The Enhanced Doctor
Chapter 53 - 053 Liu Banxia who loves studying

Chapter 53: 053 Liu Banxia who loves studying

In Shi Lei’s eyes, Liu Banxia was usually a bit too cocky. However, after what happened today, Liu Banxia knew he had to tone it down.

To the patient, today might have seemed like a small farce, but the medical staff all knew what had really transpired. One shouldn’t underestimate nurses. It’s wrong to think they only administer injections and IV fluids; they also have a solid understanding of many pathological conditions.

So, Liu Banxia transformed into a model of good behavior, taking out his books and reading earnestly. He could have read at home, but that would have wasted Glory Points, and right now, he needed to constantly "recharge."

What he needed to study today were two orthopedic surgical procedures. One was the fasciotomy for decompression, which he had muddled through under Zhang Yun’s guidance, and the other was tendon suturing.

These two procedures were also frequently encountered in the emergency department, only slightly less common than debridement and suturing, though most cases were directly transferred to orthopedics.

Liu Banxia’s quietness caught the attention of Zhou Li and the others. Normally, Shoutian was always cheerful, chatting with everyone to pass the time. What was wrong with him today? Was he actually pretending to be a studious youth with a book?

With this thought in mind, Zhou Li and a few others turned their gazes towards Liang Xiaolin, who was on the other side of the room. She was the only variable in the entire emergency department, and there was something ambiguous about her relationship with Shoutian.

Even if the young woman was a bit simple, she could still feel their eyes constantly shifting between her and Liu Banxia. She was incredibly worried, and even more so about how she would explain today’s incident to her family when she got home tomorrow.

"Shoutian, Doctor Liang is here," Zhou Li leaned over to Liu Banxia.

"Hm... help me keep an eye out for patients with acute abdominal pain," Liu Banxia replied casually.

"How do you have the spare time to read today?" Zhou Li asked.

"I’m studying tendon suturing right now. It’s quite common in our emergency department. I want to see if I can get a handle on it so I can help lighten the load for the orthopedics department later," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"You’re really studying? Not just putting on a show for Doctor Liang?" Zhou Li asked, surprised.

"Why would I put on a show for her? It’s not like it puts food on the table," Liu Banxia said, exasperated. "Sister Li, tell the other nurses to make sure they don’t miss any patients with acute abdominal pain. My attending might take me out to earn some extra cash."

Zhou Li patted his shoulder and nodded with a smile. This was a good thing. It was rare for Shi Lei to be so accommodating and take Shoutian under his wing.

Liu Banxia picked up his book again, reading with great interest. Having his Spirit attribute enhanced really made a difference. He had observed actual procedures before, but none of those experiences led to the same level of thorough understanding he gained from reading about them now. He had almost been tempted to allocate all his remaining 6 attribute points to Spirit, but thankfully, he restrained himself.

While he was immersed in his reading, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Uncle Jiang. Liu Banxia sighed internally.

"Uncle Jiang, is something wrong?" Liu Banxia asked after answering the call.

"Dr. Liu, we’ve decided to have the surgery for the child," Uncle Jiang said.

"Alright, then please come directly to our Second Hospital. You can then coordinate a time with Director Xiao," Liu Banxia said.

"Dr. Liu, I just wanted to ask... what’s the success rate for this surgery? We can’t just watch our baby... I..."

"Uncle Jiang, please don’t worry. The success rate for the surgery is very high, but we also need to be mindful of the potential risks involved. When you arrive at the hospital, doctors more specialized than I will explain all of this to you before the surgery," Liu Banxia said quickly, hearing sobs on the other end. "My current expertise isn’t sufficient, and the baby still needs further examinations for a definitive diagnosis. If I were to tell you anything now, much of it would be speculation, and that would be irresponsible of me."

"Alright, Dr. Liu. You’re at the hospital, aren’t you? Please, help us. I truly don’t know what to do anymore," Uncle Jiang said.

"Don’t worry, just come directly," Liu Banxia told him.

Uncle Jiang thanked him profusely over the phone again before hanging up.

His previously good mood soured somewhat. That baby was truly adorable; even knowing the smile was a "false smile," it was still incredibly cute.

Just then, Liu Banxia saw a young man walk in, clutching the lower right side of his abdomen, his face contorted in pain.

In an instant, all other thoughts fled his mind—tendon suturing, fasciotomy for decompression, the cute baby, the endearingly simple Liang Xiaolin—everything vanished.

"Is the pain very severe where you’re holding your abdomen?" Liu Banxia asked, trying his best to suppress his excitement.

The young man nodded. "Yes, it hurts. It started yesterday, and it’s gotten worse today."

"Have your companion go register. Come, I’ll help you walk," Liu Banxia said quickly.

From Zhou Li’s point of view, this was a case of "Heaven rewards the persistent." Liu Banxia had been hoping for an appendectomy case so desperately, he was almost obsessed. Even just watching Liu Banxia perform percussion on the patient, she knew this was it.

"It’s most likely appendicitis. Let’s get an ultrasound to confirm," Liu Banxia said after finishing the percussion.

The ultrasound provided an even clearer picture: the patient’s appendix was mildly swollen, with a uniform, faint hypoechoic signal within the appendiceal lumen. Liu Banxia noted that its external diameter exceeded 0.8 centimeters.

In fact, any echo within the appendiceal lumen indicates an issue with the appendix. Combined with the recent ultrasound findings, Liu Banxia was quite certain it was acute appendicitis.

"This is acute appendicitis, and it needs to be removed. There are two surgical options. One is laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery, which involves a small incision and a quicker recovery. The other is a conventional appendectomy. Which would you prefer to consider?" Liu Banxia explained.

DING! Gained 100 Experience Points, 150 Diagnosis Skill Proficiency Points.

"Doctor, is it possible to avoid surgery? My medical insurance hasn’t been renewed yet. Could I try taking anti-inflammatory medication first?" the patient asked, enduring the pain.

Liu Banxia frowned. "I understand your situation, but while your appendix isn’t severely swollen yet, I’m concerned that if antibiotics can’t control the inflammation, it could develop into suppurative appendicitis with intestinal perforation. The cost then would be even higher. If cost is a concern, we can perform a conventional appendectomy."

The patient hesitated and looked towards his female companion, who had just returned after completing the registration.

"If you ask me, you should have the surgery. The doctor said it’s very dangerous. I’ll figure something out for the rent," the patient’s female companion said.

"Doctor, is there still a chance it could get better with just anti-inflammatory medication?" the patient asked, looking back at Liu Banxia.

Liu Banxia nodded. "There’s a chance, but it’s very small. Besides, oral anti-inflammatory drugs aren’t very effective; intravenous administration would be necessary. Furthermore, if it progresses to perforation, other complications can arise, which could become life-threatening. While appendicitis itself isn’t a major illness, the mortality rate from its complications is very high."

"Doctor, I really don’t have that much money right now. Let’s try the IV anti-inflammatory drip, as you mentioned. What if it gets better?" the patient said.

Liu Banxia felt a surge of helplessness. It wasn’t because the patient was refusing a surgery he could perform, but because, from his years of experience, the chances of a patient’s condition improving with only an IV drip were truly very low. If suppurative symptoms did appear, it would likely mean even greater expense and significant danger. However, right now, he had to respect the patient’s choice.