Chapter 578: Better Safe Than Sorry, Digging Deeper into the Cause

Ever since Zhou Can and Dr. Fu Chachun had their falling out, their interactions had been reduced to mere surface-level politeness.

There’s a saying that reconciliation is easy, but returning to how things once were is nearly impossible.

The two never had a deep bond to begin with. At a critical moment when Zhou Can was vying for the deputy team leader position, Dr. Fu stabbed him in the back. Since Fu clearly didn’t value their relationship, Zhou Can wasn’t about to play the saint and forgive easily.

Openly using his authority as deputy team leader to retaliate against Dr. Fu? That was beneath him.

He had at least that much grace and composure.

But helping Dr. Fu clean up his messes or going out of his way to look after him—returning kindness for cruelty—was equally out of the question.

In short, it was strictly business between them.

Zhou Can remembered that Dr. Fu was on the day shift today and should’ve already gone home by now.

He decided to call him directly.

The call connected almost immediately.

“Hey, Team Leader Zhou! What’s up?” Dr. Fu asked politely.

Of course, that politeness was just for show.

He greeted him as ‘Team Leader Zhou, hey’ rather than the more respectful ‘Team Leader Zhou, hello.’ That subtle difference hinted at the lack of genuine respect he held for Zhou Can in his role as deputy team leader.

Many veteran colleagues were like this—clinging to their pride and refusing to lower themselves.

“There’s a patient who underwent a toe separation surgery by you two days ago. There’s an issue now, and I’d like you to come take a look.”

“What’s wrong with the patient?”

“Her left third toe is numb, with almost no sensation.”

“That’s hardly a big deal. Toe separation surgery inherently carries significant risks. Damaging nerves during the procedure is pretty common. As long as the blood flow to the toe is fine and the wound is healing well, that’s already considered a successful surgery.”

Dr. Fu spoke casually, downplaying the issue.

He didn’t seem to care much about the numbness in one of the patient’s toes.

In clinical surgeries, when a patient experiences numbness in a finger or toe due to nerve issues, few doctors are willing to get involved.

Most patients can live with such ‘minor issues,’ after all.

No one wants to stir up unnecessary complications.

Everyone dreads trouble and prefers to avoid extra hassle.

If you tell a patient that a nerve might have been damaged during surgery, whose fault is that supposed to be?

“The patient told me she had the surgery to improve her ballet dancing. Now, with the issue in her third toe, it’s bound to affect the movement of her left foot. Dr. Fu, how about this? Could you come over so we can figure out the cause of the numbness in her left third toe together? If there’s a way to fix it, let’s do our best to help her.”

A doctor’s heart should be like that of a parent—caring and responsible.

Zhou Can refused to handle the patient’s issue with such an irresponsible attitude.

“No need! Surgery always comes with risks. The family signed the consent forms. Just tell the patient to try exercising the left third toe more often and see if it gradually improves. If it doesn’t, there’s nothing a doctor can do.”

Dr. Fu’s solution aligned perfectly with the hospital’s interests and his own as the lead surgeon.

In similar situations, this was usually how things were handled.

“Fair enough. The family did sign the forms before the surgery, and the potential risks were explained to both them and the patient, with their consent obtained. If we don’t address it, they’ll just have to accept it. But I believe there’s a better way to handle this. At the very least, it’s worth a try.”

Zhou Can could only patiently try to reason with Dr. Fu, hoping to change his mind.

“Hmph! If Team Leader Zhou wants to play the good guy, go ahead. I’m not joining in. If this is just some petty attempt to get back at me, do whatever you want. My stance is clear—there’s no need for extra measures. If you’ve got a problem with that, take it up with the department leaders or the Medical Department heads. See what they have to say.”

Beep beep…

The busy tone echoed through the phone. Dr. Fu had hung up.

Unbelievable.

Dr. Fu actually thought Zhou Can was using this as a chance for personal revenge. Heaven and earth could bear witness—Zhou Can had never even entertained such a thought.

“Dr. Zhou, I’ve retrieved the patient’s surgical records from the Operating Room. Here you go!”

Jiang Shuangshuang’s assistance was truly thoughtful.

Not only did she fetch the surgical records from the Operating Room, but she also had them printed out.

Surgical records are typically managed by both the Operating Room and the Medical Department. Getting access to a patient’s records isn’t as easy as one might think, and not just anyone can request them.

As the deputy team leader of the Operating Room, Zhou Can held a unique position in the Emergency Department. When Jiang Shuangshuang informed the Operating Room staff that Zhou Can needed a patient’s surgical records, it was essentially a done deal with just a word from her.

