Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
How did it feel like to insert a needle into cardiac tissue?
Ling Ran did not have the chance to focus on the sensation immediately.
This was his first time carrying out cardiac trauma repair and the first time he was operating on a patient’s heart. There were way too many things that he needed to focus on, and there was no time for him to dwell in his emotions.
The only person who was dwelling in his emotions was Department Director Kang.
He was watching someone else perform cardiac trauma repair, which was what he was best at, skillfully. Even though it was the simplest cardiovascular surgery out of many, to surgeons, cardiovascular surgery used to be a forbidden zone. Department Director Kang could not help but feel as though someone else had touched something that belonged to him. He was furious, embarrassed, thrilled, guilty, and emotional at the same time.
However, no one cared about what was on his mind. The surgery continued on as usual.
Ling Ran extended a slender finger and gently pressed it on the cardiac wound. His movement was so controlled and gentle that he looked like a man in one of those television dramas who was gently pressing a finger on the female lead’s lips.
The young nurses in the operating theater could not help but squeal internally.
The patient’s heart seemed to quiver a little too, and it was as if it was about to go into atrial fibrillation.
Ling Ran’s finger was stable, and he exerted an even amount of strength.
If a surgeon’s finger was not stable enough, or if the surgeon did not exert an even amount of strength, the cardiac wound would treat the surgeon like how female leads in television dramas treated the male leads. They would shove the male lead away all of a sudden and run away, and that would be the cornerstone of the plot development for the next twenty episodes.
However, if pressure was properly applied on the wound, a 10-0 polypropylene surgical thread would be able to tame the heart with the help of a needle.
Everyone could not help but focus on the surgical field.
They watched as Ling Ran inserted the needle into where his finger was and pierced through every single layer of cardiac tissue. It was as if they were watching with bated breath as a television drama suddenly turned into an artistic film.
As Ling Ran inserted the needle, Faulkner was tremendously focused on the surgical field too.
The slightly drunk American doctor was ready to stop Ling Ran at any moment and clear up whatever mess that might arise.
Even though he was merely an ordinary doctor in Mayo Clinic, he was capable of clearing up messes made by junior doctors.
Ling Ran skillfully pulled out the needle before it could pierce through the endocardium.
Faulkner immediately felt ease. A surgeon who was so skillful at suturing could definitely handle all the maneuvers involved in cardiac trauma repair well.
Without hesitation, Faulkner went forward and helped Ling Ran to make a knot. He also checked that both sides of the tear were aligned.
After some time, Faulkner was done, but before he could say anything, Ling Ran had already slid his finger downwards, revealing another part of the tear.
He sutured the part of the tear he had just revealed, and a knot was made. He also ensured that both sides of the tear were aligned…
After repeating the same process thrice, the considerably large tear was sutured.
At the same time, Faulkner realized that he seemed to be playing the role of an assistant again from the beginning to the end…
“Yes, it’s pretty well done,” Faulkner praised Ling Ran, and he tried his best to show that he was still superior to Ling Ran through his tone.
Ling Ran flashed a socially appropriate smile and said, “I feel pretty good too.”
“Hmm… since the surgery was done so well, it’s only natural that you’re feeling good.” There was a hint of jealousy in Faulkner’s voice.
He desired to carry out the surgery. This was especially true because he had just experienced a tremendously boring party, and a simple cardiovascular surgery where he could vent out all his frustrations was exactly what he needed.
“Alright, let’s close the patient’s thoracic cavity.” Faulkner did not intend to let another person finish up the surgery. If the surgery were a dinner party, the suturing of the cardiac wound would be the main course. Since Faulkner did not get to taste the main course, he wanted to make do with some side dishes. It was better than not eating anything.
Ling Ran nodded a little, and he started stitching up the patient’s thoracic cavity without saying a thing.
