System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”Pull the retractor down a bit, expose more of the tendon pathway, so I can perform the suturing!”

”Yes, that’s right.”

”Thank you, Director Song.” Lu Cheng’s tone was polite yet firm.

The shadowless lamp not only eliminated shadows on the patient’s wound but also illuminated Lu Cheng’s hands hovering over the wound with unprecedented clarity.

Replantation of a hemilimb is much more complex than simple tendon suturing, and it requires more time.

The muscles and tendons that need suturing are numerous, and trimming must be performed before suturing.

Nonetheless, tendon suturing in hemilimb replantation derives from basic tendon suturing techniques, without requiring much deviation.

As Lu Cheng was about to complete the tendon suturing, the microsurgical instruments arrived in operating room number 3, with circulating nurse Xiang Pengcheng at the side placing sterile drapes.

Circulating nurse Lan Yueru knew Lu Cheng and, as the surgery was on track, she quietly inquired, ”Dr. Xiang, when did Dr. Lu Cheng learn limb replantation?”

Xiang Pengcheng glanced at Lu Cheng, his Adam’s apple rolling as he spoke, ”I don’t know either, he went to the emergency department in July!”

”Later, I just heard that Lu Cheng was doing tendon suturing in the emergency department, never heard he was doing limb replantation.”

”In the past two months, after Professor Tong Yuan’an from Xiangya Hospital arrived, there had been a few cases in the first ward there. Maybe Lu Cheng also joined in.”

Actually, Xiang Pengcheng was mistaken; Lu Cheng did not join in, but whether he participated or not was irrelevant. The key is Lu Cheng can lead such surgeries.

Capability is the fundamental logic.

Even after Professor Tong Yuan’an leaves, Lu Cheng could still lead, leaving the future of orthopedics uncertain.

The hospital leadership likely won’t tolerate a doctor capable of limb replantation sitting idle!

A hundred percent guarantee.

Neither will the County Health Bureau allow such a situation.

The title of the first unit to conduct limb replantation in Xiangxi County Hospital is something Long County is eager to grab; it’s their official ”achievement” and reputation!

Xiang Pengcheng even pondered whether Lu Cheng might return to orthopedics to lead a team, or do so under someone else’s name.

Nobody can stop him because no one else can do it.

Lan Yueru sneakily glanced at Lu Cheng again, her eyes glittering as she queried, ”Is limb replantation one of the more difficult surgeries in orthopedics?”

”If Lu Cheng has this skill, he could easily run to Xiangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital!” Xiang Pengcheng replied subtly.

Nothing else, just a comparison.

Xiangzhou Ji City has several Grade-A hospitals, each claiming to be the first, second, and third top. The top hospital is State People’s Hospital, the second being Ji City People’s Hospital, both capable of limb replantation.

The third one isn’t yet, likely yearning and striving to learn, yet still hasn’t mastered it.

About fifteen minutes later, Lu Cheng finished reviewing in the mirror, asked the circulating nurse for vascular sutures, and placed the needle holder and sutures into the curved basin.

He meticulously checked the vascular severance site once more.

Song Hongtu cautiously advised as Lu Cheng was about to wield the needle holder again, ”Xiao Lu, if you need to revise after this stitching, it’s not going to be easy?”

Lu Cheng nodded, ”I understand, Director Song.”

”This is upper arm vascular anastomosis, which doesn’t require as high an immediate patency rate as digital artery suturing.”

”Even if the branch suture fails completely, it won’t affect local viability, as long as the main branch’s blood flow has over ninety percent patency, distal activity will remain unaffected.”

”No problem!”

Lu Cheng couldn’t guarantee a ninety-nine percent immediate patency rate with the current suturing, but ninety-five, ninety-six percent was assured.

His tone was neither exaggerated nor boastful, just confident, rooted in self-assurance in his skills and abilities.

Song Hongtu sniffed, having fulfilled his duty to caution, yet with Lu Cheng’s confidence, it wasn’t mere bravado; he truly knew how to perform this surgery.

Thus, Song Hongtu could only watch as Lu Cheng proceeded to complete the vascular suturing and branch anastomosis...

About twenty more minutes later, Song Hongtu got up to give way, as Professor Tong Yuan’an returned from the emergency surgery room, but did not seize the leading surgeon role from Lu Cheng. Instead, he displaced Song Hongtu, personally assisting Lu Cheng in completing nerve suturing.

”The ulnar nerve originates from the medial cord of the brachial plexus, comprising eleven bundles of mixed nerves here.”

”Continuing down along the medial side of the brachial artery to the height of the deltoid’s insertion point, passing through the medial intermuscular septum to the back of the arm, the ulnar nerve bundles increase to sixteen, with thirteen mixed nerve bundles primarily motor fibers and three predominantly sensory fibers.”

”Thus, precise functional bundle matching is crucial, followed by fascial suturing.”

”Of course, you can adopt the fascial-epineural suturing technique; I’m only telling you what we usually use.” Professor Tong Yuan’an’s voice was professional and meticulous, merely suggesting, not commanding.

Lu Cheng thought it over earnestly and replied, ”Teacher Tong, I think using the combined fascial-epineural suturing technique here would be better.”

”The ulnar nerve in the arm is robust, allowing ample operating space. Although it would be time-consuming, combined suturing reduces local tension.”

”The basis of nerve suturing is tension-free suturing!” Lu Cheng expressed the core principles of nerve suturing learned from Union Hospital.

”Yes, nerve suturing primarily emphasizes tension-free suturing. You may proceed.” Professor Tong Yuan’an agreed.

Lu Cheng continued his operation, with Professor Tong observing closely, assisting meticulously in bundle alignment, and occasionally guiding with patience.

In the operating room, numerous people intermittently entered, quickly forming a circle around the surgical table.

Director Liu Xia from the second ward, Executive Luo, Xiang Kuihua, Tayama from the first ward of orthopedics, were all present.

Yet, as Lu Cheng’s suturing progressed smoothly, everyone’s expressions varied.

Director Liu Xia felt conflicted for less than half a minute before turning to say, ”Peng Chen, send me Xiao Lu’s number.”

Peng Chen was another deputy chief physician in the second ward.

Peng Chen nodded, without any particular thought, promptly picked up his phone and started searching for Lu Cheng’s number...

Seeing Lu Cheng’s surgery completion, if he was the ward director, he couldn’t sit still. And if Liu Xia managed to recruit Lu Cheng to the second orthopedic ward, it would thrive fully.

It’s not just a finger replantation; it’s an entire spectrum of hand surgery.

It’s obvious that Lu Cheng ran off from the first ward, the reason known to all.

Soon, Professor Tong Yuan’an got up, ”You may continue, I’ll go to operating room number 2 to deal with the remaining tendon suturing so everyone can finish early.”

”Was the general surgery rescue smooth?” Professor Tong asked Liu Xia.

”Professor Tong, it went smoothly, although Professor Chen ran several times between departments!” Liu Xia blushed slightly.

Professor Chen had to rush back and forth after surgery due to the utter uselessness of the county hospital’s general surgery doctors when faced with complex cases.

Fortunately, all the patients were saved.

Professor Tong Yuan’an exited the operating room, murmuring softly, ”That old classmate has got some talent...”