The Surgeon’s Studio

“Yes,” Department Chief Kong said, nodding.

“His technique is quite impressive! Old Liu from Ram City had been singing praises of a young doctor and I was wondering who it could be. Judging from this surgery, he was not exaggerating.”

Department Chief Kong said nothing. After an in-depth study of prostate anatomy, he had a better understanding of how the surgery was progressing.

They were still in the simple, early stages of the procedure. Without top quality micro guide wires and guide catheters, could Zheng Ren still pull off this operation?

Department Chief Kong had his doubts.

The difficulty lay in the superselection of the quaternary arterial branches from the superior and inferior vesical arteries, followed by the handling of the capillary networks.

The micro guide wire was expertly maneuvered into the superior vesical artery within a matter of minutes.

Superselection continued and the guide wire entered an artery branching from the superior vesical artery.

At this point, Zheng Ren stopped advancing. It was clear the guide wire had reached its limit.

This branch…

Department Chief Kong sighed. This was more or less where Professor Rudolph Wagner got to as well.

This was where it ended, but Zheng Ren was not to blame. It was the fault of Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery’s products.

If this was the case, why had Zheng Ren wanted a live recording of the surgery?

It was unlike Zheng Ren to make decisions on a whim.

Department Chief Kong held his breath as he watched the movements of the micro guide wire onscreen.

Su Yun had the wire in one hand while his other hand supported the guide catheter. Zheng Ren slowly inserted the catheter along the wire.

He moved with utmost care and patience.

The guide catheter was in place and imaging would begin soon.

If they decided to perform embolization at this branch, it was unlikely for the outcome to be any better than the surgery performed by Professor Rudolph Wagner.

Was this a gamble? Did they hope that the embolic agent would not flow back into the vesical artery?

Department Chief Kong’s face was stony as hypotheticals ran through his mind. His eyes were transfixed on the screen.

Once the catheter was in place, Zheng Ren retrieved the micro guide wire and made a gesture.

Su Yun presented him with another wire, which was then inserted into the guide catheter.

“Chief Kong, what is he doing?” one of Department Chief Kong’s peers asked.

This had to be it, he thought.

During Lin Jiaojiao’s surgery, they had lacked the finer materials to access the ophthalmic artery. Zheng Ren had had to use a standard guide wire to force his way into the artery and perform suction.

It was a rare technique in this day and age.

The branching arteries were less robust than the main trunk. Hence, there was a high risk of damage to the vessels during insertion of the micro guide wire.

Although the resulting damage and blood loss were unlikely to be fatal, it increased the risk of failure of the surgery overall.

All in all, It was a risky technique to employ.

These young doctors had guts!

…

In Shenzhen Economic Development Zone People’s Hospital, Wu Haishi, Mu Tao and a few key technical personnel were watching the livestream in the chief’s office.

No handover had been done today.

By 7.00 am, Old Wu was already in the hospital, waiting eagerly.

His expression was strained as the surgery progressed.

Mu Tao worried about the old man.

The surgery was done in a methodical fashion. Mu Tao estimated that the Sea City surgeon’s skill was just a tad higher than his own. Given some time, he was confident he could close the gap.

Although the young surgeon was skilled in interventional surgery, Mu Tao believed that the surgery would not succeed without the top-of-the-line guide wires and catheters from Biosensors International.

There was no chance he could surpass Professor Rudolph Wagner, and Mu Tao predicted the surgery would end halfway.

He wished his teacher would calm down and avoid cardiac arrest.

Mu Tao had an array of medication on standby and kept an eye on Old Wu.

The superselection was completed and the micro guide wire was replaced with a finer version. The second wire was pushed into the small arterial branch of the superior vesical artery.

Based on its thickness, Mu Tao figured it was a neuro micro guide wire—the models with the smallest diameter.

Mu Tao could guess the surgeon’s intentions but felt it was a rash maneuver. The surgeon was going to use the neuro micro guide wire to access the next arterial branch.

This method allowed for targeted delivery of the embolic agent, thus reducing the risk of postsurgical complications.

There were disadvantages, too, however.

Internal bleeding was possible but a small artery leak could easily be stopped by pressure from the abdominal cavity.

The biggest issue lay in the difficulty of manipulating the guide wire.

Nonetheless, it was a creative approach. Mu Tao kept a closer eye on Old Wu.

As time passed, Mu Tao saw a gentle glow on the old man’s face.

For a moment, he thought something bad was going to happen.

He shook the thought out of his head. Old Wu did not suffer from any illness, so it had to be a glow of happiness.

Huh… A while ago, Old Wu looked sad and helpless. Was he glowing with joy now?

How odd.

What had happened?

Mu Tao had an IQ of 152 and was not a foolish man.

He quickly took a look at the surgery livestream.

Mu Tao was confident that the junior doctor, Zheng Ren, would fail to pull off the superselection. There was no way he could outperform Professor Rudolph Wagner, who had been equipped with a specialized micro guide wire.

Despite having his mind made up, he focused on the livestream.

The imaging was unfamiliar.

There were few images that were foreign to Mu Tao, but the one before him showed countless fine blood vessels. The neuro micro guide wire had successfully entered the subsequent arterial branch without casualty.

Impossible!

“It’s done!” Old Wu struck his palm with his fist.

The sound startled Mu Tao, who had been fixated on the recording.

“What’s done?” Mu Tao asked.

“Pay attention.” A grimace appeared on Old Wu’s face. “The prostate interventional embolization was a success.”

The micro guide wire moved forward slightly before stopping. Another dose of contrast agent was administered. Once its placement was confirmed, the embolic agent was delivered, as the elderly professor had predicted.

Old Wu let out a shaky breath and smiled.

The smile only made it halfway before it froze.

He stared at the screen in disbelief.