Chapter 151: A Critical Turning Point in the Operating Room

During the surgery, a shift in circumstances called for an immediate adjustment in the surgical plan—or even a better alternative—and it was vital to discuss this with the family.

Since both the surgical costs and risks would increase, their consent had to be obtained before proceeding.

This time, Director Wen did not send Tang Li to handle the discussion; he took it upon himself.

When it came to significant changes in the surgical plan, only the chief surgeon truly understood the strategy.

The conversation wrapped up quickly.

The girl’s family was utterly shocked when they learned it was a malignant tumor, and without much deliberation, they agreed to Director Wen’s proposal for complete tumor removal.

In fact, most families would have consented under similar circumstances.

The very mention of cancer had long been seared into people’s minds.

To many, cancer was tantamount to a death sentence.

When a doctor promises to leave no tumor residue behind, families are more than willing to agree.

The following surgical steps were carried out according to Zhou Can’s plan.

First, a bypass was constructed to establish a secondary blood supply.

This part of the procedure was relatively straightforward.

An artificial blood vessel was used as a substitute.

A small branch artery from the neck was connected directly to supply the area at risk of brain central artery blockage.

With this additional blood flow secured, even if complications arose while removing the tumor residues, the team could handle them calmly.

Director Wen then proceeded confidently to continue separating the remaining tumor mass.

Each incision was made deliberately, as if a master craftsman were refining his work.

Beads of sweat continually trickled from Director Wen’s forehead.

While the onlookers appeared unruffled, the psychological pressure on Director Wen as he wielded the scalpel was unimaginable—every surgeon has felt that perilous dance with a sharp knife.

As he neared the central area of the tumor, his cuts grew slower and his movements increasingly cautious.

Meanwhile, the sweat on his forehead began to pour even faster.

The Attending Nurse kept wiping his sweat, her face revealing a hint of anxiety.

She knew that such profuse sweating meant the surgery had reached its most critical point.

Moreover, there was little confidence in the outcome.

Any moment now, something could go awry.

“This isn’t working—the adhesion here is far too strong. It’s too risky to proceed,” he admitted.

Director Wen sighed in defeat.

Could the center of a tumor ever not be so tightly bound?

It was as if it had almost taken root.

“I’m afraid the only option is to separate out this blood vessel, cut it, and then replace it with a vein graft.”

With years of surgical experience, Director Wen knew exactly what he was capable of.

“Why not just use an artificial vessel? Why go through all that trouble harvesting a vein from elsewhere?” a resident opined.

“That’s an excellent question. Let me explain: The lifespan of an artificial vessel is only 10 to 20 years. Our patient is barely in her twenties, and the vessel we’re repairing is a crucial artery inside the skull. Treating her now with an artificial graft might work, but what if it suddenly ruptures ten years down the line?”

Director Wen shot a sharp look at the resident who had spoken up.

Compared to Zhou Can, the resident’s viewpoint was rather short-sighted.

“Remember, treating a patient isn’t just about addressing the immediate problem; you must also consider the future. Only by truly prioritizing the patient’s long-term well-being can one become a truly great doctor,” he lectured.

After finishing his explanation, Director Wen turned his gaze toward Zhou Can.

“Dr. Zhou, you handled that perfectly.”

Zhou Can wasn’t interested in making enemies.

He quickly replied humbly, “I’ve only brushed up on this area recently—I’m nowhere near as skilled as you.” With that modest preamble, he added hopefully,

“Since we’re planning to remove that vessel anyway, may I attempt to separate the tumor mass?”

Zhou Can had been practicing his fast scalpel technique for some time now.

He could already be considered moderately accomplished.

His tissue separation skills had reached the level of a competent attending—sufficient for routine tumors or adherent tissue.

For this tumor mass, he planned to integrate his rapid scalpel technique with tissue separation to make an attempt.

Animal trials wouldn’t yield the same insights.

The best practice was to operate directly on the patient.

Director Wen hesitated before finally conceding.

Zhou Can was well aware how rare an opportunity like this was.

