Chapter 227: A Surge of Opportunity

If you’re acquainted with a senior doctor, you might even snag the chance to be the lead in surgery.

For example, Mr. Liu, the chief physician of Gastrointestinal Surgery and others are well aware of Zhou Can’s surgical prowess. They’d even invite his help without him having to ask.

After all, his performance in the final month’s competition in General Surgery was famously fast and excellent.

It wasn’t long before reinforcements from General Surgery arrived.

Surprisingly, the arriving team consisted of Dr. Jia and Qiu Hong, which caught Zhou Can off guard.

Normally, for a patient like this even if surgery were required, sending over an attending would suffice.

But dispatching a rehired chief physician along with an attending was a true show of respect from Gastroenterology Department.

It was long rumored that Gastrointestinal Surgery and Gastroenterology Department were as close as family.

And now, it was clear to see.

“Hey, Dr. Jia, what an honor to have you come by in person! Thank you, thank you!”

Dr. Xia Ping hurried forward with genuine enthusiasm upon seeing Dr. Jia’s arrival.

This patient was under his care; now that complications had arisen requiring the help of a General Surgery doctor, he had to express his gratitude.

“Dr. Qiu, you look as brilliant as ever. We really appreciate your help this time!”

Dr. Xia Ping was well acquainted with both Dr. Jia and Qiu Hong—it truly was unexpected.

Dr. Jia replied on behalf of the newly established Gastrointestinal Surgery team, “No need to be so formal, Dr. Xia. Helping each other out is what we do. Is the patient suffering from intermittent intestinal bleeding?”

Dr. Jia’s presence signified an effort to showcase the fresh face of their sub-department. With the two departments practically like brothers, it made sense to send him over directly.

“Dr. Zhou, thank you for your hard work today. With Dr. Jia from General Surgery personally here, there’s no doubt the surgery will be a success. You go handle your part!”

Once Dr. Xia had secured the reinforcements from General Surgery, he felt a sense of relief.

Next up was an open abdominal procedure, and he doubted that a trainee could be of much help.

Moreover, Zhou Can had dominated the rescue efforts earlier, which made Dr. Xia feel overshadowed. Zhou Can’s continued presence here only added to the unspoken pressure.

That’s why he intended to send Zhou Can off at the earliest opportunity.

“Alright, I’ll be on my way then!”

Zhou Can didn’t mind at all. If this surgery provided a good learning opportunity, so be it; if not, it wouldn’t matter.

“Dr. Jia! Dr. Qiu, goodbye!”

Zhou Can was well acquainted with both, being close old friends.

At that moment, they waved off like longtime pals.

“You… know each other?”

Dr. Xia wasn’t naive. Seeing Zhou Can so casually wave goodbye to Dr. Jia and Qiu Hong, he was inwardly startled.

Dr. Jia was a heavyweight in General Surgery—Dr. Xia, a seasoned attending, had long struggled to forge connections with him.

So when he saw a trainee so closely tied with Dr. Jia, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of envy and surprise.

“Not just acquaintances—he’s my junior,” Qiu Hong laughed.

“Junior? So what’s his relationship with Dr. Jia then?”

Dr. Xia knew that Qiu Hong was one of Dr. Jia’s students. If she called Zhou Can her junior, could he also be one of Dr. Jia’s pupils?

“Zhou and I are close friends despite the age difference. He’s the most talented young doctor I’ve ever met—outstanding in every aspect.”

Dr. Jia went so far as to define their relationship like that.

Even Zhou Can hadn’t expected it.

“Ah… so you two are really good friends?”

Dr. Xia nearly dropped his chin in shock.

A highly respected chief physician being on such friendly terms with a young trainee was a revelation.

The huge disparity in their positions made Dr. Xia wonder what exactly gave Zhou Can the right to be considered an equal by someone like Dr. Jia?

