Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1306 - 991: Li Yidao of Nanqiao_2

Chapter 1306: Chapter 991: Li Yidao of Nanqiao_2

The bleeding from the tumor was very difficult to control, so it was better to remove the tumor completely in order to achieve thorough hemostasis, thereby preventing future complications. Otherwise, it was quite possible for the patient to return to the ward and require a second emergency laparotomy to stop the bleeding in the middle of the night.

"Remove the tumor?" Not only Director Zhang but also Director Peng were trembling with fear, as they had just decided to give up on the tumor excision.

Li Min explained the reason for the excision and also clarified that with the patient’s current condition and the support of blood from four units, it was feasible to remove the tumor.

The elderly director was also extremely surprised, suddenly feeling that Li Min was a stranger to him. Was this the level of a big city expert? How could he have improved so quickly, fast to a point that was a bit terrifying.

What nobody knew was that during his time at the Surgical Research Institute, Li Min had been personally mentored by Yang Ping, and with the resources of the institute, one month of advanced training for Li Min was equivalent to several years of experience for an ordinary doctor. The accumulation of experience over time ultimately comes down to the number of cases handled, for example, in a county hospital, some cases may not be seen for several years, but at the Temple of Heaven Hospital, one day’s cases could exceed over a decade’s worth at a county hospital.

During his time at the Surgical Research Institute, the variety of surgeries that Li Min performed far surpassed the types of surgeries Director Zhang had done in his decades of practice. Director Zhang often repeated the same cases over the years, while Li Min had exposure to a wide variety of cases.

Yang Ping’s training for Li Min had been the most scientific, starting with solid and proficient theoretical knowledge, then progressing to a lot of practice on experimental pigs, and finally taking the stage alongside Yang Ping and other professors. At last, under Yang Ping’s guidance, Li Min took the lead in some surgeries; the entire process was very rigorous and advanced step by step.

"Have you worked on major vascular surgery during your training?"

Director Peng asked in astonishment. Their hospital had not yet initiated major vascular surgery. Just now, during the case of major vascular tear, Director Peng could only help with an emergency blockage of the blood vessels, then send the patient to the provincial city in an ambulance, continuously administering blood transfusions en route. Whether the patient could be rescued was entirely up to luck. Just last year, they lost a patient with an Aortic Dissection in the emergency department.

Li Min’s hands didn’t stop moving as he spoke, "Many patients with Marfan syndrome have their surgeries done at Sanbo Hospital. Current major vascular surgeries are generally not performed by Professor Yang; they’re done by the doctors below. For cases that are not extremely difficult, even the group leaders don’t perform them much; it’s usually the attending doctors. Professor Yang looks after me quite well, so I’ve had many opportunities to practice hands-on. I’ve probably done around fifty to sixty surgeries independently during this period."

Both directors were aghast; they had never touched major vascular surgery despite decades of practising, yet he had already been the chief surgeon in fifty to sixty cases.

"Are there a lot of surgeries over there?"

"Never-ending, absolutely non-stop. As long as you want to and are able to do them, you could go 24 hours a day without a break. I would start from eight in the morning and go until past eleven at night, day in and day out. If it weren’t for taking a few days off, I would definitely be in the operating room every day."

"If he’s not doing major vascular surgeries, what kind of surgeries does Professor Yang perform?"

"Brainstem tumors, coronary artery bypasses, heart-lung transplants, extremely severe cases of scoliosis, upper cervical spine surgeries, and so on. Sometimes, he also does complex tumors involving the liver and pancreas, like the ex-vivo resection of a tumor involving the liver, pancreas, and duodenum followed by autotransplantation."

These were surgeries that the two directors had hardly encountered, as they specialized in general surgery. They were quite familiar with ex-vivo tumor resections and autologous organ transplantation of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, but such procedures were so specialized that there were only two or three institutions capable of performing them nationwide.

"Have you seen this type of surgery?"

"I’ve served as the first assistant many times."

Both Director Zhang and Director Peng felt dizzy. Damn it, they had never even seen such a surgery; Director Peng had only read about it in academic journals, while Director Zhang, who typically ignored professional journals, had never even heard of it.

"How do you perform an ex-vivo resection?" Director Zhang was quite curious.

"You take out the liver, pancreas, duodenum along with the tumor, sometimes involving other organs as well, all in one go. You clean the tumor on the table, then transplant the organs back in."

Director Peng explained the procedure to Director Zhang, also showing off his own knowledge. Otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing if he couldn’t explain a surgery that Li Min had assisted in multiple times.