He quickly added, “I guarantee that even if something goes wrong, I would only risk nicking this vessel and not harm any surrounding tissue. This chance to hone my skills is incredibly important to me—please allow me this opportunity.”

Over the past couple of days, Zhou Can had assisted Director Wen on several occasions.

With this foundation of trust, such a high-risk opportunity wasn’t entirely unfounded.

“Alright! You seem steady—just be extra cautious. Also, when you make the incision, I’ll place gauze around the area for protection.”

It’s often said that those in power can be lenient and those under cannot escape responsibility.

Ultimately, Director Wen couldn’t resist the appeal of compassion and agreed.

Perhaps it was Zhou Can’s earnest, ambitious gaze that moved him.

Placing gauze around the area to protect surrounding tissues was a common practice.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Zhou Can had secured this rare opportunity for hands-on training.

His heart brimmed with gratitude toward Director Wen.

If Dr. Xu were the chief surgeon today, such an opportunity might never have come his way.

It just goes to show that aligning yourself with different senior doctors can yield varied benefits.

Ultimately, it’s all about fighting hard for your chance.

Zhou Can chose not to use an electric scalpel, opting instead for a traditional one.

The advantage of a ‘cold weapon’ is its flexibility—allowing for extremely thin, precise separations of tightly adherent tissue.

It’s like using a handsaw: a chainsaw might shave off roughly 0.5 centimeters from a log, but a sharp knife can split it cleanly with virtually no loss of length.

There was another reason, too.

He had trained with a traditional scalpel while perfecting his fast scalpel technique.

This was also one of Dr. Xu’s stipulations.

At that moment, using a traditional scalpel felt much more natural.

Gripping the handle, he inhaled deeply; with his other hand, he grasped a pair of forceps to lift the already separated portion of the tumor tissue, exposing the adhesive area beneath.

His gaze locked unwaveringly on the area that needed separation.

It was as if he were entranced—the world outside had faded, leaving only the residual tumor tissue and the vessel wall in his mind and eyes.

Slash!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he made his incision.

Slice!

The sound of the blade meeting flesh echoed.

Director Wen hadn’t expected Zhou Can’s swiftness; he clenched his hands in alarm, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

He immediately began to regret letting Zhou Can take over.

With risk levels so high, how had he agreed in the first place?

Before he could call a halt, Zhou Can had already ceased his actions.

With that single cut, the surgery was over.

“Is that it?”

Director Wen’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Everyone else craned their necks as if witnessing a ghost in broad daylight.

They hadn’t even had time to catch Zhou Can’s precise movements before it was done.

“We did it— the residual tumor has been completely separated,”

Zhou Can held the excised tumor mass firmly in his left-hand forceps.

A confident smile spread across his face.

That single cut, seemingly simple and swift, actually embodied all his practice with the fast scalpel technique, tissue separation, and even the incision technique.

Years of hard work culminated in a moment that lasted only a second on stage.

All his accumulated skills merged into that one inexplicable cut.

【Congratulations on successfully executing the Fast Scalpel Technique and grasping its essence. You have acquired the special skill—Fast Scalpel Technique. This technique can be applied in anatomy, tissue separation, and debridement, enabling rapid cutting of target tissues.】

Typically, Zhou Can’s surgical skills encompassed various procedures such as debridement, incisions, and suturing.

But this time, what he achieved was distinctly termed the Fast Scalpel Technique.

The blend of technique and method is what the Daoists call ‘fa shu’.

From a scientific standpoint, it’s a combination of method and technology that exerts far greater power than the original technique.

For instance, even Director Wen’s tissue separation skills—despite being at a chief level—couldn’t safely separate that tumor mass.

Yet Zhou Can managed to do it.

What was his secret?

It was simply the integration of the Fast Scalpel Technique into his tissue separation, creating a far more potent ‘fa shu’.

With the infusion of the Fast Scalpel Technique, his practical tissue separation skills even surpassed that of a chief surgeon.

Bear in mind, his tissue separation was only at a competent attending’s level.

But after merging the Fast Scalpel Technique, he leapt up two levels.

