Chapter 221: A Thousand Doctors Have a Thousand Thoughts, Encountered an Old Acquaintance
No matter when, strength always prevails.
Before Zhou Can found the bleeding point, there were constant doubts. Once it was found, all the doubts dissipated. In their place came astonishment, praise, and heartfelt shame.
"Director Wu, the blood supply area of this vessel must be significant, wouldn't it be inappropriate to simply ligate it to stop the bleeding?"
Zhou Can, standing in the chief surgeon's position, wanted to continue with the surgery below.
This type of complex surgery poses a challenge to any Director-Level doctor, let alone a resident like him.
"Ligation is possible, but even if the patient survives, they would have to spend the rest of their life either in a wheelchair or bedridden as a vegetative state." Wu Baihe is usually a very serious person.
At this moment, seeing Zhou Can successfully locate the bleeding point probably delighted him, so he offered a touch of humor.
"Then... may I conduct the blood vessel repair? I am fairly confident that I can restore it successfully."
Zhou Can's Suturing Skill and Ligation Skill have both reached Associate Director Level, fully capable of repairing a blood vessel.
For someone with his exceptional talent in endoscopic surgery, the difference between traditional and endoscopic surgery isn't significant. For instance, his suturing is at level five, achieving Associate Director standards in both traditional and endoscopic surgery.
However, some lack the talent for endoscopic surgery and operating via a long arm reduces their medical proficiency significantly.
These individuals either can't find the familiar tactile feeling, or they become weak in execution, significantly below their normal standard.
"You may try. Let me be clear, the resuscitation has already exceeded four hours, and the patient's condition is not optimistic. If I feel you're barely capable, or if your repair technique is insufficient, I will immediately call a stop."
After a slight hesitation, Wu Baihe decided to let Zhou Can give it a try.
Sometimes, it's like this with people; in situations where one can refuse but chooses not to out of deference.
If Zhou Can hadn't located the bleeding spot in time, they wouldn't have been needed.
The patient could have likely died.
"Okay!"
After getting approval from Wu Baihe, Zhou Can, without any hesitation, began to rapidly perform the blood vessel repair.
He maneuvered the endoscopic arm skillfully and quickly ligated the ruptured vessel.
After stopping the bleeding, he rapidly cleared accumulated blood clots and then made space to start repairing the ruptured vessel.
Repairing this type of abnormal diseased vessel is much more difficult than normal vessels.
Their vessel walls often calcify.
Severe cases are usually heavily arteriosclerotic.
The vessel walls have long lost their original elasticity and toughness. Their internal channels also gradually narrow due to the increase in plaque build-up.
The surgery proceeded tensely.
Zhou Can's operation was commendable, at least above average.
Wu Baihe, who was initially worried, gradually relaxed.
It wasn't his first time watching Zhou Can perform endoscopic surgery. He has always had a good impression of him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have called a resident to assist this time.
[Suturing Skill Experience Points +1.]
[For your first successful suturing of the right cerebral artery, award Suturing Skill Experience Points +100.]
[Ligation Skill Experience Points +1.]
[For your first successful ligation on the vessel wall of the right cerebral artery, award Ligation Skill Experience Points +100.]
Zhou Can had anticipated that this complex vascular repair could earn him additional experience points rewards.
As expected.
After earning the rewards, he didn't get carried away but continued to focus on repairing the patient's ruptured vessel.
...
A little over an hour later, having exerted significant effort, he finally managed to successfully repair the abnormal arterial vessel.
Before suturing the vessel, he also cleared two calcified plaques from that segment of the vessel wall.
He was confident that the patient's blood flow would be better than before after the surgery.
"Director Wu, I have completed the repair, please help me check it!"
Zhou Can looked at the vessel he had repaired and felt quite satisfied.
"Um, it looks fine. Let's do a blood flow test!"
As so much time had passed, he was most concerned about cell necrosis at the distal end of the blood supply.
Theoretically, stopping the bleeding and restoring blood flow within three hours would achieve a satisfactory therapeutic effect.
The longer the delay, the worse it is for the patient, and the more uncertain the treatment outcomes.
Doctors sometimes continue to rescue patients knowing the chances are slim, not because they are foolish or bored, but to create a miracle of life.
During Zhou Can's residency in the Intensive Care Medicine Department, he encountered very frustrating incidents.
Doctors strive to save patients and have sometimes made progress. But if family members worry about losing both money and the person, or cannot afford the high treatment costs of tens of thousands a day, they may strongly request the doctors to cease treatment.
In such cases, even if the doctors see improvements and know that continuing treatment may have hopes, they reluctantly stop treating upon the family's insistence.
And then watch the patient rapidly deteriorate.
Zhou Can tried releasing the ligation at the near-heart end of the vessel and the ligatures at the distal end of the blood supply.
During vessel repair, experienced doctors prefer to ligate both ends of the vessel to effectively reduce the chances of air remaining inside the vessel and the occurrence of emboli.