Chapter 221: Unyielding Strength

No matter what, strength conquers all.

Until Zhou Can located the bleeding point, doubts rained down. Once found, every criticism vanished, replaced by awe, praise, and genuine remorse.

“Director Wu, the blood supply area of this vessel is substantial. A direct ligation for hemostasis might not work, right?”

Standing at the chief surgeon’s seat, Zhou Can sought to stick around for the rest of the procedure.

A high-difficulty operation like this challenges even the most veteran surgeons, let alone a trainee like him.

“We can ligate it, but even if the patient survives, they’ll likely spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair or bedridden as a vegetable.” Wu Baihe, usually so serious, remarked.

Perhaps now, upon seeing Zhou Can successfully pinpoint the bleeding source, his heart lifted just enough for a touch of humor.

“Then… may I try repairing the vessel? I’m confident I can restore it.”

Zhou Can’s skills in suturing and ligation were at the associate chief level, making him fully capable of repairing the vessel.

For someone so gifted in endoscopic surgery, the difference between traditional and endoscopic procedures was negligible. His Grade 5 suturing, whether traditional or endoscopic, was already at associate chief standard.

Yet some lack the innate talent for endoscopic work; manipulating a lengthy shaft can severely diminish their surgical prowess.

They either fail to regain a familiar touch or find themselves overpowered, falling far below standard.

“I’ll let you try. Fair warning: we’ve already spent over four hours on this rescue, and the patient’s condition remains grim. If I sense you’re merely scraping by or your repair isn’t up to par, I’ll shut it down immediately.”

After a brief hesitation, Wu Baihe decided to let Zhou Can have his shot.

Sometimes, people simply don’t want to offend when given a choice – they rarely say no.

Had Zhou Can not quickly located the bleeding point, none of this would have mattered.

The patient might have died outright.

“Alright!”

Receiving Wu Baihe’s nod, Zhou Can wasted no time and began swiftly repairing the vessel.

He maneuvered the endoscope with precision, quickly ligating the ruptured vessel.

After staunching the bleeding, he rapidly cleared the pooled blood to create an operating space and commenced repairing the torn vessel.

Repairing such malformed vessels was far more challenging than normal ones.

Their vessel walls were often calcified.

In severe cases, they suffered from advanced atherosclerosis.

The vessel walls had long lost their original elasticity and toughness. Internal plaques multiplied over time, gradually narrowing the passage.

The surgery continued in a tense pace.

Though Zhou Can’s performance wasn’t extraordinary, it was certainly above par.

Wu Baihe, once anxious, gradually relaxed.

This wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed Zhou Can’s endoscopic skills. His impression of Zhou Can had always been very positive.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have called upon a trainee for assistance this time.

【Suturing Experience +1】

【Your first successful repair of a right cerebral intravascular suture earns you +100 Suturing Experience】

【Ligation Experience +1】

【Your first successful knot tying on a right cerebral intravascular wall earns you +100 Ligation Experience】

Zhou Can had long expected that such a challenging vascular repair would yield extra experience rewards.

And he wasn’t disappointed.

After earning his reward, he didn’t get carried away but continued to focus on repairing the vessel.

…

After more than an hour of strenuous effort, he finally succeeded in repairing the malformed arterial vessel.

Before joining the vessel, he also cleared the calcified plaques from the wall.

He was confident that post-surgery, the patient’s vessel would function better than before.

“Director Wu, I’ve completed the repair. Please check it over!”

Zhou Can looked at his restored vessel with satisfaction.

“Hmm, looks fine. Let’s run a flow test!”

After such a long time, the biggest concern was still the risk of cell death at the furthest reaches of the blood supply.

In theory, halting the bleeding and restoring blood flow to the vessel within three hours yields the best outcomes.

The longer the delay, the worse it is for the patient, and the less predictable the efficacy.

Doctors often throw every ounce of effort into resuscitation, even when hope seems slim. It’s not because they’re foolish or just passing time, but to create medical miracles.

During his trainee stint in the Critical Care Department, Zhou Can had encountered some truly heartbreaking situations.

Doctors would do everything to save patients, even when early successes were evident. However, families, fearing both loss and the exorbitant cost of treatment, would insist on stopping treatment.

In such cases, even if the patient’s condition was improving, as long as treatment continued, hope remained.