Now, Zhou Can finally understood why Dr. Xu had garnered such an impressive reputation.

The combination of method and technique truly represents top-tier surgical ability.

【Fast Scalpel Technique – Current experience level: Novice 1/ — Winning by speed and compensating for other procedural shortcomings. It can be integrated into all knife-holding surgical methods.】

Zhou Can saw that the new Fast Scalpel Technique was now ranked first, even before pathology diagnosis.

This might very well represent his personal surgical style or unique surgical characteristic.

“I’m only at the novice level—yet integrating it into tissue separation has made such a difference. Dr. Xu’s prowess with the Fast Scalpel Technique must be far superior. How strong is he, really?”

Being the holder of the world’s fastest surgical record, maintaining it without being surpassed speaks volumes about Dr. Xu’s ability.

“Now that I’ve officially mastered the Fast Scalpel Technique, I wonder if I’ll eventually pick up another surgical style?”

That cut—swift as a flash—resolved the unsolvable problem that even Director Wen struggled with. In that split second, the surge of adrenaline must have sent multiple doses of dopamine racing through his brain.

After his elation, Zhou Can couldn’t help but feel a trace of worry.

Both Director Yin from Neurology and Chief Resident Shen from Orthopedics had cautioned him against following in Dr. Xu’s footsteps.

Once you board a treacherous ship, is there any way to disembark?

Nonetheless, despite the breathtaking speed of his cut, Zhou Can’s inner calm remained intact and his thoughts clear; his hands did not outpace his mind.

Perhaps the inner tranquility subdued the potential chaos of the Fast Scalpel Technique.

It was a possibility worth exploring with Dr. Xu when the opportunity arose.

After regaining his composure, Director Wen quickly inspected the patient’s central cranial artery.

The vessel wall was smooth, with no residual tumor tissue. Even more astonishing, the artery remained completely undamaged—this small excision had been executed even better than his own.

Clean and flawless—it was almost unbelievable.

“You…you’ve shown me a glimpse of the legendary Dr. Xu at work. Back in his prime, he performed high-difficulty surgeries with effortless precision. His surgical skills were nothing short of miraculous, as if guided by a divine presence.”

Director Wen clearly recalled witnessing Dr. Xu’s extraordinary prowess firsthand.

Even after many years, the memory remained vivid and was filled with deep respect.

“Immediately send this tumor fragment for pathological analysis. If the margins are clear, we can leave the central cranial artery intact. But if tumor cells have infiltrated or metastasized, we must widen the scope of the surgery.”

Director Wen instructed a graduate student.

Tasks like these were usually assigned to newcomers like Zhou Can.

However, given Zhou Can’s remarkable performance, no one would dare assign him mere errands.

…

Twenty minutes later, the pathology report came back.

The margins were well defined with no sign of metastasis.

This was overwhelmingly encouraging news.

Cheering broke out in the operating room.

Even Director Wen couldn’t help but beam, exclaiming, “Dr. Zhou is truly our lucky star! Ever since he joined our team, good things have come one after another.”

From another perspective, since Zhou Can’s arrival, several previously challenging cases within the team had been resolved.

It wasn’t a matter of mere luck.

It was simply that Zhou Can possessed the surgical prowess needed.

“Remove the artificial graft and clean up the wound, then you can suture it closed,” Director Wen instructed.

Fixing his gaze on Dr. Zou, he added,

“Dr. Zou, you remove the bypass graft. Any issues?”

“I’ll ensure it’s done safely and efficiently,” Dr. Zou responded.

Earlier in the procedure, Dr. Zou hadn’t had much chance to contribute, and now Director Wen was giving him a finishing task—a role he seized with all his might.

After all, it was a matter of professional pride for both him and Director Wen.

This surgery, full of twists and turns, seemed to consistently spotlight Zhou Can, the new trainee in their team.

The rest of the team couldn’t help but feel somewhat overshadowed.

The procedure ended swiftly, and Dr. Zou’s performance, though standard, was commendable.

It somewhat salvaged his reputation.

Of course, the greatest beneficiary was Zhou Can.

