Chapter 89: Surgical Challenges and Hidden Lessons

Dr. Xu shot him a sidelong glance.

“Don’t you think simple Level One surgeries are beneath you?”

“Not at all! I just want to gradually take on tougher cases to really sharpen my skills!”

Zhou Can really wasn’t one to aim too high.

For him, even basic procedures like suturing and debridement were valuable for gaining experience.

Still, surgical abilities must develop evenly.

The more challenging the operation, the better it is for training.

Facing a tough case naturally brings on nerves—it forces him to figure out ways to overcome challenges and prepares him for unforeseen complications, testing his adaptability and judgment.

This approach boosts his psychological resilience, technical proficiency, and application of medical knowledge.

“I’ll keep an eye out and assign you tougher surgeries when they suit you,” Dr. Xu agreed.

He had noticed every bit of Zhou Can’s rapid improvement.

At his current level, Zhou Can was indeed capable of handling more challenging procedures.

But Level One surgeries still have their limitations.

If he really wanted to push himself, Level Two operations offered a broader spectrum of challenges.

Before long, the three of them reached the grand conference room in the Surgical Building.

Inside, doctors filled every seat.

It was Zhou Can’s first time attending such a formal meeting of doctors.

All the chairs were top-of-the-line.

Two female staff members were busy handing water to each doctor.

The perks far surpassed those given to interns.

Many interns complained that the hospital hardly treated them as human beings.

“Dr. Xu, this way!”

Someone called out to Dr. Xu.

Following the sound, Zhou Can noticed Director Lou seated at the back with Emergency Department and operating room doctors.

Dr. Fu was the one waving at them.

In the front row sat Director Xie from Surgery, Peak Scalpel Wu Baihe from Neurosurgery, Du Leng, and several other unfamiliar surgeons.

Each one exuded a striking presence, their faces brimming with pride and unwavering confidence.

These were all neurosurgeons.

At present, within Tuyu Hospital, the strength of the Surgical Department—especially its neurosurgeons—was unparalleled.

Zhou Can noticed that Dr. Xu’s gaze was fixed on a middle-aged doctor seated in the far left of the second row.

That man, appearing to be in his fifties and as ordinary as a neighbor, nevertheless had an aura that set him apart—a demeanor as immobile as a stone statue.

Upon a closer look, Zhou Can was stunned to see the man’s index fingers and thumbs from both hands pressed together, his hands slightly raised and suspended in the air.

Was he imitating a meditative lotus hand?

“That’s Director Hu Kan of Thoracic Surgery! Did you notice his raised hands?”

Dr. Xu seemed to pick up on Zhou Can’s scrutiny.

So, the man who looked as lifeless as carved wood was none other than Director Hu—renowned for his record of zero surgical failures.

As the ancient sage Ghost Valley once said, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Indeed, appearances can be deceiving.

Who else but him could be regarded as the most steadfast surgeon in the department?

“I see him. But why does he keep his hands raised like that?”

Zhou Can asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

Raising both arms briefly poses no harm, but sustaining that half-raised posture for too long is exhausting—muscles ache and bones strain.

Is he perhaps engaging in self-torture?

“Let me tell you, Director Hu grips a single hair between his thumb and index finger on each hand. He’s been practicing this suspended posture for over twenty years. Put a glass of water on his hand, and not a single ripple will disturb it. That was his prowess six years ago, and now he’s even more formidable,” Dr. Xu explained with mixed emotions about his former rival.

Once, Dr. Xu himself was a top surgeon and could have enjoyed front-row honors just like Director Hu.

Alas, a medical accident ended his promising career.

Meanwhile, Director Hu remained evergreen.

Practicing the suspended arm posture for over two decades—his perseverance and determination were truly awe-inspiring.

Few could commit to the same exacting routine day in and day out for twenty years.

No wonder he’s known as a rock-solid surgeon.

Unlike machines, human hands tend to shake during surgery.

In routine procedures, a slight tremor might not matter much.

But in high-precision, difficult operations, even the smallest wobble could be catastrophic.

Thus, the standards for a surgeon are incredibly high.

Director Hu’s habit of practicing his technique even during meetings was truly admirable.

He never let go of his training, even in a conference setting.

“Director Hu holds his arms steady to build hand stability. But what’s the purpose of holding a hair between his fingers?”

Zhou Can asked, puzzled.

At that moment, Jin Mingxi was equally astonished.

Clearly, the hospital’s renowned doctors were no ordinary individuals.

They integrated their craft into their lives with a dedication akin to a parent’s care for a child—a lesson every doctor should heed.

“You want to know why he grips a hair? It’s simple. Don’t move.” Dr. Xu reached up and plucked a hair from Zhou Can’s head. “Hold onto it, and after the morning meeting, I’ll explain.”

