chen, check to see if any ribs near the entry wound were damaged by the bullet," Liu Banxia suddenly asked after feeling around for a while.
Chen Xuehai was startled and quickly checked.
"Indeed, there is. Because it’s on the inner side, we didn’t see it during the X-ray. That impact also reduced the bullet’s speed and made it deviate slightly, so it didn’t hit the heart," Chen Xuehai said.
"Ah... A tiny piece of rib bone flew out and hit the bottom of the abdominal cavity. I don’t know which blood vessel it has injured. I’m feeling for the path of the blood vessels now. How’s it looking?" After Liu Banxia finished speaking, he lifted his left hand, holding a small bone fragment between his fingers.
"The blood pressure hasn’t risen yet," Wang Lei said.
"I’ll keep feeling around then. Remind me of any changes," Liu Banxia said, placing the bone fragment on a tray.
Wang Lei nodded.
This was the reality of it; it wasn’t as if everyone’s blood vessels grew exactly as depicted in textbooks. Accurately speaking, it would be fortunate if even half of the people’s blood vessels matched the textbook diagrams.
Regarding the distribution of blood vessels, there would always be some minor differences.
"Don’t move. It’s the spot you just touched. Yes, yes... right there."
As Liu Banxia explored for a while longer, excitement entered Wang Lei’s voice.
"It should be the iliac artery; it shifted slightly. Suction quickly now. I can hold it for a bit longer. Brother Wei, get ready to repair the iliac artery. Wang Chao, after dealing with the intestines, repair the mesenteric artery," Liu Banxia said.
"Finally, we can breathe a sigh of relief. President Liu, that was a masterful move," Chen Xuehai said.
"We were really lucky today. If it weren’t for that bone fragment, I wouldn’t have been able to find it by touch. It must have been a hematoma that had been forming for a long time. After it ruptured, the blood clots gushed out," Liu Banxia said.
"Speaking of impressive, Doctor Liang is the one. She’s already been the lead surgeon for so many cardiac surgeries. It’s great that people trained in our own Emergency Center are becoming so capable."
"I’ve been run off my feet recently, rushing between the inpatient department and the Emergency Center," Liang Xiaolin said as she continued the operation.
"Banxia, why didn’t you perform any procedures today?" Wang Lei asked curiously.
"We agreed before we came in: my role was to ensure the patient survived the critical phase, while they would handle the specific treatments," Liu Banxia replied.
"So, Brother Wei and Wang Chao, you both need to work faster. Applying pressure to the vessel isn’t easy. My fingers are starting to go numb."
"It’s almost done. Now that the bleeding has stopped, the suction is faster," Wei Yuan said.
The patient’s condition was under control, and everyone’s nerves could finally relax a bit.
Comparatively, the most severe problem with this patient was that bone fragment. Fortunately, Liu Banxia found it, and the most dangerous situation was averted.
This was a common kind of unexpected situation encountered during surgery.
Whether it was liver damage, intestinal tears, lung injuries, or a bleeding point in the heart, as long as these conditions were treated promptly, they weren’t considered very serious problems.
The invisible wounds were the most critical because detecting them late might mean missing the best opportunity to save the patient.
Even if the patient didn’t bleed to death, they could still develop a pulmonary embolism as a postoperative complication. This patient would require extra attention in this regard after surgery, as this was an easily occurring complication.
「DING! Emergency Response Mission completed.」
「Received 500 experience points, 300 proficiency points in Diagnostics, and 200 proficiency points in Dressing Change Technique.」
「This mission was rated Flawless, granting an additional 500 experience points, 400 proficiency points in Diagnostics, 300 proficiency points in Dressing Change Technique, and 5 Glory Points.」
"President Liu, thanks a lot," Wei Yuan said after the operation.
"What’s there to be polite about? From now on, we all need to improve. That way, we won’t have so many patients waiting for surgery, and whoever is free can step in," Liu Banxia said with a smile.
"Basically, it’s just us from General Surgery here. The interns... oh my, I was in such a rush during admission that I forgot to call the interns over to observe. Why didn’t they think of it themselves?"
"Haha, they’re actually quite scared of you right now. If you don’t give them notice, they wouldn’t dare to follow," Wang Chao said with a smile.
"Never mind them, even I’m a little afraid of you. But it doesn’t matter; I’m thick-skinned. As long as I stick with you and have your backing, my future is set."
