Chapter 267 - Destructive Surgery (Part 1 of 5)
[I’m so happy. I thought the surgeon had stopped livestreaming…]
[Youngster, you will only appreciate the things that you’ve lost.]
[You guys talk, I’ll have a look at the case details. The surgeon no longer allows downloads and honestly, without the patient’s details, I’m at a loss.]
Hundreds of people entered the livestream but the numbers were significantly lower than before.
Remembering their previous mistakes, the audience quickly read through the case details before they disappeared.
The surgery began with imaging. With his Grandmaster-level skill, the procedure was easy. By the time the audience had finished reading the case, imaging was already complete.
[Imaging is done? I’d just left to read the patient details. That’s some incredible speed.]
[It seems like a tough surgery. I wonder what the surgeon plans to do. An emergency wire-guided hemostasis surgery for a lower GI tract bleed? Is the surgeon trying to do the impossible?]
[Don’t spout nonsense when you don’t actually know what you’re talking about. Using imaging to identify the bleed is common these days, but not a lot of people perform the surgery itself because the risk is high. Even with the imaging data, only about 20% of patients go to surgery.]
Medical opinions flew by in streams and for a moment, the livestream resembled its former glory.
Its audience knew the surgery was difficult.
Among its spectators were experienced doctors from Imperial Capital, Sorcery Capital and Provincial Capital. They had seen patients with similar conditions before and knew the likely outcome.
The surgery, while doable, was high-risk.
Most doctors would refuse to perform such a surgery.
Knowing the challenge posed, viewer curiosity was at an all-time high.
[The location of the bleed is not obvious from the imaging. There are too many things going on in the abdomen. Any movement will alter the image.]
[The one who called this a common procedure, come out and explain how you would do it.]
[Don’t listen to that fellow’s nonsense. Didn’t you see the patient’s test report? In his condition, there’s a 90% chance he won’t survive a laparotomy.]
Zheng Ren grimly studied the angiographic image.
It was impossible to locate the source of the blood with the intestines spasming everywhere.
His hopes of using interventional radiology to identify the bleed were dashed. He simply could not make sense of the visual data.
There was only one thing left to do.
Zheng Ren entered the System and traded his experience points for training time. The operating theater rose from the ground.
He had faith in his plan, but it was a rare procedure. He needed some practice in the System before attempting it in the outside world.
[Why isn’t the surgeon moving? Are they frozen? I can’t believe the surgeon dared livestream a case like this, they must be out of their mind.]
[Hold your tongue. Someone once said something similar and had to eat their words minutes later. I can foresee history repeating itself!]
[It’s a difficult call to make. I suspect a bleed from one of the mesenteric artery branches. Would embolization be viable? Any experts on interventional or general surgery here?]
[Not an expert, but I can shed some light on the issue. Unlike the uterine artery, the mesenteric artery cannot be embolized without harming the organs. The intestine will necrotize if its blood supply is cut off.]
[The hell, this is a life on the line. What’s the surgeon thinking? There’s still time to turn back.]
As the comments went wild, Zheng Ren suddenly moved.
From the image, the embolic agent was visibly being administered!
Zheng Ren had decided to perform an embolization!
[I’m speechless. I think this might be a different surgeon.]
[Agreed. The previous surgeon was calm and careful. The embolization of such an important artery will harm the patient. The affected parts of the intestines will necrotize and lead to problems such as peritonitis and gangrene. In three to five hours, the patient will enter septic shock.]
[I’m starting to think this might be a Canadian surgeon. I doubt anyone in this country would perform such a surgery.]
[Are they panicking? This surgeon does not seem calm.]
The viewers on Xinglin Garden were shocked by the unfolding events.
No one had outright accused Zheng Ren of gross negligence out of some semblance of respect for the livestream surgeon.
Those who doubted the surgeon’s capability had ultimately been proven wrong and thus the audience withheld their judgment. Even anonymous, humiliation was still humiliation.
Once embolization was done, the imaging system was turned off. The livestream was still ongoing but only the final angiographic image was shown.
[Is the surgeon done? I know rules and regulations overseas are more lax but this is a whole new level. And to have it recorded live, too. I’m almost impressed.]
[Doesn’t seem like it. If it’s complete, the livestream should be blank.]
[I just thought of something: do you think the surgeon is going to perform a hybrid surgery?]
The viewers chatted away across the frozen background, mostly surgeons with dexterous fingers and incredible typing speed.
Once the chatroom got going, the conversations nearly eclipsed the actual livestream.
In the operating room, Zheng Ren was changing his garments. He repositioned the patient and disinfected the surgical site.
Old Chief Physician Pan asked, “I noticed you embolized one of the branches from the mesenteric artery. Are you sure it won’t be a problem?”
“Yes,” Zheng Ren replied. “Yang Lei, scrub in.”
Su Yun had been paying attention throughout the surgery.
It was a strange operation. He had some qualms about Zheng Ren’s decisions but knew they had their reasons. The more he thought about it, the more concerned he became.
“Little Zheng, what are you doing?” Department Chief Sun seemed anxious, but his sincerity was debatable. His tone was gentle, akin to that of a guiding senior hand. “You should know the after-effects of embolizing the mesenteric artery. Why would you do it on purpose?”
Old Chief Physician Pan scowled and shot Department Chief Sun a glare.
The control room was suddenly filled with a murderous intent.
Department Chief Sun desperately wanted to take back his previous words.
Meanwhile, Department Chief Qian was communicating the progression of the surgery to his friend from another hospital. The evaluation from the other side was equally pessimistic.
In Provincial Capital, similar patients were often not recommended for surgery. They would only go ahead at the family’s insistence, and from past records, the survival rate was low.
Department Chief Qian shared the same worries as Department Chief Sun.
He wanted to express his views on the matter, but before doing so, he turned to Su Yun and asked, “Su Yun, what’s your opinion on this?”
“Hm?” Su Yun had one arm crossed under the other as he observed the ongoing surgery in the operating room. He thought for a moment then said, “Boss Zheng’s skills are unquestionable. I’m thinking about the post-surgery arrangements.”
Department Chief Qian was speechless. This had to be a fake Su Yun. Where was that high and mighty doctor? He could not believe those words had just come out of Su Yun’s mouth.