Chapter 485: A New Partnership in the Operating Room

“What do you mean?” Qiao Yu tilted her head, looking at Ma Xiaolan with curiosity.

“Better if you don’t ask. Just focus on the surgery!”

As chief surgeon, Zhou Can had to keep the atmosphere in the operating room professional. Some topics just weren’t meant for discussion here.

“You’re all acting weird, smirking like you know some secret. You totally know why the patient has rectal prolapse. Dr. Zhou, why don’t you tell me the answer?”

Qiao Yu was used to getting what she wanted from Zhou Can—he’d rarely ever turned down her requests.

So seeing Ma Xiaolan not spill the secret, she went straight to Zhou Can.

“Uh… let’s just not discuss anything too inappropriate now. We’re about to use a Teflon mesh suspension on the patient. Are you ready for that?”

Zhou Can switched the subject right away.

“Already got it prepped.”

Qiao Yu saw that everyone was being so secretive and wouldn’t reveal the true reason.

Unwilling to give up, she shot a hopeful look at Yang Zhi.

“Dr. Yang, I bet you know, don’t you?”

“Uh—I honestly don’t know. The patient’s already under anesthesia, so let’s get started.”

Yang Zhi was always honest—but definitely not dull.

There were things he’d never say, not even under pressure.

“Pass me the urinary catheter!”

Before this type of procedure, the patient had to be catheterized. This was Zhou Can’s favorite part, not for any other reason than to rack up more experience in device implantation.

Surgery began quickly.

Zhou Can made a left pararectal incision at the patient’s private area, about 20 cm long.

He carefully cut through the skin and underlying layers, working his way into the abdominal cavity.

“Soak the gauze in warm saline before you hand it to me,” Zhou Can reminded Qiao Yu—he’d already gone over the supplies they’d need beforehand.

“Here you go!”

Qiao Yu handed him the gauze.

Taking it, Zhou Can fashioned a pad with the warmed gauze and gently pushed the small intestine up toward the upper abdomen.

“Yang Zhi, there are dozens of surgical techniques for treating rectal prolapse. Right now, about eleven of them are still commonly used—like anal encirclement, mucosal resection, transvaginal rectosigmoidectomy, combined rectal fixation, and reinforcement of the presacral fascia with synthetic mesh. Any of these can treat rectal prolapse, but this method I’m using is the most standard, with excellent results and very few complications or recurrences afterwards.”

As he worked, Zhou Can gave Yang Zhi a running explanation.

A mentor can open the door, but you have to walk the path yourself.

Once you’ve learned the theory, mastering how to use it flexibly comes from studying and practicing on your own.

Surgical approach depends on the exact presentation of the prolapse—there’s no single solution.

“Watch closely, this next step is the most critical part of the procedure.”

With steady hands, Zhou Can carefully freed the posterior wall of the rectum, stopping only at the tip of the coccyx before lifting the rectum up.

Finishing the rectal wall dissection netted him 100 points of tissue separation experience—he could barely hide his delight.

One more step toward mastering level six tissue separation.

“Qiao Yu, get the Teflon mesh suspension ready.”

He gave her an early heads-up.

This would be his first time using this technique to repair a prolapsed rectum.

“Wrap the upper rectum with the wide Teflon mesh suspension—just like this.”

Zhou Can made sure to teach Yang Zhi by direct demonstration.

“Remember—a 5 cm-wide mesh is optimal. Then use fine non-absorbable thread to anchor it to the presacral fascia and periosteum, just below the sacral promontory. Then suture the mesh edges to the anterior and lateral walls of the rectum. That’s it.”

It wasn’t easy teaching while operating at the same time.

Dividing his focus wasn’t exactly safe; ideally, you’d want to give the procedure your full attention.

“Do we need to repair the pelvic floor, too?”

“No, that’s not necessary.”

Zhou Can replied calmly.

Yang Zhi had a knack for asking the right questions during surgery—a sign he was absorbing everything Zhou Can taught.

Once he got the hang of it, he’d immediately start thinking deeper and asking about what he still didn’t understand.

“You go ahead and finish up the suturing!”

Zhou Can handed Yang Zhi the opportunity to do the suturing himself.

Nothing grows a surgeon faster than actually participating in surgery.

Just watching, even for a lifetime, might leave you stuck as a beginner.

It’s an ancient truth—it’s easier to watch than to do.

For Zhou Can, suturing the peritoneal incision and abdominal wall on both sides of the rectum was child’s play. His suturing technique was already at level six, and his ligature technique was almost there, too.

Routine surgical stitching didn’t interest him anymore.