"Stop talking nonsense. Why would you be scared of me? It’s not like I’ll eat you," Liu Banxia said.
"Why wouldn’t I be? You still guide me through many of my surgeries," Wang Chao said with a wry smile.
"It’s the same for me. I feel more at ease performing surgery with you. Even if an unexpected situation arises during surgery, I always feel like you can handle anything," Wei Yuan chimed in.
"Brother Wei, why are you chiming in too? Even if you join the chorus, there won’t be any extra chicken legs for you," Liu Banxia said helplessly.
"Haha, I know what’s going on," Xu Dan said with a smile.
"Dandan, fess up, and you’ll get an extra chicken leg," Liu Banxia teased.
"I heard them say it. You’re so skilled, and your medical abilities are excellent. Even though you’re very young, you command respect," Xu Dan said slowly.
"Alright, respect it is. Old Wang, how’s the patient?" Liu Banxia asked.
"He’s waking up. His vital signs are very stable," Wang Lei nodded.
"Yesterday’s and today’s surgeries weren’t easy. Actually, none of you have really hit on the key point. The current Banxia has risen to a new level."
"The previous gap wasn’t very obvious, so even if you noticed it, you wouldn’t care much. But it’s different now. Whether it’s the patients he admits or his performance in surgery, he’s far ahead of you."
"You two, don’t be angry. I’m just telling the truth. Like today, he naturally left the surgery to you two, a decision made even before entering the operating room. Dr. Chen, isn’t that right?"
Chen Xuehai smiled and nodded. "More or less. When I first returned to our hospital, I experienced a similar situation. But I’m different from him; my process was transitioning from doubt to acceptance."
"What are you all doing? Did I stumble into a fan club meeting or something? Okay, the patient is opening his eyes," Liu Banxia said and hurried over to the patient.
"The anesthesia hasn’t fully worn off, so your thoughts might be a little muddled. But it’s okay; just know that your surgery was very successful."
The patient opened his mouth, nodded with difficulty, and then closed his eyes again.
"Let’s go. I imagine there are quite a few people waiting outside," Liu Banxia said.
Wheeling the patient out, just as Liu Banxia had thought, they were met by a large group of people, all in police uniforms.
"The surgery was successful. However, because multiple organs were damaged, he’ll be sent to the ICU for observation for a couple of days," Liu Banxia said.
"Everyone can rest assured, he will definitely receive the most appropriate care here. The most dangerous period is over. Now, we just need to wait for him to recover."
"Thank you, Doctor. Salute!" a police officer on the left shouted.
WHOOSH. With the sound, they all saluted. Liu Banxia was caught off guard and almost saluted back in his fluster.
"Wang Chao, please help take him to the ICU. You can go slowly on the way there. Let his colleagues or comrades get a good look at him; it will reassure them," Liu Banxia instructed.
Wang Chao nodded firmly, his own heart also stirring with emotion.
「Back in the Emergency Center」
The interns who didn’t have any immediate tasks all gathered around.
"Don’t worry. When there’s time, I’ll have Wang Chao lead a review session with you," Liu Banxia said.
"Also, next time there’s a similar surgery and I’m too preoccupied to call you, you need to think for yourselves and be proactive. Things have been hectic lately, and my mind’s a bit muddled."
Hearing his words, the interns, who had initially been a bit resentful, nodded happily.
"Sister Li, did you hear what happened?" Liu Banxia asked, approaching Zhou Li.
"I didn’t dare to ask. But since firearms were involved, it must be serious. Let’s just wait for the news; this will definitely be reported," Zhou Li said.
"True. Firearms wouldn’t be used for minor incidents. Still, it’s fortunate there weren’t other gunshot victims; otherwise, treating them all would have been incredibly demanding," Liu Banxia said.
"Is it really that hard to save them?" Zhou Li asked curiously.
"If you don’t believe me, ask Old Wang when you get home," Liu Banxia said.
"Take the intestinal wound, for example. A normal tear could simply be sutured. But a gunshot wound contaminates the site, so a section of the intestine had to be resected."
"No wonder in TV dramas, getting shot usually means death. That’s not a joke. Sometimes when a bullet hits a bone inside the body, it can spin."
"That sounds terrifying," Zhou Li nodded in agreement.
For Liu Banxia to admit something was difficult to handle meant it truly was.