Jin Mingxi, observing from nearby, playfully tugged a hair from his own head and pinched it.

He wanted to experience that sensation himself.

The trio then moved toward the back row, and Dr. Xu pointed to an empty seat on the right.

“You’ll sit next to Dr. Lin!”

He himself took a seat next to Director Lou.

There was a certain protocol to seating at meetings.

The head of the department always sat in the most prominent seat.

In a departmental meeting, Director Lou would occupy the central chairman’s position.

At joint meetings with multiple departments, seating was arranged from left to right and front to back according to rank.

Ancient belief held that the left side signified luck and prosperity, while the right was less fortunate—left was superior, right inferior.

The surgical team from the Emergency Department, however, was relatively modest.

Director Lou rarely performed surgeries; essentially, only Dr. Xu and Dr. Fu handled operations, supported by Resident Doctors Dr. Cui, Dr. Lu, and Dr. Lin, along with training doctors Zhou Can and Jin Mingxi.

Just look at the robust surgical teams from other departments—packed with residents, attendings, and several vice directors and chief physicians.

Their interns hadn’t even arrived yet; otherwise, the room would have been overcrowded.

No wonder the Emergency Department was assigned the very back row.

Zhou Can spotted Zhang Huabi from Obstetrics arriving as well.

She, along with the Obstetrics surgeons, occupied the fifth row.

The first four rows were practically monopolized by the Surgical Department.

The third row was filled with Orthopedics doctors, while the fourth was taken by General Surgery.

Meanwhile, the Gastroenterological Surgery team was squeezed into the sixth row.

They ranked even below the Obstetrics team.

Tuyu Hospital’s Surgical Department was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Zhou Can noticed that Yang Chan was present too, though like him, he sat in a rear corner on the right.

Additionally, surgeons from Pediatrics, Oncology, and several other departments had attended.

This morning meeting seemed to require the presence of all the hospital’s surgical doctors.

Of course, interns were not allowed to attend.

In the second-to-last row, Director Tan from Internal Medicine and others were seated.

After a while, Gao Jian—whom he hadn’t seen for some time—also appeared.

Gao Jian looked in great shape. It was clear he was thriving in Internal Medicine and had learned a lot over the past few weeks.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a meeting for surgeons? Why are there people from Internal Medicine here?”

Zhou Can whispered to Jin Mingxi.

“Internal Medicine does perform interventional surgeries too!”

Jin Mingxi’s remark suddenly made everything clear to Zhou Can.

Interventional surgery is still surgery.

It just happens to be minimally invasive.

Before long, the room fell into an expectant silence.

A tall man in his fifties strode into the conference room.

“Deputy Director Ye is here. Let’s keep quiet!”

Someone near the front whispered this to Zhou Can.

A meeting hosted by a deputy director was not to be taken lightly.

Normally, these high-level hospital leaders were as elusive as deep-sea dragons—you rarely got to see them.

Some interns, even after a year at Tuyu, had never seen an executive.

“Good morning, everyone!”

Deputy Director Ye’s presence was commanding, his gaze fierce like that of a predator.

His look exuded raw intensity and overwhelming authority.

“Longtime Tuyu employees surely know me. For any newcomers, I’m Deputy Ye, the Medical Vice President of Tuyu Main Hospital, in charge of all medical affairs. If you have any valuable ideas or suggestions, feel free to bring them to me,” he declared.

It was clear why Directors Xie, Tan, Zhang, and others held him in such high regard.

“Today we’re holding a surgical safety meeting! Recently, safety incidents in surgeries have spiked. Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital—a nearly seventy-year-old top-tier facility in obstetrics—is ranked among the top five in the province. A mother who had a cesarean there experienced persistent discomfort, abdominal cramps, continuous lochia, weakness, and loss of appetite after delivery.”

“The attending doctor didn’t take her symptoms seriously. After a brief examination, she was given anti-inflammatory and curettage medications to take home. When her condition didn’t improve, she was finally admitted due to unbearable pain.”

“After further examinations, the doctor couldn’t determine the cause—suspecting intestinal obstruction or peritonitis. As her condition deteriorated and she became extremely emaciated, doctors advised transferring her to the Provincial People’s Hospital, which specialized in such cases. Yet on the very night she was set for transfer, her condition worsened dramatically and she went into shock, ultimately passing away.”

Deputy Director Ye recounted the case with deep sorrow.

“Her grief-stricken husband requested a forensic autopsy. The examination revealed three pieces of long-forgotten, discolored gauze that had adhered to her intestines, triggering widespread infections in her digestive tract. That was the true cause of death. An investigation later found that the gauze, originally used to control bleeding during delivery, had been left behind.”

It was a tragic and infuriating medical error.

A preventable tragedy.