But if the family demanded withdrawal, no matter how unwilling the doctors were, they had no choice but to relent.

Then they watched helplessly as the patient quickly passed away.

Zhou Can attempted to loosen the ligatures on the proximal and distal ends of the vessel.

Experienced doctors prefer to ligate both ends during a repair to minimize air trapping and the risk of thrombosis.

The proximal ligature mainly prevents continuous bleeding – without it, the surgery would be impossible.

Once both ligatures were loosened, fresh blood rushed into the repaired segment.

“It’s open! The vascular repair is a success!”

With a wealth of surgical experience, Wu Baihe could tell at a glance that the vessel was properly restored.

“Hold on – let’s not move it just yet. We need to observe for any seepage or signs of thrombosis.”

【Hemostasis Experience +1】

【Your first successful repair and clearance of an intracerebral malformed artery earns you +100 Hemostasis Experience】

This single operation netted multiple 100-point experience rewards.

It had Zhou Can overjoyed.

Although this was his first intracerebral malformed vessel repair, he gained a wealth of invaluable experience.

“Alright, I’ll finish up the remaining work!”

Taking over, Wu Baihe conducted a second inspection of the repaired vessel. Confirming no issues, he proceeded to clear the final hematoma and methodically closed the cranial cavity.

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The entire operation lasted over six hours before the patient was wheeled out of the operating room.

Although the patient hadn’t yet awakened, from a doctor’s perspective, the surgery was a success.

The patient was moved to the recovery room with stable vital signs.

“Ah, it’s already past ten this morning. My treat, everyone! Let’s go grab breakfast. It’s been a tough operation today, but our efforts weren’t in vain. All we hope is that the patient awakens without major aftereffects.”

After the surgery, Wu Baihe glanced at the wall clock and was shocked to see it was well past ten.

Kang Kai had invited everyone to breakfast.

The work of doctors truly knows no day or night.

The entire rescue had been executed in a state of high tension – no one had been watching the time.

Doctors and nurses began to file out of the operating room.

They initially thought breakfast would be in the cafeteria, but Wu Baihe had already arranged for breakfast to be delivered to the small meeting room of the General Surgery Department.

After a long, exhausting night, everyone finally got a chance to rest and sit down.

The breakfast spread was quite abundant – baozi, bread, fried dough sticks, medicinal egg, and soybean milk.

Doctors, who are keen on health, often cook their own medicinal eggs or buy them.

They rarely eat fried foods.

Perhaps considering the taste preferences of younger staff, they ordered some fried dough sticks.

The crispy texture of the fried treats was extremely tempting; young bodies have few restrictions.

They don’t care about the after-effects – first, delight your taste buds, then worry about the rest.

Everyone chatted about the operation or other topics while enjoying breakfast.

It was simply a casual conversation.

Chief physicians are usually so busy that genuine opportunities to sit and chat together are rare.

The meeting room resonated with laughter and a relaxed atmosphere.

“Dr. Zhou’s vascular repair skills are impressive! The difficulty of his repair in that operation was truly extraordinary. I’d always heard his endoscopic work was excellent – today, I saw it with my own eyes.”

A chief physician from the General Surgery Department, who rarely interacted with him, smiled as he offered praise.

It wasn’t mere flattery.

He just wanted to build a good rapport with Zhou Can, recognizing his excellence early on.

“What intrigues me more is his method for locating the bleeding point! Dr. Zhou deliberately left the hematoma instead of clearing it, didn’t he?”

Another associate chief joined the discussion.

Zhou Can was busy devouring a meat bao, two bites at a time, washed down with soybean milk.

The senior surgeons suddenly engaging him in conversation forced him to pause his eating.

Chewing while mumbling isn’t very polite during a conversation.

“I suppose so! Don’t you all use the method of observing pooled blood to locate bleeding sources?”

Zhou Can subtly noted that while every doctor’s technique for hemostasis is similar in basics, there are subtle differences and unique personal experiences.

In other words, every rat has its own path, and every snake its own way.

“Just as I suspected. I never knew that you could locate a bleeding source merely by observing pooled blood. If you don’t mind, please share your successful method!”

This associate chief, in his fifties, still thirsted for knowledge.

“I’ve never heard of that method either; this is the first time I’ve come across locating a bleeding point through observing hematoma!” another attending joined in.

Though Wu Baihe and the others remained silent, their attentive posture showed they likely hadn’t mastered the technique of finding bleeding sources via hematoma.