What really tempted him were advanced procedures that earned big experience points—a single tough operation could be worth dozens or even hundreds of minor ones.

Rectal repair was a level-three procedure, and opportunities like this were rare for Yang Zhi, since there was some inherent risk.

Yang Zhi was ecstatic, taking his time to stitch up the patient with extra care.

Meanwhile, Zhou Can stood by, coaching and checking the results.

“Director Qu, it’s well past noon now. How about the two of you grab a quick bite here in the OR?”

Zhou Can glanced at the clock on the wall—it was twenty after twelve.

Time sure flew by.

By the time Yang Zhi finished suturing, it would be close to twelve fifty. Not everyone could match Zhou Can’s surgical speed.

For ordinary surgeons, doing eleven or twelve simple level-one or two surgeries a day was already pushing the limit. As for big level-three operations, even seasoned associate chiefs could only manage two tops.

For level-three or four surgeries, as long as they weren’t too complicated, Zhou Can’s lean team could knock out five or six in a day—two to three times faster than others.

When it came to surgical speed, only Master Yi Yidao had ever outpaced him.

These days, Dr. Xu was more focused on safety and stability than going for speed records.

He was older now—there was just no way he could keep up with Zhou Can and his relentless output.

“No need, thanks!”

Qu Zi glanced at the anesthesia nurse, then answered Zhou Can.

Instrument nurses and circulating nurses backed up the chief surgeon, but anesthesia nurses worked side by side with the anesthesiologists.

Just like surgical nurses, anesthesia nurses had their own specialized role within nursing.

It required a high level of expertise.

They could be the perfect right hand for anesthesiologists, helping with all sorts of tasks.

“We’ve got another major surgery this afternoon. You might as well eat here. While you eat, we can discuss the surgery plan.”

Honestly, the plan had already been settled long ago.

Zhou Can was just giving her and the anesthesia nurse a convenient reason to stay for lunch.

“Alright then! Qin Yue can’t do spicy food though.”

Qu Zi agreed with a nod.

Zhou Can signaled Ma Xiaolan to order takeout.

It’s worth noting that back when operating room management was stricter, doctors weren’t allowed to bring their phones into surgery.

Watches, rings, earrings—none of those were allowed inside either.

You could leave those in the changing room.

Tuyu Hospital’s management was a bit more relaxed nowadays—even interns could bring their phones if they switched them to silent mode.

If your phone rang while your supervisor was operating, expect to get chewed out almost every time.

Patients might complain to reporters about doctors playing with phones in the operating room—but that was nearly impossible. The space above the waist was a semi-sterile zone, and your hands had to be scrubbed clean and gloved during surgery.

Sometimes, you’d even double-glove.

For example, when examining pregnant women, experienced midwives always doubled up on gloves for their right hand.

Throwing away the outer glove afterward helped reduce infection risk for the mom during procedures.

More than half an hour later, the surgery was done.

To be honest, once Zhou Can handed over the closing steps to Yang Zhi, the operation was already a safe success.

“Once the patient’s in the recovery room, let’s all eat and rest up in the lounge. We’ll need our strength for the next major surgery.”

At this point, for standard level-three surgeries, Dr. Xu only dropped by now and then to check in on Zhou Can before heading out again.

He trusted Zhou Can that much.

Unless it was a particularly risky or difficult case, Zhou Can never needed to call him in for help.

Now with Yang Zhi joining them, plus Ma Xiaolan’s rapid development, the team could handle normal level-three surgeries without outside help.

If Dr. Pu from Cardiothoracic Surgery could join in soon, the team would be even stronger and more rounded out.

……

By the time they hit the lounge, everyone was starving. Each person got a boxed lunch.

Even Qiao Yu, known for being a lady, was wolfing down her food.

“Dr. Zhou, have you heard about the plans to reform the Anesthesiology Department?”

Qu Zi brought up the topic herself.

She looked close to forty, holding an associate chief physician post—her skills were top-notch.

In Zhou Can’s eyes, her potential outshone even Chief Physician Dongfang Xueluo.

“I’ve been so busy lately, I actually haven’t kept up with that. What’s the plan for the anesthesiology reform?”

Zhou Can asked, genuinely interested.

“General Surgery’s reorganization has paid off. Now, the hospital higher-ups plan to roll it out in other departments too.” Qu Zi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Splitting up General Surgery into subspecialties had led to clear-cut divisions within medicine, which was a definite win.

According to Director Liu, General Surgery had seen growth across the board—in outpatient numbers, operations, admissions, complex case resolutions, and even publications.

All of this meant General Surgery was stronger than ever.

So, reform had worked.

