Chapter 150: Measured Steps
Most surgeries were assigned to the general surgery department except for those that were urgent, which were directed to the emergency department. Therefore, the emergency department was usually idle.
Moreover, with Little Six’s influence over the department’s security, there were fewer unruly patients and families making a scene. The days passed by peacefully.
Zheng Ren did three to five emergency surgeries a day. Occasionally, a few doctors from the obstetric and gynecology department, knowing the wonders of interventional surgery, would ask for his assistance in cases with severe hemorrhaging.
Days passed without a new mission from the System. For a brief moment, Zheng Ren nearly forgot about its existence.
Zheng Ren only entered the System when he received notifications for the main mission. He would sit and daydream in the thatched cottage or by the lake for a while.
Half a month had passed when Zheng Yunxia came for her checkup.
The frequency of checkups after a transarterial embolization procedure varied between each doctor. Zheng Ren’s post-surgery management followed northern culture. Zheng Yunxia had a more aggressive form of cancer, so 35 days was the maximum interval between visits.
She was not required to board. Instead, they took a few blood samples and did a contrast-enhanced 64-slice CT scan with image reconstruction.
The CT scan reminded Zheng Ren of the master skill reward he had.
He decided to test it out. It was a waste to have the skill and not know how to use it.
On the next day, Zheng Yunxia’s test results were out. Her liver function had recovered with only a mild elevation in glutamic pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase. Her bilirubin levels were back to normal.
The alpha-fetoprotein in her blood had fallen from 2000 to 132.
The outcome of the surgery was good all around.
Studying the numbers on the test results, Zheng Yunxia’s hands began trembling involuntarily.
Her medical knowledge was mostly derived from Baidu, but after countless disappointments, she had told herself to never pin her hopes on any treatment.
Hope only made disappointment worse.
She had not expected to find this group of people when she was at her lowest. They had lent her a helping hand and pulled her out of despair.
She took the test results and went to the emergency department to find Chang Yue, who took a photo of them and sent it to the group chat.
Everyone celebrated the uplifting news and started to discuss the next course of action.
A blood test provided only one part of the picture when it came to assessing the malignant behavior of the liver tumor. The most important part was still the CT scan.
Su Yun was the one who contacted Sister Zhao and requested her to work overtime. They wanted to get all the tests done in one shot.
A thought nagged at Zheng Ren’s mind. The transarterial embolization required a surgeon with the right qualifications.
Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery had only agreed to assist because Professor Pei from Sorcery Capital had been invited to perform the surgery.
However, it was not feasible to invite the professor each time Zheng Yunxia required treatment.
Even though the previous surgery was technically performed by Zheng Ren and Su Yun, there were strict laws to be followed. They could dance around the line but any step too far would spell disaster.
It would be like triggering a landmine.
Zheng Yunxia’s results were satisfactory, so Zheng Ren considered recurring treatments for her.
However, he would need three to five years to obtain the necessary qualifications. It was not a viable option.
Zheng Ren went to Old Chief Physician Pan’s office.
Only the old and the wise could find a solution to their problem. After all, Old Chief Physician Pan handled all the hospital’s requests, be they human resources, financial support or policy changes. Perhaps this could be regarded as a change in policy.
Zheng Ren knocked on the door but Old Chief Physician Pan was not in.
He took out his phone and dialed for Old Chief Physician Pan.
It turned out that Old Chief Physician Pan was in one of his administrative meetings. He excused himself when Zheng Ren called him about a problem.
Once they were seated in the office, Chief Physician Pan said, “Another email came about the new procedure Professor Pei wants you to try. You should start making preparations for your flight to Imperial Capital. It should be in a few days.”
“Oh?” Zheng Ren was surprised.
“This is a good opportunity for you. There’ll be a lot of well-established people in the audience. Are you excited?” Old Chief Physician Pan said as he smiled at Zheng Ren.
“So-so,” Zheng Ren replied honestly. Research into new procedures was usually undertaken by daring doctors in prefecture-level hospitals. In truth, Zheng Ren had little interest in research.
“Young man, you should be optimistic. This is a great chance to learn and improve your skills,” Old Chief Physician Pan advised. “Right, so what did you need help with?”
“It has something to do with Professor Pei. The patient who underwent his guided surgery is back for her checkup. I’ve gone through her results and believe multiple rounds of treatment may be required.”
“Okay, I’m with you so far,” Old Chief Physician Pan said.
“My professional qualification is limited to emergency rescue procedures. The last surgery could be justified as an emergency interventional surgery. But that justification would not work this time.”
“Ah, I see.” Old Chief Physician Pan gave him a whimsical smile. This issue was a small matter to the old man.
After a moment of thought, Old Chief Physician Pan announced, “The hospital’s interventional surgery department will close down and all related surgeries will be delegated to the emergency department’s catheterization team. We can’t stand by and watch as patients suffer.”
That last line was a guilt trip. Zheng Ren pretended not to hear it.
The most salient point was that all interventional radiology-related surgeries were under the emergency department’s jurisdiction.
Zheng Ren asked prudently, “Will it work?”
Old Chief Physician Pan replied with a chuckle, “Of course. All this can be settled from my end. What you should worry about is yourself.”
“Me?” A look of surprise graced Zheng Ren’s face.
Old Chief Physician Pan shook his head. Young people nowadays did not consider situations from all angles.
“I’m worried about your health. Long-term treatment will require a lot of sessions and chronic exposure to radiation. If tomorrow you get a girlfriend and plan to have children, we will have to stop such treatment for the sake of your health.”
It was a point that did not occur to Zheng Ren.
Marriage and children were things of the distant future. Zheng Ren, who had been single all his life, was unlikely to break the habit. However, Old Chief Physician Pan’s words made him think. What would they do if there was a queue of liver cancer patients needing treatment and he required recovery time from radiation exposure?
“Of course, that is an extreme scenario. We could reduce patient capacity in favor of better time and resource management. Zheng Yunxia would be our first patient.” Old Chief Physician Pan evidently already had a plan in mind.
“We are, after all, the emergency department. Emergency surgeries come first,” the old man said with a tone of finality.
Zheng Ren agreed with him. Management was where experience counted.
“Oh, and please send me a copy of your identity card. Manager Feng from Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery will book the plane ticket for you,” Old Chief Physician Pan said.