The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 795: It’s not easy for all of them

It was well after eleven o'clock at night by the time Shi Lei and his team finished the operation.

"Sigh... always giving me more work. The patient has already been sent to the ICU," Shi Lei stretched lazily.

"Well done, well done. Have some fruit, then get some rest," Liu Banxia said with a grin.

"But it was indeed very risky. By the time we started the operation, the aortic dissection was eight centimeters long. Had we delayed any further, I couldn't even imagine how much longer the tear would have become," Shi Lei said thoughtfully. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"The patient's high blood pressure was extremely severe. I suspect that without medication, his readings would easily shoot past two hundred. Given his condition, it's a miracle he's even alive."

"I didn't expect it to be this severe. If he hadn't mentioned pain in his back, I might have missed the diagnosis," Liu Banxia said.

"Go on, get some rest. I'll keep an eye on things here. They'll still be worked up for a while. Let me handle it. Get some sleep. My days as chief resident are almost over anyway."

Shi Lei chuckled. "For us to be handling this kind of work, it's still a bit early in our careers for such intensity. I'll take a nap first. Two abdominal aortic dissections in one day—that's not easy."

Liu Banxia nodded, then greeted Liu Haibing and the others who were walking up.

"Dr. Liu, thank you. The operation was a success," the patient's wife said gratefully.

"Don't thank me; my colleague performed the surgery. He's very skilled, better than me," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Don't get too anxious yet; let's observe him in the ICU for a bit. After all, it was a major operation. Even if he recovers, he needs to be very careful."

"Getting stressed or agitated, drinking, smoking—avoid them if you can, quit them if possible. You absolutely must keep an eye on his blood pressure. After all, he's not as young as he used to be."

The patient's wife nodded. "We'll definitely keep a close watch. And thank you. If you hadn't diagnosed it, any further delay could have been disastrous."

"You should also thank Brother Liu and his friends. They noticed something was wrong and got him to the hospital promptly. Many people tend to dismiss abdominal pain, assuming it's just an upset stomach," Liu Banxia said.

"Actually, we can roughly determine the condition from the location of the pain, and also from its severity. However, you don't need to worry about knowing all these details. In the future, whenever you're not feeling well, just go directly to the hospital for a check-up."

"Spending a little money is no big deal; at least you can buy some peace of mind. That's better than anything. Health is always the top priority. Brother Zhou still has many chances to improve his health. As long as he personally pays attention, he can be like a normal person in the future."

"Exactly! What's so good about that rotten alcohol? I bet none of you will dare to drink again after this," the patient's wife said.

"We wouldn't dare. Banxia, we should come for a full-body check-up at your medical center tomorrow. Do we need to make an appointment or anything?" Liu Haibing said.

"No problem. I'll give them a heads-up. Come tomorrow morning on an empty stomach. Leave your ID numbers with me, and I'll handle the paperwork for you," Liu Banxia nodded.

Offering them this convenience was a nice gesture, and a full-body check-up is beneficial. Especially for these guys who frequently drank heavily and indulged in bathhouses; though they were affluent, they didn't necessarily prioritize their health.

"You should go home and rest too. We have dedicated staff caring for him in the ICU. Just keep your phone on so we can contact you if there's any change," Liu Banxia then said to the patient's wife.

"Oh, I doubt I'll be able to sleep. I'll check into a nearby hotel instead; it'll save me from running back and forth," the patient's wife said.

Liu Banxia offered a few more words of comfort before seeing them out of the emergency center.

"What's up, Brother Liu? Something else on your mind?" Liu Banxia asked with a smile, noticing Liu Haibing deliberately lagging behind.

"Sigh... I'm not sleepy at all. Let's chat for a bit," Liu Haibing sighed.

"Don't overthink it. Nobody wants to encounter something like this. Besides, even if he hadn't had anything to drink or taken a bath today, if he'd gotten angry or overexerted himself someday, a sudden spike in blood pressure could easily have caused this," Liu Banxia said.

"High blood pressure must be taken seriously, just like diabetes. They might seem like minor diseases, and many people have them, but if they flare up, the consequences can be dire."

"Here in our emergency center, we often see diabetic patients who are unaware of their condition. Then they get a wound, don't treat it properly, and eventually, it leads to necrosis and requires amputation."

"Even after amputation, the wound doesn't heal easily. We see these cases often; you've probably only heard about them. As long as individuals pay attention to their health, there usually aren't major problems."

Liu Haibing nodded. "I'll definitely pay more attention from now on. Old Zhou was the rowdiest of us and could drink the most too."

"It makes me feel that human life is sometimes so cheap—you can get sick just like that. And yet, other times it's so expensive—one surgery costs a fortune."

