Old Chief Physician Pan and Tang Xiu had just arrived outside the operating theater, but before she could inform her family members, the doors of the operating theater flung open and a stretcher trolley was wheeled out from inside.
Tang Xiu was stunned. There was no white sheet on it.
Her father’s greyish-white hair accentuated his ashen-grey complexion, which made him look like he had met his end.
On the stretcher trolley sat a girl in a blue surgical gown. Her posture was particularly awkward as she repeatedly squeezed the self-inflating bag to provide positive pressure ventilation.
The medical field was alien to Tang Xiu, but a knowledgeable person like her vaguely knew that the self-inflating bag was a type of artificial ventilation, a method to deliver oxygen to her father.
Sorrow instantly consumed her heart.
Tears started pouring from her eyes in a seemingly endless flow.
‘He is dead… The surgery failed…’ Countless negative thoughts popped into her mind.
A chill went down her spine. The world turned into a blur.
Tang Xiu held onto the stretcher trolley and cried.
It was a silent wail.
However, everyone on the scene could detect the grief and pain in her broken heart.
Chu Yanran sat curled up atop one corner of the stretcher trolley and attentively compressed the self-inflating bag, with Su Yun pushing it in the back and Zheng Ren controlling its direction in the front.
Like a driver slamming on the car brake, Tang Xiu slowed the stretcher trolley down and Chu Yanran nearly fell down.
Zheng Ren, who was standing lateral to the head end of the trolley, quickly supported Chu Yanran and rebuked angrily. “Who the hell are you?!”
Old Chief Physician Pan quickly pulled Tang Xiu away and said seriously, “Don’t interfere with the rescue. He isn’t dead.”
Not dead? She failed to understand this simple phrase even when she was pulled away by Old Chief Physician Pan.
Her mind had gone blank in this instant
It seemed to be good news or probably a deliberate act of consolation from the doctor, but she could not contain her overwhelming grief and continued to cry silently.
“The patient’s family member,” replied Old Chief Physician Pan to Zheng Ren.
“Are you alright?” asked Zheng Ren out of concern, relieved only after Chu Yanran shook her head and narrowed her eyes as if smiling at him.
The stretcher trolley was pushed into the hospital bed elevator once the doors slid open.
“Chief Physician Pan, ask her to wait for me here. I’ll speak with her after sending the patient to the ICU.” Zheng Ren’s voice traveled across the slowly closing elevator doors.
Old Chief Physician Pan had seen numerous joy and sorrow throughout his life, so naturally, Tang Xiu’s dejection was within his expectations.
However, he made no attempt to console the woman. After all, any words of comfort would be pointless when she was emotionally unstable right now.
More importantly, how should he comfort her when he had no clue if the surgery had been successful? It was better to steer clear of careless statements and irresponsible remarks in the medical field.
The muffled sobs coupled with the howling wind outside the window created a ghastly atmosphere in the spacious but empty hall outside the operating theater on the third floor.
Even so, Old Chief Physician Pan, a war veteran, remained unbothered about it.
A strong yang energy could drive all evil spirits away.
He recalled the moment just now and attentively searched for details. Judging from Zheng Ren’s expression and manner, the surgery should have been successful.
This chief resident was really good.
The emergency department had received three to five similar cases this month, and each of them had been successfully treated.
This time, there should be no problem as well.
Old Chief Physician Pan was slowly pacing in the hall with his hands on his back, wondering if he had missed any details during the surgery explanation just now.
It was inexcusable to be a hindrance to Zheng Ren, a competent man.
More than ten minutes later, Zheng Ren walked up via the fire escape with Chu Yanran trailing behind him. Su Yun was nowhere to be seen.
“Zheng Ren, you’ve returned.” Old Chief Physician Pan made a gesture in the meantime.
Zheng Ren acknowledged the hint, nodded and whispered, “Very successful.”
Finally, it took the weight off his mind.
Tang Xiu assumed a fetal position on the ground with her shoulders trembling with every sob.
