Chapter 66: A Fatal Misstep in the Operating Room

Dr. Lu, exuding the confidence of a seasoned master, swiftly grabbed the Scalpel and extended the wound.

“Hey, Zhou, hurry up and get the retractors!”

Dr. Lu bellowed.

Zhou Can had no choice but to set down the film, pick up a flat retractor, and spread open the incision.

It’s worth noting that different areas or tissues require different retractors. For example, breast surgeries typically use an L-shaped retractor, abdominal wall procedures call for a large abdominal retractor, and appendectomies need a double-ended retractor.

Back when he was an intern, Zhou Can often received scoldings from Director Liu and other doctors for his retraction techniques.

With increased experience, he learned exactly which retractor to use for each area and how to use it, and soon the reprimands became rare.

A great teacher makes outstanding disciples.

Under Director Liu’s expert guidance, Zhou Can’s retraction skills steadily improved.

At least, he reached the required standard.

After Dr. Lu enlarged the wound with the scalpel, blood began to gush even more fiercely.

But his vast surgical experience kept him calm.

Instead, he instructed Zhou Can to suction out the blood before calmly extending the incision further and cutting downward.

At this stage, they were mainly dealing with muscle and the dermis.

There were only two major blood vessels.

With careful maneuvers, they usually managed to avoid damaging them.

At that moment, fragments of a black grinding wheel started to appear.

Surprisingly, it turned out to be a metallic abrasive wheel.

The fragments had embedded deeply into both the dermis and muscle layers.

“Zhou, pay attention. Judging from the X-ray, this fragment is triangular. The larger part is exposed, leaving only a pointed tip beneath. Just clamp its tail and pull it out. Be swift and do it with style.”

Dr. Lu pinned Zhou Can down, and buoyed by the smooth progress of the surgery, he was practically floating.

With forceps, he clamped the fragment and yanked it out forcefully.

What a striking move.

“Ssshhh!”

A fine column of blood burst out.

This sudden turn of events left Dr. Lu utterly dumbfounded.

“Did you tear a blood vessel?”

Dr. Fu’s expression shifted as he hurried forward to inspect.

“It shouldn’t be too serious. Perhaps the fragment had already nicked a vessel, and pulling it out only created a small tear. A simple repair should suffice.”

Dr. Lu forced a calm demeanor.

At that point, he hadn’t yet grasped the gravity of the situation.

Zhou Can’s face had grown extremely grave.

He still hadn’t pinpointed what was abnormal with the patient.

While cleaning the wound, a promising lead was abruptly cut off by Dr. Lu’s rough handling.

It wasn’t until now that he realized the patient likely had a coagulation disorder.

No wonder the blood refused to clot, remaining bright red even after being exposed for a while.

【Pathology Diagnosis Experience +1.】

The experience points were credited—indeed, a coagulation disorder was at play.

Unfortunately, the diagnosis came just a bit too late. The tragedy had already unfolded.

Dr. Lu’s decision to enlarge the wound had only increased the bleeding.

Now, with the fragment removed, the injured vessel, no longer pressed, began to spurt blood freely.

This spelled major trouble.

Amusingly, Dr. Lu still believed it was only ordinary bleeding, nothing serious.

Soon, there wouldn’t be enough time for tears.

Of course, Dr. Fu would be the first to break down.

When something goes wrong, the highest-ranking doctor is always the one to be held responsible.

It’s like a defeated army where the general is blamed rather than the foot soldiers.

“Quick, stop the bleeding!”

Dr. Fu was riddled with regret.

Had he known Dr. Lu was such a loose cannon, he would never have let him lead the surgery.

“This bleeding might be nearly impossible to stop.”

Zhou Can moved over to the cabinet storing emergency supplies, searching for the hemostatic binding gauze.

Given the patient’s coagulation disorder, electrocautery was unlikely to be effective.

He first chose to clamp the proximal thigh—this was the only rapid method to control the bleeding.

Zhou Can’s strategy was simple: first, control the bleeding; then, find a way to permanently stop it.

Otherwise, at this rate, the patient would soon face life-threatening blood loss.

“Zhou, shut that backtalk of yours!”

Dr. Lu’s expression twisted into a grim, almost ferocious scowl.

When things go wrong, no one’s mood remains light.

He grabbed the Electrocautery Knife and applied it to the bleeding sites.

Sizzle!

Immediately, the bleeding was halted.

But it wasn’t long before blood began to stream out again.

Only then did Dr. Lu realize just how severe the situation really was.

Zhou Can chose not to quarrel with the fool and instead focused on doing his job.

He used the gauze to tie off the proximal thigh, effectively curbing the bleeding.

At last, the hemorrhage was temporarily under control.

“Dr. Lu, if you keep cauterizing like that, you’re going to scorch the tissue. That will make debridement a nightmare later on.”

Zhou Can couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

Dr. Lu’s hemostasis skills were already subpar, yet he plowed ahead with brute force.

This wasn’t controlling the bleeding—it was inflicting further injury.

Whoever has to fix this mess later is in for a damn headache.

“Shut up!”

Dr. Lu’s eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted in a terrifying grimace.

A palpable aura of malice emanated from him.

“Dr. Zhou is right! You step down from the table now.”

Dr. Fu, his expression as cold as stone, immediately ordered Dr. Lu off the operating table.

The patient was probably the most panicked of all.

“Doctor, is my leg alright? What on earth is happening?”

Though the patient was a young man in his early twenties with little experience, he could sense the impending danger from the doctors’ conversation.

Fear began to spread rapidly through his heart.

“Don’t worry—the fragment might have nicked your vessel just a bit. We’re working on it.”

After soothing the patient, Dr. Fu turned his gaze toward Zhou Can.

During the earlier crisis, Zhou Can had reacted swiftly and executed an excellent management plan.

His diagnosis was precise, and his hemostasis strategy was both scientific and effective.

It was clear he possessed real skill.

“Dr. Zhou, why did you think the patient’s bleeding would be so hard to control?” Dr. Fu recalled how, before surgery, Zhou had suggested postponing the procedure.

Instead, he had trusted Dr. Lu’s reckless advice and even ended up criticizing Zhou.

Now that disaster had struck, regret filled the air.

“The patient likely has a coagulation disorder. Ordinary methods of hemostasis are probably insufficient.”

Zhou Can reiterated his diagnostic reasoning.

If only Dr. Fu had listened to him earlier.

Now the catastrophe was unavoidable—too late to rectify.

“Explain the basis of your diagnosis!”

Dr. Fu’s face turned as pale as the patient’s as sweat beaded on his forehead.

He too felt that ominous premonition.

With Zhou Can suspecting a coagulation disorder, even his last bit of hope was gone.

“When the patient arrived, I noticed his complexion was paler than usual. Also, the blood around his wound looked unusually fresh. Normally, blood clots quickly and turns a dark red, almost black, but at that time, those were the only clues I had, so I wasn’t entirely sure.”

Zhou Can paused and glanced at the panic-stricken Dr. Lu.

“It wasn’t until Dr. Lu extended the incision further and his electrocautery barely made a dent that I realized the patient likely had a coagulation disorder.”

Every surgeon dreads facing a patient with a coagulation disorder during an operation.

This patient, rushed in for emergency surgery after trauma and a minor operation, likely hadn’t undergone a blood test.

After a brief inquiry and a CT scan, he was rushed into surgery.

The attending physician meant well, aiming to alleviate the patient’s pain as quickly as possible.

But disaster struck instead.