“Thanks! Go ahead with your work.”

Taking the freshly printed surgical records, Zhou Can carefully reviewed each detail.

Surgical records are usually written by the surgeon themselves and signed at the end, carrying legal weight. They’re generally quite meticulous.

Sometimes, if the lead surgeon is too busy, the first assistant might write them instead.

Medical histories and progress notes are often drafted by interns or trainees, but surgical records are rarely entrusted to them.

If the surgical record is detailed and accurate without omissions, a professional can reconstruct the entire surgical process just by reading it.

Zhou Can didn’t rush off to the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department right away.

Instead, he took the surgical records and logged into his personal Emergency Department account to access the patient’s preoperative examination data, including photos of the patient’s conjoined toes before surgery.

After thorough analysis, he didn’t find much of value.

From both the surgical records and preoperative checks, this seemed like a straightforward procedure. There were no complex operations like reconstructing toe bones or blood vessels.

It was just a standard separation of two toes. How could a nerve have been damaged?

Zhou Can couldn’t help but recall the condition of the patient’s postoperative wound in his mind.

Could it be that the nerve distribution of the left third toe was on the side where it was conjoined with the fourth toe? And during the separation, the nerve got severed?

That seemed like a strong possibility.

Of course, it could also be that the skin was pulled too tight during suturing, compressing the nerve. Or there might be postoperative localized hematoma pressing on the nerve—another plausible scenario.

Before the surgery, the patient had clearly reported normal sensation in her left third toe. Now, with the numbness, it had to be a result of the procedure.

After studying the records for a while without significant progress, Zhou Can decided to check on the situation again during morning rounds tomorrow.

He hurried to the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department to assist with two major level-four surgeries, but that’s another story.

By the time he got home, it was past 11:40 PM. After a quick shower, Su Qianqian, dressed in a beautiful lace-trimmed nightgown, urged him to get to bed soon.

“I’ve noticed some issues with the quality of surgeries in the Emergency Department lately. I specifically asked a nurse to send me the surgical statistics report for the past three months to my email. You go to sleep first—I need to go through it carefully.”

Zhou Can apologized with a hint of guilt.

His girlfriend had gone to the trouble of showering and wearing such a lovely nightgown. If he couldn’t pick up on her intentions, he’d be a complete idiot.

But there was no helping it. Work pressure was crushing, and tonight, he was simply too exhausted to act on it.

Sitting on the living room sofa, he opened his laptop, logged into his email, and pulled up the message Ye Tingting had sent.

“Patient Wang Jian, 17 years old, male, underwent ureteral stent replacement surgery last Thursday. On the third day post-surgery, the patient called to report blood in his urine. Surgeon: Tang Wangnian.”

“Patient Zhou Yongbo, 54 years old, male, underwent facial bone necrosis removal surgery on September 8. One month post-surgery during a follow-up visit, the patient reported facial paralysis. Surgeon: Dr. Fu Chachun.”

…

He hadn’t realized the extent of it until he saw this follow-up survey table from Ye Tingting. It was downright shocking.

Patient dissatisfaction with surgical outcomes and various minor issues were rampant.

It seemed to involve nearly every doctor in the department.

Even surgeries performed by Zhou Can himself and Dr. Xu didn’t achieve a hundred percent satisfaction rate in follow-ups.

Though, comparatively, their results were much better than those of other doctors.

Zhou Can ranked first in follow-up satisfaction rates, while Dr. Xu was surprisingly pushed to second place—and the gap between them was quite significant. Dr. Cui came in third.

Surgical satisfaction rates often reflect a doctor’s skill level.

Only with high expertise, meticulous care, and rich experience can a surgeon minimize harm to the patient during surgery and reduce the likelihood of postoperative complications.

It was clear that the Emergency Department’s Operating Room had a long way to go if it wanted to grow and excel.

The task was daunting, and the road ahead was long.

Surgery, whether now or in the future, would remain the core competitive strength of the Emergency Department.

To improve surgical quality, relying on Zhou Can’s efforts alone was far too insufficient.

Because taking strict control and management would inevitably offend nearly every doctor in the Operating Room.

Even those doctors who were close to Zhou Can might not hold a grudge, but others would certainly be displeased.

So, this matter needed to be discussed with the department leaders collectively.

…

The next morning, just past 7 AM, Zhou Can arrived at the Emergency Ward for rounds.