“Don’t get the wrong idea; I only benefited from Dr. Jia’s encouragement. In truth, we share a mentor-student and also a friendly bond. During my training in Gastrointestinal Surgery, Dr. Jia took me under his wing. Whether at work or during casual chats, we just clicked, which is why our friendship transcends generations.”

Zhou Can hurriedly explained, not daring to take any undue advantage from Dr. Jia.

He certainly wouldn’t let himself get carried away.

“I really envy that kind of cross-generational friendship,” Dr. Xia admitted sincerely. He had longed to get closer to Dr. Jia but had yet to succeed.

“So, is Zhou Can now under your guidance for Gastroenterology training?”

Dr. Jia inquired of Dr. Xia.

“Not yet! He just reported to Gastroenterology this morning and ended up facing a crisis early on. I can only blame my own carelessness for not heeding Dr. Zhou’s advice—I nearly let a catastrophe happen.”

Speaking of which, Dr. Xia’s heart still ached with regret.

Thankfully, through the joint efforts of many, the patient was saved.

Otherwise, the consequences could have been disastrous.

This attending’s career might well have been over.

“Ha ha, you clearly underestimate Zhou Can’s abilities. From now on, when he offers a diagnostic suggestion, take it seriously,” Dr. Jia said, his meaning evident given Zhou Can’s many accomplishments in Gastrointestinal Surgery.

His diagnostic skills were nothing short of astounding.

Even though he was just a trainee, in some complex or critical cases he sometimes outclassed even the chief physicians.

It would have been folly for Dr. Xia not to heed Zhou Can’s advice.

“I promise I’ll take it seriously from now on! It was my first time not fully trusting his diagnostic ability, and I was too careless.”

At his age, Dr. Xia had never seen a trainee with such formidable skills.

“Honestly, with Zhou Can here for this surgery, even if you hadn’t called us over, everything would have gone well.”

Dr. Jia chuckled once more.

“What do you mean by that?” Dr. Xia asked, puzzled.

“Zhou Can’s surgical skills are exceptional. For a procedure of this level, he can handle it with ease. Even if we were called in, he would still be the one performing the surgery.”

After his words, Dr. Jia looked towards Zhou Can.

“Kid, don’t even think about slacking off. You’re the one who pinpointed the bleed, aren’t you? Only you know exactly where it is. You’ll be the one in charge of this surgery—it’s the perfect match.”

Dr. Jia essentially drafted Zhou Can into service.

At his age and with Qiu Hong’s only average surgical skills, having Zhou Can take charge was the best option.

Letting Zhou Can handle this difficult procedure made the most sense.

“But this surgery might require opening the abdomen and cutting through the intestine! It feels too dangerous for a trainee to attempt such a high-risk, intricate procedure. Perhaps Dr. Zhou could help by stitching the skin or closing the cavity.”

Dr. Xia couldn’t imagine Zhou Can being capable of performing an open intestinal surgery!

He had already been quite tactful in his concerns.

“Right, right. Seeing is believing. Where’s the patient?”

Dr. Jia, too tired to elaborate further, had come solely to perform the surgery and save the patient’s life.

“Over there!”

Dr. Xia led them to the patient, who had numerous tubes attached after being rescued.

Dr. Jia inspected the patient’s condition, checking vital signs and the like.

“This is just an interventional operating room—not equipped for open surgery. We need to transfer him to a composite operating room with DSA capabilities. Contact them immediately and get him over here!”

While the Internal Medicine Department could handle interventional procedures and endoscopic surgeries in their intervention room,

true open abdominal surgery required the composite operating room of the Surgical Department.

Dr. Jia personally arranged for the operating room and, along with Zhou Can, escorted the patient over.

Dr. Xia, still a bit uneasy, abandoned his many tasks to accompany them into the operating room.

Zhou Can, on the other hand, was simply drafted into service by Dr. Jia.

“Dr. Zhou, as per usual, you lead the surgery. If you encounter difficulties, call me in.”

Dr. Jia had great faith in him.