Due to negligence and arrogance from Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital’s staff and management, a three-month-old infant was deprived of a mother—lost to maternal love forever. The grieving husband and his departed wife were left forever separated, engulfed in sorrow.

“This incident occurred on the 5th of this month. Xinxiang Hospital’s reputation has suffered tremendously; the implicated doctor was suspended, yet a lost life can never be restored. Colleagues, let this be a constant wake-up call—safety is paramount, and we must all learn from this.”

After Deputy Director Ye finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the room.

Many doctors wore expressions of profound sorrow.

Zhou Can noticed Dr. Fu discreetly wiping sweat from his forehead.

He must have recalled that patient with uncontrollable bleeding; if not for Zhou Can’s timely help with hemostasis, Dr. Fu might not even be here today.

“While our surgical departments haven’t experienced major mishaps, numerous minor errors and safety oversights have occurred. I won’t single anyone out today, but I expect you all to learn from the tragic example of Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital. In every step—from pre-op checks to post-op care—you must be extra cautious.”

Speaking of safety, Zhou Can thought Dr. Xu was doing an excellent job.

Learning from a mentor who had once experienced a mishap was indeed beneficial.

Zhou Can had absorbed countless lessons on surgical safety and attention to detail from Dr. Xu.

These lessons would prove invaluable in his future medical career.

It was like adding an extra layer of insurance.

“Of course, being cautious doesn’t mean living in constant fear. If you’re too scared to act, you won’t be able to treat patients, and our hospital’s medical operations would grind to a halt. This kind of over-caution is unacceptable. To ensure both safety and effective treatment, you must adhere strictly to protocols while also possessing advanced medical knowledge, exceptional surgical skills, and a parental sense of responsibility.”

A doctor’s heart should be as caring as that of a parent—responsibility is key.

Every action should be in the best interests of the patient.

Deputy Director Ye delivered a lengthy monologue, all centered around safety.

Every word he spoke circled back to that theme.

“Now, let’s commend the department that’s excelled in safety. Thoracic Surgery has consistently maintained top performance in safety; last month, their error rate and post-op risk management were the best among all departments. As per tradition, the hospital awards them a bonus of 10,000 yuan as a reward.”

With that, Deputy Director Ye led the applause.

Soon, the room resounded with clapping.

Besides the cash reward, there was also a rolling red flag designating the safest department.

That flag had almost always been claimed by Thoracic Surgery.

It was a rare sight in any other department.

Doctors from other departments looked on with envy at their colleagues.

The surgeons of Thoracic Surgery held their heads high, basking in their well-earned honor.

Their unbroken safety record was largely thanks to their leader, Director Hu Kan.

Deputy Director Ye raised his hand to quiet the applause.

“In contrast, the Neurosurgery Mini-Intervention Department of Internal Medicine ranked last in safety last month. They recorded two incidents during intracranial vascular angiography, three during intracranial stent implantations, and three during intracranial stent shaping procedures. Accordingly, penalties were imposed: Director Tan had 6000 yuan deducted from his salary that month, Director Yin lost 5000 yuan, and the head of the internal intervention team lost 4000 yuan. The implicated doctors have already been punished according to hospital regulations, so no further action will be taken.”

Internal Medicine’s surgical capabilities had always been weak.

Although recent years saw efforts to develop interventional surgery and build a capable team, producing high-quality minimally invasive surgeons wasn’t an overnight process.

Tuyu Internal Medicine’s progress was noticeably hampered by a lack of elite interventional talent.

This posed a significant challenge for Director Tan.

The fines were trivial, but the public reprimand deeply dented their reputations and filled them with shame.

“Do any of the department heads have any further comments?”

Deputy Director Ye scanned the senior department heads.

He was exceptionally courteous to them—his stature in the hospital depended on these departments.

Generally, such a question hinted that the meeting was drawing to a close.

“I have one suggestion,” Director Xie announced loudly as he stood up.

“Please go ahead, Director Xie!”

Deputy Director Ye smiled and gestured for him to continue.

“Recently, several surgical suites in our department have reported a significant drop in Level One cases, which has sharply reduced opportunities to train new talent. Upon investigation, we found that the Emergency Department has been holding back many Level One cases that should have gone to specialized outpatient clinics. This directly impacts the training of young surgeons in our department and must be corrected immediately.”

Director Xie’s words hit Zhou Can like a bolt out of the blue.

This was exactly what he had pleaded with Dr. Xu to address, and yet Director Xie chose to bring it up at the monthly meeting.

It wasn’t something to be discussed quietly with Director Lou—it was now a matter of public record.

Moreover, Director Xie’s tone was uncharacteristically forceful.

Zhou Can couldn’t help but worry that Dr. Xu might be penalized because of this.