The female patient in Bed 1 of the Emergency Surgical Department was recovering well in most aspects. The only issue was the numbness and extremely weak sensation in her left third toe.

“How is it today? Feeling any better?”

Zhou Can asked with concern.

“It’s about the same. Still numb, no real sensation.”

She looked quite worried.

“Has the nurse come by to change the dressing yet this morning?”

“No, they usually come around 8:30 AM for that.”

“Let me check it again for you.”

Zhou Can slipped on a pair of thin disposable sterile gloves and gently separated her left third and fourth toes.

“Ah… it hurts, it hurts!”

She immediately cried out in pain.

“Honghong, bear with it a little. Dr. Zhou is checking to help find the problem and treat it,” the patient’s mother comforted her daughter from the side.

Though she spoke words of reassurance, her eyes were glued to Zhou Can’s movements, looking even more anxious than the patient herself.

A parent’s love knows no bounds.

A mother’s love for her child surpasses the heavens and is deeper than the earth.

“Try bending your toes now.”

During yesterday’s check, Zhou Can had only used a cotton swab for some basic sensation tests.

Since reviewing the surgical records and preoperative data hadn’t yielded answers, he needed to intensify the examination today.

Every check a doctor performs on a patient is done with a clear purpose.

It’s not child’s play by any means.

Following Zhou Can’s instructions, she bent her left toes, but all five moved downward together.

Toes, unlike fingers, often lack specific training. Most of the time, they’re like pampered princesses—wrapped in socks and shoes, heavily protected.

This makes them far less dexterous than fingers.

If you study ancient apes, you’ll notice their toes are nearly as long as their fingers. After humans learned to use tools and progressed to the Stone Age, their feet adapted for walking.

Toes gradually became shorter through evolution.

So, toes are much shorter than fingers. But with training, they can become just as nimble—capable of gripping and performing complex movements. Some individuals who’ve tragically lost both arms have proven this through dedication, showing it’s possible.

They can use their feet to dress themselves, eat, and even write.

In such cases, their toes become as agile as fingers.

Zhou Can held down her other four toes with both hands, leaving only the left third toe free.

“Try bending it again. Don’t be afraid of the pain.”

She attempted to bend her left third toe, and Zhou Can could clearly feel the other four trying to move along with it. But he held them in place.

He noticed that the left third toe struggled to bend properly.

“Good! Now try the left fourth toe!”

Next, Zhou Can tested the bending of each of her other left toes one by one.

His mood grew heavy. The flexion ability of the third toe was clearly abnormal. If it were just a lack of sensation but could still bend and straighten, that would be a more optimistic scenario.

Now, with even the ability to flex impaired, the damaged nerve likely included motor nerves.

“Next, I’ll press on different parts of your foot. Close your eyes. If you can feel it normally, don’t say anything. If the sensation feels weaker or disappears, let me know right away.”

Zhou Can began pressing on the top of her foot, moving closer to the third toe.

“Stop, stop! The sensation is weaker, much weaker!”

She urgently called out to stop.

At that moment, Zhou Can was pressing about a third of the way from the base of her third toe.

After conducting a few more tests, he had a clearer picture in his mind.

“Thanks for cooperating. I’ll keep following up and arrange for further examinations if needed.”

After finishing the detailed check, Zhou Can moved on to inspect the other beds.

Whenever he encountered an issue, he diligently noted it down in his notebook—bed number, type of surgery, and the specific problem.

As he finished rounds and stepped out, he happened to see Dr. Fu Chachun arriving for work.

Their paths crossed briefly.

Dr. Fu greeted everyone else with a smile, but when he saw Zhou Can, he gave a cold glance, pretended not to notice him, and headed straight into the office.

He was probably going to change clothes.

It seemed that Zhou Can’s call yesterday about the numbness in Bed 1’s patient’s toe had rubbed him the wrong way.

He likely thought Zhou Can was deliberately targeting him.

Zhou Can didn’t bother to explain. There was no need to.

As a leader, achieving something worthwhile always comes with resistance. As long as his actions were genuinely for the betterment of the Emergency Department, he believed everyone would come to understand his intentions eventually.

Checking the time, it was almost 8 AM.

He needed to hurry to the Operating Room for work, but before that, he planned to touch base with Director Lou and Dr. Xu to report the situation.

Just then, his phone rang.

Pulling it out, he saw it was a call from Deputy Director Bai.

Usually, Zhou Can only sent greeting messages to him during holidays. Deputy Director Bai had almost never called him directly before.

There had to be something important.