“Are you the patient’s family member?” Zheng Ren stood in front of her and asked.
Tang Xiu did not seem to hear him at all and continued sobbing on the ground.
Zheng Ren asked a few more times, but Tang Xiu remained unresponsive as if her brain had been fried. Left with no choice, he took out his phone. “Are you busy?
“Come to the operating theater.
“Yes, a family member is too deeply in grief for communication.
“Yes, that’s right. Once you arrive, I’ll sort out the angiographic footage. The surgery is a success, don’t worry.”
Zheng Ren hung up and said to Old Chief Physician Pan, “Let Chang Yue communicate with her.”
Old Chief Physician Pan, who was fully aware of Chang Yue’s superb communication skills, knew that Zheng Ren’s arrangement was logical and did not mind about his personal decision making as well. Then, he asked with a smile, “How did you do the surgery?”
Zheng Ren patted Chu Yanran’s shoulder and gestured to her to leave first while they waited for Chang Yue’s arrival. After that, he replied calmly, “He has a traumatic rupture of hepatic hemangioma. I’ve injected an embolization coil after locating the bleeding artery.”
“So simple?”
“This is more complicated,” Zheng Ren explained, “The artery is relatively thick, and its lumen couldn’t be fully closed with an embolization coil alone, so I’ve used four absorbable gelatin sponges to complete the task.”
Zheng Ren’s explanation sounded dull and uninteresting, but Old Chief Physician Pan could imagine the intense tension and prudence he must have experienced while performing the surgery against the clock.
“How is the patient now?” asked Old Chief Physician Pan.
“His systolic pressure has reached 80mmHg and diastolic pressure was detectable upon his arrival at the ICU. His heart rate has reduced as well, so I think the hemorrhagic shock should have been controlled by now,” Zheng Ren reported, “I’m still worried, so I’ve asked Su Yun to take care of him for the time being. If everything goes well, he can be extubated tomorrow and discharged from the ICU.”
“Good.” Contented, Old Chief Physician Pan gave Zheng Ren a kind and proud gaze.
They chatted for a while and finally saw Chang Yue walking at full speed.
After assigning the task to Chang Yue, Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan entered the operating theater.
In the operator’s console room, Zheng Ren explained the surgical process to Old Chief Physician Pan while editing the angiographic footage.
Old Chief Physician Pan’s thirst for knowledge greatly surprised Zheng Ren.
He was almost seventy years old. Even though he was still physically strong with a flawless eyesight and hearing, and walked like the wind as well, it was impossible for him to involve himself in interventional radiology.
There was no way he could perform interventional radiology-assisted surgery in his lifetime.
In that case, was there any point in him learning interventional radiology? Zheng Ren had no idea and was too lazy to think about it. Perhaps the old man was curious, or maybe he wanted to master a new clinical skill that could come in handy when dealing with certain emergency situations.
Regardless of what Old Chief Physician Pan had in mind, Zheng Ren would definitely satisfy his simple request—explanation of surgical procedures.
Having seen the surgery process, especially from the shocking bloom of “smoky flower” until its complete dissipation, Old Chief Physician Pan was convinced that the surgery had been successful.
Although he had not personally performed the surgery, he had read through related articles and understood its fundamental principles and difficulties behind its manipulation.
The words sounded easy and the surgery seemed simple, but Old Chief Physician Pan knew that all surgery difficulties had been solved with Zheng Ren’s expertise.
If the surgeon had been someone else, the patient might have perished due to excessive bleeding before the bleeding artery could have been located.
An idea suddenly emerged in Old Chief Physician Pan’s mind as he quietly watched Zheng Ren editing the angiographic footage.
“You should join the scientific research in Imperial Capital. I’ll call Professor Pei in my free time.”
“Huh?” Zheng Ren turned his head and looked at Old Chief Physician Pan in doubt.
“You should take your skills to the next level. It’ll be a waste of talent if you stay in Sea City.”