"""

"!!!"

Director Zhang clicked his tongue, this surgery removed the liver, pancreas, and duodenum together, which is bigger and more difficult than a combined pancreas and duodenum resection, not to mention the subsequent autologous organ transplant. Just the thought of it was frightening. At this moment, Director Zhang felt like a fish king from a pond that had ventured into the ocean and encountered a small shark.

For high-difficulty surgeries, Yang Ping required Li Min to be proficient only in the emergency type; non-emergency ones that could be transferred were completely transferable to higher-level hospitals. The training Yang Ping provided for Li Min was tailor-made based on his current grassroots nature, hence for emergency situations, such as even with major vascular surgery, Li Min must complete them proficiently on his own. Once such patients were encountered, there was hardly any chance for transfer.

How quickly times have changed, Director Zhang remembered that during his advanced training, being able to manage an appendicitis was enough to make him secretly exuberant, and he would show off among his classmates for a while. Now, advanced trainees are even performing major vascular surgeries, truly a different era.

Wasn’t it said that the medical environment is poor now, and trainees are just doing miscellaneous tasks with hardly any opportunity to get hands-on experience? It seems rumors are rumors, not to be taken seriously.

Li Min handled the tumor separation calmly and methodically, following the knowledge and skills learned during his regular training. Perhaps many things had already become habit for him. With both theory and practice at hand, Li Min was very confident.

"This kind of tumor is rich in blood vessels, and the vessels connected to it must be cut and ligated one by one to completely remove the tumor. Due to the invasive adhesion, this surgery is no easy task. Preoperative planning based on CT images is essential, otherwise it can be very passive," Li Min explained as he operated.

Director Peng and Director Zhang nodded continuously. When it came to reading CT and MRI images, they had only some basic skills and usually relied on reports; they found it very difficult to make comprehensive and accurate judgments independently without the reports.

"Tumor chief surgeon too?" Director Zhang was extremely curious.

Li Min frankly said, "The Oncology Surgical Research Institute rarely encounters such uncomplicated tumors, but the General Surgery Department does see a lot, and they look after me well, willing to give me the opportunity to train and learn whenever there’s surgery."

Having just finished speaking, Li Min felt his words were inappropriate, possibly a bit hurtful, but he definitely didn’t mean to harm anyone’s dignity. He was simply answering the question truthfully while performing surgery, so his replies were natural without overthinking, a true expression of his thoughts.

"How’s your level at Sanbo Hospital? I guess you’re even better than those doctors with doctorate degrees?" Director Zhang, who had always looked down upon those highly educated young doctors with doctorates, thought they started practical work too late and were only theoretically strong.

Li Min shook his head, "The doctors at the Surgical Research Institute are all doctors with doctorates, I’m nowhere near their level, and I don’t know how many grades behind them I am. If they hadn’t been patient in teaching me, where would I have learned these surgeries?"

Those doctors are so formidable, and Li Min’s current level is already impressive. If those doctors are better than Li Min, and Professor Yang is even more adept than those doctors and their teacher, what level is Professor Yang at, an immortal level?

Had it not been for witnessing Li Min’s surgery with their own eyes, both directors would have believed Li Min was boasting. Now that Li Min’s skill was right in front of them, they had to believe even if they didn’t want to.

"What other surgeries can you do?" Director Zhang continued to ask.

Li Min thought briefly, "I can perform all the basic surgeries of the General Surgery Department. I’m not yet up to pancreaticoduodenectomy or organ transplant and the like, but other than that, there are no big issues."

The Elderly Director was delighted to see Li Min’s current level of skill. Ah, this advanced training really paid off; no wonder Little Li insisted on going to Sanbo Hospital for further training. That hospital is a low-profile treasure trove.

"Dr. Li, Elderly Director! Let’s go eat fish together later. I caught some grass-eating fish from the reservoir, very fresh. The chef at the farmhouse by the reservoir is particularly skilled at cooking fish," Director Peng invited Li Min.

Director Zhang also joined in, "Yes, let’s all go eat fish together. After that, we can have a good chat, Dr. Li. Once you return from your training, you’ll be Nanqiao’s Li Yidao."

It seems that the title of Zhang Yidao might not last. The waves of the Yangtze River push forward the new waves. The territory of Nanqiao is bound to be Li Yidao’s world from now on, and Director Zhang couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy as the late hero and the ruler changed hands.

"""