"Unfortunately, surgery isn't just about the doctor's skill; it also involves the cost of medications, consumable supplies, and so on. Especially for major surgeries like this, the expenses are by no means low," Liu Banxia replied.

"We were just talking about it today. A young woman we treated this morning was beaten by her boyfriend; her injuries were very severe. A splenic laceration and an abdominal aortic dissection—it was almost misdiagnosed."

"Sometimes, we're really in a difficult position. For that young woman, the cost of this treatment is truly a huge sum of money."

"Don't you have any discount policies?" Liu Haibing asked curiously.

"At most, those of us involved in the surgery can waive some of our fees, but the basic consumables and related expenses are the biggest part. For each surgery, we only get a small share, and that's split among many people," Liu Banxia explained.

"I heard her friend is trying to crowdfund for her, but I don't know how effective it will be. In such situations, we generally don't get too involved; we treat them like any other patient."

"So you only get such a small cut from each surgery? If it's a minor operation costing a few thousand, isn't that like working for practically nothing?" Liu Haibing found it hard to understand.

"Yes, that's just how it is. If we want to earn more, the only way is to perform more surgeries. Because our emergency center has a heavy workload, the commission we receive is relatively higher, I suppose," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"People outside the medical field wouldn't believe this. Take Old Zhou's surgery today—the commission for us is just a little over ten thousand. And how many people are in the operating room for that?"

"We used to joke that performing a three or four-hour surgery earns us less than what a 'Tony' at a high-end salon makes with a few snips of the scissors."

"In private hospitals, surgeons earn more because their commission rates are higher. Many of them operate contracted departments, so when you add up all the miscellaneous income, it's quite substantial."

Liu Haibing nodded. "I always thought you doctors made a lot of money. For Old Zhou's surgery, aren't the total costs likely to be over two hundred thousand?"

"That's about right," Liu Banxia said. "His tear was quite large, and it involved many blood vessel branches, so the costs are naturally higher."

"Then you add nursing fees and medication costs. All together, it will definitely exceed two hundred thousand. Health insurance can cover some, but the rest has to be paid out of pocket."

"I don't even need to ask. When Shi Lei consulted you all, you definitely opted for the best available options. Naturally, the costs would be higher; that's unavoidable."

"Guess we really have to work hard to earn money. Otherwise, we genuinely can't afford to get sick," Liu Haibing said with deep feeling.

"Actually, sometimes if you lower your expectations a bit, there can be a big difference in cost," Liu Banxia said.

"Once, we had a patient with a fracture who thought he could extort some money from someone, so he planned to use all the best treatments and materials. That whole package, when it was all tallied up, was quite something."

"Then he refused to pay a deposit, so we could only provide the most basic treatment. It wasn't a life-threatening injury, his family was present, and the patient was conscious, so our emergency response level had to be adjusted accordingly."

"If it's a life-threatening condition, the patient is unconscious, and no family is present, we must provide emergency treatment first. But if the patient is conscious and refuses surgery, or if the family refuses to sign, our hands are tied."

"Sometimes, these situations sound cold-blooded, but there's no other way. We've encountered so many patients like this; disputes arise every now and then."

"It all comes down to money, really. Emergency life-saving procedures often involve major surgery, and no one can guarantee the patient will pull through. If they're saved but don't survive long, disputes are very likely."

"Take that young woman today, for example. I was the one who submitted the application for her treatment. If the hospital can't recover the medical fees later, I'll also bear some responsibility. It's not like a minor surgery, such as an appendectomy."

"Man, it's really not easy, is it?" Liu Haibing sighed with even more emotion.

"Life isn't easy for anyone, no matter what you do. Even just living is like that. Rich people have their worries, and poor people have their pains," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"You should also head to the hotel and get some rest. Otherwise, how will you manage the physical exam tomorrow? It's already so late. Whether life is good or bad, we still have to live it."

"People even say I'm practically a live-in son-in-law. Do I care? Let them talk. Their mouths are on their own faces. As long as I'm living well, that's all that matters. By the way, Qiaoqiao is expecting twins."

"Wow, that's fantastic news! For the full moon celebration, you absolutely have to throw a proper party, and you must let me know!" Liu Haibing said happily.

"Don't worry, you definitely won't be left out. I'm heading back; I need to sleep too. I have to work again tomorrow. I need to stand my post well for these last shifts as chief resident," Liu Banxia said.

Liu Haibing nodded and slowly walked away.

His mood had lightened somewhat. Liu Banxia mentioning this was like extending an early invitation, showing he truly didn't see Liu Haibing as an outsider.