Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1513 - 1127: Little Senior Sister

Chapter 1513: Chapter 1127: Little Senior Sister

Sisi is staying in the Institute’s private ICU, which is small in terms of bed count, not medical equipment. The medical equipment here is fully equipped and all top-tier.

Ever since the Institute got its own private ICU, Sanbo Hospital’s ICU center has been uncomfortable. Claiming to help here, they sent doctors over to learn in shifts, and also took advantage of the cases. Previously, patients like this were like walking research paper cases—a single case was a case report, and accumulating a certain number of cases made for a high-level SCI paper. Losing so many high-level papers suddenly is something anyone would find hard to adapt to.

As expected, Sisi’s brain tissue edema continued to worsen after surgery, with the defect area of the scalp closure growing larger. If the bone decompression in the foramen magnum wasn’t done, Sisi would probably be in rescue now. The success rate for rescuing such brainstem brain hernias is very low.

For now, as long as the brain tissue edema does not exceed the current surgical plan’s tolerance limit, Sisi will not be in life-threatening danger. If it exceeds the current surgical limit, another surgery will be necessary, using the extremely dangerous re-expansion decompression technique.

In handling Sisi’s illness, Yang Ping benefited from his cool-headed judgment. Having been trained in the System Space, Yang Ping now exhibits extraordinary calmness and rationality. Every choice he makes is not driven by emotion but is a careful weighing of the patient’s interests. After weighing, he goes all out for things that are beneficial to the patient and decisively abandons things that are not. In a sense, he is a "profit-oriented" doctor, where the profit is the patient’s benefit, what is beneficial to the patient’s illness.

The internal fixation material used in Sisi’s surgery is titanium alloy, a non-magnetic metal that allows for MRI scans. However, the metal causes imaging interference, creating certain artifacts. Although there are techniques to reduce the impact of artifacts, they cannot be completely eliminated.

To observe the changes in Sisi’s intracranial tumor MRI edema shadow, Yang Ping still decided to use MRI for postoperative monitoring. Some interference is acceptable, as he can observe non-interfering areas to assess the overall change trend through local observation.

On the fifth day, Sisi’s brain tissue edema began to reduce. Yang Ping protected Sisi during surgery for five days, the most dangerous period. Without the protection of the surgery, Sisi would undoubtedly have died from a brain hernia. Looking back now, the decisive surgery was so wise.

The bone flap removed during Sisi’s surgery also became a research object in the Laboratory. They conducted various measurements, and the calcium and water content of the bone flap maintained very well, with little difference from when it was detached from the body. The bone tissue did not undergo rapid necrosis under ischemic conditions, especially no edge necrosis absorption.

It seems the "Bone Nourishing Technique" these researchers tinkered with in their spare time is quite good, capable of preserving an ex vivo bone tissue to resemble living bone tissue. However, there is a time limit and it cannot be preserved indefinitely. The current nutrient solution can preserve it for at least six months. With improvements to the nutrient solution, this time can be extended. Even in six months, many things can be done.

After passing the peak of brain tissue edema, it slowly began receding, and the swollen brain tissue also started shrinking. The previously feared scenario where the brain tissue fails to shrink after edema subsides did not occur, and the original tumor cell occupation, after absorption, did not cause fibrosis. It seems this cell death, disintegration, absorption, and replacement process by normal cells is rather continuous, with a good natural rhythm, leaving no window for fibrosis.

Sometimes predictions are pessimistic, but outcomes are optimistic. Sometimes predictions are optimistic, but outcomes are pessimistic. There’s often some discrepancy between actual situations and predictions. No matter how many factors are considered, predictions can never entirely align with reality.

Two weeks later, Sisi’s brain tissue had completely returned to its normal size. It could naturally retract without needing a part of the brain tissue excised to meet retraction needs. Sisi is so clever; it would be such a pity if she were left with sequelae from excising part of the brain tissue. Yang Ping still wants to take her as an apprentice to study medicine.

Yang Ping is serious about taking Sisi as an apprentice. This little girl has top-notch intelligence and psychological quality. She has experienced the torment of illness and rebirth through fire, understanding life more profoundly than most. Such a person can be called a perfect seedling for a doctor.

During the second surgery, Sisi had her original bone flap put back, fitting perfectly, avoiding the use of a titanium alloy patch. Although a titanium alloy patch is not problematic and can stay in the head for a lifetime, using her own bone tissue for filling is always better than titanium alloy.

The day after the second surgery, when Sisi woke up the first thing she asked was: "My brain tissue wasn’t removed, was it?"

"It wasn’t." Yang Ping reassured her.

The doctors and nurses surrounding Yang Ping on the ward round burst into laughter at the cute little girl, worried about nothing else but the completeness of her brain tissue.

Upon hearing Yang Ping’s answer, Sisi felt relieved. Her greatest worry was that the removal of her brain tissue would leave sequelae, preventing her from studying medicine in the future. Not being able to study medicine was unacceptable to her.

"Why aren’t you worried about whether you can survive, only about whether your intelligence has declined? Survival first, then talk about intelligence." A doctor deliberately teased her.

She retorted on the spot: "The fact that I’m able to ask questions proves I’ve survived. If I hadn’t, how could I worry about intelligence? When I have the opportunity to care about intelligence, it means I’m alive."

The logic was clear, no flaws.

"Ptui ptui ptui! What do you mean by ’not survive,’ say something nice." An older nurse in the ICU immediately stopped Sisi.

Sisi was indifferent: "Doctors must be objective, we are just discussing medical issues objectively, not avoiding the topic of life and death."

"You adapt to the role quickly, now considering yourself a doctor?" Song Zimo laughed.

Sisi said: "Medical education should start from a young age. You don’t understand. Where’s my lab report? I want to see what’s abnormal."

The nurse had no choice but to fetch the medical records folder.

"You wouldn’t drop me as a student just because I’ve had brain surgery, would you?" Sisi touched her still-wrapped head.

’We hooked our fingers; don’t you trust me?’ Yang Ping reassured her.

"Hmph, so many people are witnesses, you can’t go back on your word. I’m your student; you’re my teacher. Regardless of whether my brain works, you can’t dump me as a student. At that time, we hooked our fingers, and I was already apprenticed, and he accepted me as a student. I even bought milk tea for the Professor then, and that cup of milk tea was the apprentice tea. You all must testify for me; he can’t go back on his word." Sisi said to the surrounding older brothers and sisters.

"Alright, look, so many people are testifying for you. Are you reassured now?" Yang Ping was helpless.

"Professor, is this the first apprentice you publicly accepted?" Song Zimo asked.

"The one formally apprenticed, according to the timeline, seems so." Yang Ping thought for a while and said.

"Senior Sister? No way?"

Song Zimo realized he shouldn’t have said anything. By saying so, even he became her junior? Because none of the doctors present who received guidance from Professor Yang, including him and Xu Zhiliang, had a legal or ceremonial apprenticeship, but Sisi had. She had an apprentice tea, recognized by Professor Yang.

Sisi sat on the bed with a proud face: "You are all juniors, and I am the senior sister. You have not formally apprenticed; only I have formally become an apprentice. So, I’m the deserved senior sister. Haha, I’m officially announcing that I am the senior sister now."