Everyone’s approach differs; methods vary as widely as the individuals themselves.

For instance, when heading to the hospital from home, some walk, some catch a ride, some order a taxi, some drive, and others cycle… there are many methods.

Yet all manage to arrive at the hospital in time.

This is the essence of the saying: all roads lead to Rome.

“Since someone asked, I’ll share my simple method. Please, don’t laugh at me.”

Zhou Can was candid, generously sharing the insights he had gained.

“When blood pools, it follows a certain flow; as it accumulates, it forms wavy, fine lines…”

He revealed his technique to everyone.

The four nurses, not very versed in surgical procedures, simply watched with admiration.

In General Surgery, many operating room nurses knew Zhou Can was exceptionally talented. Often, working with Director Wen on endoscopic surgeries, Zhou Can took the lead.

Unmarried young nurses often had designs on him.

“I never knew you could use this method to locate a bleeding point. Today, I’ve learned something new,” Wu Baihe remarked first after listening.

He was amazed by Zhou Can’s ‘simple trick’.

“Exactly, I wouldn’t even dare to dream of such a method. Young minds truly think differently!”

The first chief physician then chimed in.

“This young fellow, Zhou Can, has an unconventional approach both in surgery and diagnosis. I’m not surprised he grasped this innovative technique on his own.”

Director Wen was well aware of Zhou Can’s capabilities.

After hearing Zhou Can’s method for locating bleeding points, he was not surprised at all.

“I’ve seen plenty of medical geniuses, and honestly, our General Surgery Department boasts many. Most present here could rightfully claim the title, including myself. But geniuses like Dr. Zhou are exceedingly rare. Perhaps only Director Wu shares that caliber.”

A young associate chief laughed and praised him.

Everyone smiled in agreement with the associate chief’s assessment.

There’s truth in those words.

Geniuses are plenty, but true prodigies are rare.

Dr. Xu, Wu Baihe, and Hu Kan were all considered prodigies.

Each possessed unique talents beyond the ordinary, truly worthy of that title.

“I can’t possibly compare myself to someone like Director Wu. You flatter me too much. If I live to sixty and can reach even half of your skill, I’ll consider my life well spent.”

Zhou Can couldn’t bring himself to claim such high praise.

Nor would he ever equate himself with Wu Baihe.

Whether out of humility or emotional intelligence, he felt compelled to deflect.

“Dr. Zhou, don’t sell yourself short. With the talent and skill you’ve shown, I’d wager you’ll become Tuyu’s top surgeon long before forty.”

Wu Baihe held Zhou Can in very high regard.

This wasn’t flattery but a conservative projection based on Zhou Can’s all-around advancements in surgery and diagnosis.

“Haha, Director Wu always knows how to lift the spirits. When I first heard that, I doubted myself, but now I feel re-energized.”

With one joke, Zhou Can had everyone erupt in laughter.

The meeting room’s atmosphere grew even more congenial and harmonious.

After breakfast, everyone prepared to dive into another day’s work.

Zhou Can left the small meeting room and made his way towards the elevator. It was now well past 10:30.

According to his schedule, the next couple of days were fully booked with surgeries.

The General Surgery Department had many procedures waiting for him.

Passing by the ward along the corridor, Zhou Can’s eyes lit up. He unexpectedly spotted an old partner – Qiao Yu.

There, Qiao Yu was setting a tray on a bed, busy tending to a patient.

Her work was no easy task.

Standing behind her was an experienced nurse, directing her with a flurry of instructions.

There was nothing inherently wrong with that.

Yet Zhou Can couldn’t help but feel a tinge of irritation.

He swiftly strode over.

“Can’t even insert a catheter properly? Hesitating like that—how can you be a nurse? I’ve had to teach you several times. Not only must you do it right, you need to work fast!”

The elderly nurse turned out to be another old acquaintance of Zhou Can’s.

Head Nurse Hu Shuiling.

On Zhou Can’s first day in General Surgery, Head Nurse Hu Shuiling had been incredibly haughty towards him.

But after Zhou Can achieved dual merits in both the operating room and ward, earning Director Wen’s favor and a swift rise in status, Hu Shuiling’s attitude shifted dramatically.

From a cold, impassive face to full-blown sycophancy. She probably had many lessons in store for Qiao Yu.