When Zheng Ren entered the operating room, the first patient was ready for the procedure.
Feng Xuhui wheeled a silver suitcase into the control room.
An assortment of surgical equipment and materials for the TIPS procedure was in the case.
Zheng Ren studied the operating room. The facilities in the Secondary Hospital interventional operating room were older than the ones in the hybrid operating room in Sea City General Hospital. The cost of replacing a double C-arm machine was beyond what the Secondary Hospital could afford.
It would have to do.
At least it was better than the usual gastrointestinal imaging machine.
Zheng Ren pinned the patient’s scan to the viewer in the operating room and studied it with his arms folded. He visualized the process in his mind, from start to end.
In the operating room, the professor was busy fussing over the instruments while Zheng Ren studied the scan. The observers in the control room were silent.
The interventional surgery department chief, Cheng Lixue, pursed his lips. “He thinks he’s a bigshot just because he has a foreigner in tow.”
Feng Xuhui, who was standing in the corner of the room, smirked.
‘This is the guy who dies within three episodes in dramas. He didn’t even read up on who that foreigner acting as Chief Zheng’s assistant is,’ Feng Xuhui thought.
Director Zhang responded to the department chief’s comment. “What we want is a successful TIPS surgery. This will be a major milestone in the history of the Secondary Hospital. Department Chief Cheng, please learn from them. I hope to see one of our own successfully perform a TIPS surgery in the future.”
Cheng Lixue held back any further comments. He did not want to overstep and offend the deputy director.
Although Cheng Lixue and Director Zhang were once doctors of the same rank, the man was now the deputy director of the hospital! He could easily make life a living hell for Cheng Lixue.
The department chief knew better than to provoke the sleeping lion when his hands were tied.
Recently the hospital administration board decided to make some organizational changes. The interventional department was split into two, with the deputy chief taking some of the manpower away.
Who would be happy with a split department? It meant the department chief’s authority was slashed by half.
The change meant everyone had to buck up and work harder to increase their department’s surgery volume. With his department cut in half, Cheng Lixue would have a hard time presenting a satisfactory report at the end of year.
Meanwhile, the vultures were circling him. A stagnant surgery volume could spell a career death.
This change was the root cause of Cheng Lixue’s misery. Those free and easy days were long gone for the interventional department chief.
Now, Director Zhang invited a young chief resident from Sea City General Hospital to perform a TIPS surgery! The interventional department deputy chief was in Provincial Capital, learning the TIPS procedure.
The arrival of the young chief resident was good news for Cheng Lixue, but he doubted the chief resident’s abilities. The TIPS procedure was one of the hardest procedures. Cheng Lixue did not believe Sea City General Hospital had them outclassed by this much.
When it came to hepatic disorder treatments, whether it be interventional or general surgery, the Secondary Hospital had always outranked Sea City General Hospital.
They were a specialized hospital after all.
Director Zhang must have been blinded. Cheng Lixue cursed internally but he maintained a calm composure and kept his criticisms to himself.
“Director Ren is rushing back from Provincial Capital as we speak. We only have one goal. Old Cheng, you need to see the big picture,” Director Zhang lectured.
‘Big picture, my *ss!’ Cheng Lixue swore in his mind.
An emergency department chief resident of this age could perform a TIPS procedure?
If the man could really perform the procedure without major complications, Department Chief Cheng would be fearful of the younger generation.
He had a few younger subordinates in his department, including the deputy chief and some attending surgeons. They had always shown him adequate respect, but he wondered if they had ever spoken badly of him to Director Ren.
Cheng Lixue had managed his department for a good 20 years. He did not expect to be ordered to relinquish half of it before he entered retirement.
It was all bullsh*t!
Cheng Lixue was only a department chief who could not contribute to the hospital’s vision. Hence, all his anger was directed at Zheng Ren, as if the chief resident was here to personally sabotage his career.
Professor Rudolf Wagner completed the disinfection process and began the cannulation.
Zheng Ren went to put on his lead apron and began scrubbing in.
“Director Zhang, the foreigner will be doing the surgery right?” Cheng Lixue asked as he watched Professor Rudolf insert the guide wire into the cannula.
“No. I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes in the general hospital; that foreign professor is just Chief Zheng’s assistant.”
Cheng Lixue made a sound of disapproval.
‘He took the foreign professor as an assistant? Does this guy have a low IQ or low EQ?’ Cheng Lixue thought.
The local professors in Provincial Capital had trouble getting foreign professors to do as they say, what more in Sea City General Hospital.
The plump man who delivered the scans to Sea City General Hospital knew why Cheng Lixue was in a bad mood. He spoke up in support of the deputy director’s words. “Chief Zheng is a remarkable surgeon. While I was sending over the scans, there was an emergency patient suffering from a cardiac tamponade.”
Director Zhang’s interest was piqued. “And?”
“I saw Chief Zheng perform an emergency pericardiotomy to relieve the pressure. He did an open heart massage to restart the patient’s heart. There were blood splatters all over the room, even the ceiling,” the plump man said with a look of admiration.
“And the patient?”
“His heartbeat was restored and he was immediately sent to the operating room.”
“Emergency rescue vastly differs from TIPS surgery,” Department Chief Cheng pointed out.
“Old Cheng,” Director Zhang warned.
They were old friends, so Director Zhang did not say more. The invitation was extended to Zheng Ren with Director Ren’s approval. Cheng Lixue had to accept the circumstances.
Director Zhang felt the department chief was being juvenile.
Cheng Lixue frowned. Then, he turned and left.
He walked to the changing room and grabbed his phone.
He would not be surprised if the foreign professor played a major role in the TIPS procedure. However, a successful TIPS surgery was still a win for Zheng Ren, and that did not sit well with Cheng Lixue.
As for the emergency rescue, it was unlikely the foreign professor could assist in such procedures.
Cheng Lixue had to confirm the authenticity of the story. He dialed a number on his phone.
He did not believe a procedure like a pericardiotomy and open-heart massage were effective in saving lives.
These procedures had a slim chance of success… The young chief resident was too ballsy.
As he pondered the necessity of such emergency procedures, his call was picked up.
Cheng Lixue greeted, “Old Qian, this is Old Cheng.”
“Oh, what’s going on, Old Cheng?” the other speaker asked.
Cheng Lixue had called up the ICU Chief in Sea City General Hospital.
“I heard from a colleague of mine that your hospital had a patient with cardiac tamponade yesterday?”
“Yes, we had. Did the attacker’s family reach out to you to get information? Tell them to not worry; the patient just left the ICU,” Department Chief Qian said with a chuckle.
‘See, the patient died. What’s there to boast now? A pericardiotomy followed by an open-heart massage was a suicidal rescue plan,’ Cheng Lixue thought.
“I see. I will convey the death to the family so they can mentally prepare.”
“Death? No one died, Old Cheng. You misunderstood; the patient was discharged from the ICU. The emergency rescue and follow-up surgery was successful. He’s stable now.””
Cheng Lixue froze.
A cardiac tamponade patient was stable the second day after surgery?
What…