His trust was exceptionally high.

Whenever a surgical opportunity arose, he made sure Zhou Can could take the lead to hone his skills.

At Tuyu Hospital, it wasn’t just Dr. Jia who treated Zhou Can with such favor. Many senior doctors were more than willing to pass on their skills and knowledge.

However, when cultivating the next generation, they tailored their teaching to the individual.

For a young doctor as insightful, talented, and virtuous as Zhou Can, the senior physicians held him in especially high regard.

“So you’re letting him take the lead?”

Dr. Xia asked hesitantly.

“Yes!”

Dr. Jia snorted in response.

After assisting the anesthesiologist in administering anesthesia, Zhou Can took the lead at the operating table.

Qiu Hong swiftly began disinfecting the patient’s abdominal skin.

Zhou Can himself marked the incision lines.

Dr. Jia closely supervised the process.

After donning sterile gloves and receiving a scalpel from the scrub nurse, Zhou Can methodically cut through the layers of the abdominal wall—skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, muscle, and peritoneum—finally opening up the cavity.

From the sidelines, Dr. Xia watched Zhou Can’s swift, tiger-like, wind-fast maneuvers, nearly getting a heart attack himself.

Good heavens, this was open-laparotomy!

In just a few swift strokes, an opening was created in the abdominal cavity, a sight that was genuinely alarming.

Not only would a young, inexperienced surgeon struggle with such a technique, even seasoned chief surgeons rarely operated like this.

Once the abdominal cavity was open, Qiu Hong and an intern helped with retractors.

Normally, hemostasis was managed by the first assistant.

When Zhou Can operated, unless he had no other choice, he handled intraoperative hemostasis himself.

Whether it was electrocoagulation, ligature, or clamping, he excelled at them all.

Even a first assistant at the attending level couldn’t match his proficiency.

He personally performed the interventional angiography, committing the bleeding site to memory.

To ensure the bleeding point wasn’t missed, they left an arterial catheter sheath in place after the intervention.

The search for the lesion during open exploration went relatively smoothly.

Before long, Zhou Can had pinpointed the source of the bleeding.

“So this bleeding point is within the small intestine wall. No wonder neither the gastroscopy nor colonoscopy caught it!” Zhou Can exclaimed in sudden clarity upon finding the lesion.

“Of course, it makes sense! I should have ordered a gastrointestinal angiography earlier—but I was too conservative and rigid,” Dr. Xia murmured in self-reproach, reflecting on his oversight during the case.

A doctor’s growth comes from learning through repeated mistakes and accumulated experience, gradually becoming stronger.

That’s why patients prefer to be seen by older doctors.

Their rich experience helps avoid pitfalls and surprises, sparing patients unnecessary suffering.

“The lesion, being in the small intestine, and this gastrointestinal stromal tumor growing beneath the mucosa, is beyond the reach of even capsule endoscopy. It’s no wonder the bleeding spot was elusive all along. With its abundant vasculature, angiography is indeed the best method. Though still a trainee, Dr. Zhou’s diagnostic approach far surpasses mine,”

Dr. Xia admitted, thoroughly convinced at last.

He no longer felt humiliated by Zhou Can’s brilliance—instead, he was filled with genuine remorse over his previous oversight.

Zhou Can had only briefly observed and assessed the patient before immediately recommending angiography.

Such pinpoint accuracy in diagnosis left Dr. Xia both in awe and envious.

After all, honing diagnostic skills is the toughest challenge for any doctor.

Many spend their entire careers refining their diagnostic acumen, aiming to minimize detours and patient suffering.

Had this patient been treated by Zhou Can from the start, shock and rescue might have been avoided altogether.

It was a fortunate blend of luck and advanced medical technology that ultimately saved the patient.

Otherwise, a life would have been lost.

“The patient’s condition appears stable, with no signs of metastasis. Once excised, it should be curative,”

Zhou Can, after re-examination and with Dr. Jia’s final approval, proceeded to perform a curative resection of the gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

“Send it off for pathological analysis!”