Not only had he elevated the Fast Scalpel Technique to a novice level, but he had also amassed invaluable practical experience with it. At the same time, his status within the team soared.

It was likely that in Director Wen’s eyes, Zhou Can now ranked even above the two attending physicians.

One couldn’t really fault Director Wen for being pragmatic.

After all, Zhou Can’s capabilities were simply too numerous.

“Dr. Zhou, I have a surgery this afternoon—could you lend a hand?”

As they were leaving the operating room, Dr. Zou surprisingly invited Zhou Can. This came as quite a shock.

Although the two hadn’t always seen eye to eye, Zhou Can bore no ill feelings toward Dr. Zou.

It was just that Dr. Zou seemed to resent his outstanding performance and the spotlight he attracted.

After all, senior colleagues often resent being outshone by newcomers.

“Of course—I’d be delighted,” Zhou Can replied, careful not to bruise anyone’s pride.

A seasoned attending doctor lowering his guard to offer a friendly hand was something rare indeed.

“Heh, Dr. Zou—you drafting me like a conscript?” Tang Li joked with a smile.

Her tone was half-teasing as she hinted that next time she would also call on Zhou Can for assistance when operating solo.

“A capable person should bear more responsibility! Dr. Zhou’s surgical skills are unparalleled, and since we’re on the same team, I’m sure he won’t mind contributing a bit extra,” she added.

Dr. Zou managed a rare smile and turned his gaze toward Zhou Can.

“I truly appreciate the support and guidance from you seniors. I promise to be on call at all times and work diligently—no slacking.”

Flattered by the accolades from the senior doctors, Zhou Can dared not get complacent.

His humble demeanor earned him the favor of several higher-ups.

…

That afternoon, Zhou Can assisted Dr. Zou with surgery on a woman suffering from a skull fracture.

He had intended to keep a low profile.

However, Dr. Zou’s skills in fracture fixation and bone setting were rather average.

It was understandable—General Surgery often looked down on Orthopedics, considering their work as menial.

Consequently, few doctors in General Surgery could perform fracture surgeries well.

More often than not, orthopedic surgeons had to be called in for fracture repairs.

It wasn’t so much a polite invitation as an unavoidable demand.

General Surgery never extended courtesies when asking Orthopedics for help.

Zhou Can had spent three months in Orthopedics, during which he truly learned a lot.

He even elevated several orthopedic procedures to a tertiary level—only bone grafting still lagged around the trainee level.

For this woman’s fracture repair, Zhou Can exerted tremendous effort.

He handled the critical surgical parts flawlessly.

Dr. Zou was quick to note that calling on Zhou Can was truly calling on the right man.

Originally, Dr. Zou hadn’t realized Zhou Can’s strong capability in orthopedic surgery—he had only thought that a fracture repair was too tough to handle alone, given his fellow residents’ clumsy ways.

Especially with brain surgery involved, safety was paramount.

Zhou Can’s steady hands and mastery across multiple procedures made him the ideal candidate for assistance.

In the end, Zhou Can lived up to expectations and even managed to surprise him.

Together, they successfully completed the cranial fracture surgery.

And they did so with exceptional results.

After the surgery, while the patient was still under anesthesia, Zhou Can remarked to Dr. Zou, “The injuries on this woman don’t look like a simple fall. They seem more like the result of a brutal assault. Do you think she might have been a victim of domestic violence?”

“Dr. Zhou, this isn’t our call. If she were a minor, then sure we could intervene. But she’s an adult, and I’m sure she has her reasons. Besides, in my experience, meddling in these matters rarely yields any positive results,” Dr. Zou advised.

“I only noticed that she has too many old injuries. Look—bruises and hematomas all over. It’s alarming,” Zhou Can pointed at her shoulder, leg, and other areas.

“Marriage isn’t always as straightforward as you’d think. It isn’t as simple as walking away. There are children, family ties, shared assets, and deep-seated emotions. Trust me, if you ever get married, you’ll understand,” he reasoned.

Dr. Zou, being in his forties and long settled in family life, could only shake his head and smile.