It helped that they’d drawn on lessons from top hospitals in the Imperial and Magic capitals, so success wasn’t really surprising.

Borrowing from the best always paid off.

“Doctors and nurses in anesthesia could end up permanently assigned to specific surgical departments.”

She shared the proposed reforms.

Currently, anesthesia doctors worked all over the hospital. Someone like Qu Zi might cover the Emergency Department today, Colorectal Surgery tomorrow, and Thoracic Surgery the next—wherever they were needed.

But this generalist approach wasn’t really helping anesthesiologists grow.

Diseases differed across specialties—deeper understanding came from focused practice.

Rotating everywhere just watered down their professionalism.

“I think the reform’s great. When I visited a friend at the Provincial People’s Hospital, I saw firsthand how specialized their anesthesia department is. Cardiovascular anesthesiologists only handle anesthesia for heart cases. Some of those anesthesiologists were actually more expert than the surgeons. I was floored.”

Ma Xiaolan chimed in from the side.

“Exactly—some of the top hospitals in the country already specialize anesthesia, especially in places like the Imperial and Magic capitals, and certain hospitals in Zhengzhou. Their anesthesiologists are catching up to international standards. Tuyu Hospital is falling way behind.”

Qu Zi was always up to speed with industry trends.

She wasn’t out of touch with reality.

Nor was she shut off from outside ideas.

“Dr. Zhou, the reason I brought this up is—I wanted to see if we might have a shot at working together, if anesthesiologists start forming permanent partnerships with certain surgical teams.”

Despite her seniority, asking Zhou Can about a team-up, she couldn’t help feeling a bit shy.

“The thing is, I only do two or three major surgeries a day. If you join up with my team, I worry it could cut into your income.”

Zhou Can was always practical.

Emergency Department boasted impressive surgical volume on paper, but most were minor operations—never more than a couple major ones a day.

For routine level-one or two surgeries, the chief or even the Attending Nurse could toss in some local anesthesia—no need to call in an anesthesiologist.

“Even if the income drops at first, that’s fine. I can see how fast you’re growing and how much you’re capable of. Besides, lately I’ve needed more time to study for senior titles so a lighter workload would be a blessing.”

It was obvious Qu Zi had thought it through before bringing it up.

“It’s an honor to have you and Dr. Qin supporting me. Of course I’d love to work with such skilled anesthetists. But I should warn you—the Emergency Department’s future is still uncertain. There’s no guarantee the number of big surgeries will rise, so you’ll want to think that over.”

Still, Zhou Can really liked the idea of teaming up with Qu Zi.

Director Feng was just too senior—there was no way she could be permanently attached to his surgical team.

Even if Director Feng wanted to help him out given their close relationship, the hospital wouldn’t allow it.

Fact is, Zhou Can’s surgical team probably didn’t even crack the top twenty in Tuyu Hospital’s rankings.

The best anesthesiologists were never going to be assigned to him.

Besides, Director Feng was getting on in years, nearing retirement. By the time Zhou Can’s team was performing more big procedures, she’d be gone. The advantage of forming a team with the younger Qu Zi was obvious.

It would benefit both sides by working together.

“Then that’s settled. When it’s time to fill out preference forms, I’ll put your Emergency Department down as my first choice.”

Hearing Zhou Can’s agreement, Qu Zi couldn’t help but break into a rare smile.

She must have been nervous about being turned down.

Understandable—it would have been awkward!

“Great! Thank you both for trusting me. Looking forward to working together as a team.”

Zhou Can grinned, stood up, and walked over to shake hands with both of them, sincere as could be.

Both women laughed with him.

After lunch, everyone hit the restroom, grabbed a drink, took a quick breather, and got ready for surgery again.

During the second operation, you could feel the group’s spirits were even stronger.

That was thanks to Zhou Can and Qu Zi agreeing to partner up over lunch.

From now on, they’d truly be a team.

After work, Zhou Can swiped open his phone to find a notification from the local police station. The case about the flowerpot that nearly hit him had officially been filed—it was now in the hands of the criminal investigation team.

Seeing the message, Zhou Can felt a wave of relief.

With the case open, it meant the police would get professionals investigating.

He decided to call the station to check on any new updates.

“Hello, Officer Hu? This is Zhou Can—I’m the doctor who was attacked by the flowerpot last night.”

“Yes, Dr. Zhou, hi! The case has been officially filed.”

“Were you able to get any fingerprints off those flowerpots?”

“Well… the suspect was pretty careful—no usable prints, unfortunately. But we did find a cigarette butt on the rooftop, it’s now in for analysis—it could belong to the perpetrator. We also recovered a footprint at the scene, which looks to be from a man in his thirties…”