Due to the highly dangerous nature of cardiovascular surgeries, the final segments of cardiovascular surgeries were slightly more important than the final segments of other surgeries. As doctors always said, “If a mistake is made during surgery, the patient will not have a chance to leave the operating theater alive. And if the finer details of the surgery are not done well, it will be hard for the doctors in the ICU to take care of the patient. Without good postoperative care, things would be difficult for the patient after he gets discharged…”
It was Ling Ran’s very first cardiovascular surgery, and he was involved in it from the beginning to the end.
The moment he put down a pair of scissors, a notification from the system appeared.
[Mission Completed: Give Cardiac Trauma Repair a try]
[Mission Details: Participate in cardiac trauma repair and feel how fun it is to carry out a cardiovascular surgery]
[Mission Reward: Energy Serum]
A bottle of Energy Serum appeared before Ling Ran. It was sparkling.
Ling Ran waved in dismissal and put the bottle of Energy Serum in his inventory. He looked like how he did whenever he encountered brilliant but not extraordinary classmates back in university.
That was when Huo Congjun walked over to the operating table. Doctor Zhou was behind Huo Congjun, and he was holding a phone. Huo Congjun sounded like an old and ugly reporter as he asked, “Doctor Faulkner, what do you feel about the very first cardiovascular Doctor Ling performed?”
“He did very well, extremely well.” Now that Faulkner was being “filmed”, he naturally started to exaggerate things, which was typical of an American. “It was better than what I had anticipated. It was definitely at a professional level.”
As he spoke, he started recalling the surgery just now, and he slowly started to appreciate it from the bottom of his heart. Right now, he seemed to think that he had not been earnest enough earlier, and there was sincerity in his voice. “Doctor Ling is extremely skilled, and he is probably quite talented in cardiovascular surgeries. He shouldn’t waste this God-given gift.”
Before Ling Ran could say anything, Huo Congjun started nodding vigorously. “You’re right. Ling Ran needs a good platform for him to be able to showcase his skills…”
The face of the department director of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department was starting to turn pale. The Cardiovascular Surgery Department was tiny, and it was definitely no match for the Emergency Department, which had been elevated to the status of Emergency Medical Center. If He Yuanzheng’s Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery was considered a small department in Yun Hua Hospital, the Cardiovascular Surgery Department was undoubtedly a marginalized department. At least, the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery carried out almost a thousand surgeries a year, and they were responsible for their own finances. The Cardiovascular Surgery Department existed for no reason other than to support Yun Hua Hospital’s status as a general hospital…
“Department Director Huo… about this… don’t…” Department Director Kang wanted to speak like someone who was experiencing a mental breakdown, but his words were stuck in his throat.
Huo Congjun ignored Department Director Kang altogether. Being at a strategically advantageous position, he said, “With how things are going in Yun Hua Hospital right now, what we need to do next is to bring the schedule of merging the ICU with us forward.”
“Huh?” Department Director Kang could not help but freeze. Could it be that… when this tiger was chasing after a rabbit, it came across a goat?
Huo Congjun turned and said to Ling Ran, “I’ve actually been thinking about the matter concerning the ICU lately. Hepatectomy is already difficult enough in itself, let alone gastrectomy in combination with hepatic resection. An ICU is very important to us.”
Department Director Kang nodded vigorously. ‘Go ahead and oppress the ICU. I’ve been annoyed at the ICU for a long time anyway. They’re always bullying department directors of small departments like mine.”
Huo Congjun was also in the process of convincing himself. He nodded a few times and said, “Ling Ran, go ahead if you want to perform cardiovascular surgeries. I’ve talked to the people in charge of the ICU quite a few times, and we should be coming to a decision soon.”
Ling Ran hummed in acknowledgment and said, “There doesn’t seem to be many patients here who require cardiovascular surgeries.”
“It’s alright. Just operate on the patients that you manage to get your hands on. I’ll think about what we can do next.” Huo Congjun seemed confident. He did not seem concerned that there were not enough patients.
Department Director Kang, though, could not help but become absentminded. As he looked at Ling Ran, he became so jealous that he was about to go into atrial fibrillation.