Dr. Jia commanded.

Given the high risk and malignancy of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, many patients are only suitable for palliative surgery, as metastases to the liver and beyond are often discovered by the time surgery is considered.

In such cases, surgery can’t be curative.

They resort to so-called palliative procedures combined with targeted medication, like imatinib, to control disease progression and extend patient survival.

This patient was, in a way, incredibly fortunate.

After the surgery concluded, Dr. Jia left with Qiu Hong and an intern.

Once the patient regained consciousness, Dr. Xia and Zhou Can carefully returned him to a private room in the Gastroenterology Department for monitoring.

“Dr. Zhou, with your uncanny diagnostic and surgical skills, it’s no wonder someone like Dr. Jia would be so keen to be your friend!”

Dr. Xia’s attitude toward Zhou Can had undergone a complete transformation—from haughty indifference to a bashful admission, and finally to wholehearted acceptance of Zhou Can’s extraordinary abilities.

It was a complex psychological shift, but in the end, true competence speaks for itself.

Whether in diagnosis or surgery, Zhou Can’s talent was utterly undeniable.

“You’re too kind!”

Zhou Can responded modestly.

“If you ever have a trainee under my wing in Gastroenterology, I’ll share everything I know and give you full authority,” Dr. Xia added, now truly endorsing Zhou Can’s status and already planning for the benefits his mentorship could bring.

Zhou Can’s prowess was such that even a brief training stint in Gastroenterology would be a tremendous asset.

Besides, having him on the team meant patients received far better care than from the clumsy interns and trainees.

Dr. Xia had spent years watching prodigies rise rapidly—attaining positions like deputy chief or chief physician while leaving others in the dust.

Though his current position was higher than Zhou Can’s, it was only a matter of time before Zhou Can would surpass him.

After returning the patient to the ward, the family clasped Zhou Can’s hand, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.

Not only had the patient been saved, but the surgery was also curative—a piece of overwhelmingly good news for the family.

Zhou Can had been tirelessly working to rescue the patient, and the family took note of every effort.

Furthermore, since Zhou Can was the first doctor to suggest angiography, the family’s trust in him was exceptionally high.

Dr. Zhang, who oversaw the ward, now tiptoed around like a mouse, fearing the family’s wrath.

Once his work was done, Zhou Can returned to the doctors’ office.

Dr. Chi was busy sorting through case files written by the team. Seeing Zhou Can back, he greeted him warmly, “Good to see you, Dr. Zhou. Fate really works in mysterious ways—who would have thought you’d be posted in Gastroenterology so soon?”

“Ha ha, as they say, fate brings people together. I’ll need to undergo two months of training in Gastroenterology, so I look forward to your guidance, Dr. Chi!”

Zhou Can smiled and walked over.

This wasn’t their first encounter—back in the Emergency Department, Dr. Chi had once arrogantly pointed out that even minor cases in Emergency required an Internal Medicine consult, only to end up embarrassed when the patient’s condition proved far more complicated.

That was their first real interaction.

“Alright, here’s the admission form. If you have any questions while filling it out, feel free to ask. Director Shang is supposed to personally mentor you—he just stepped out, so hurry up and complete the paperwork. Once your training enrollment is processed, Director Shang should be right back.”

Dr. Chi handed him a form.

Upon joining the department, only a few trainees, aside from Zhou Can, were fortunate enough to be directly mentored by the chief physician.

The hospital was more than willing to invest in exceptionally talented all-round trainees.

For instance, trainees Yang Chan, Gao Jian, and Du Leng, who joined at the same time as Zhou Can, were immediately placed under the direct tutelage of the department’s chief physician.

A year and a half later, Zhou Can was slightly aware of Du Leng’s progress, but knew very little about Yang Chan or Gao Jian.

He was simply too busy managing his own workload to involve himself in others’ affairs.