Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ling Ran returned to the operating theater filled with blue and green colors. He subconsciously heaved a sigh.
There were just too many patients and family members.
Although two doctors from the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center were there to help, and Yu Yuan aided beside him, Ling Ran still spoke until he felt despair.
He had never talked so much in school before nor at home.
Ling Ran had never received one kind of trainingâhow to communicate.
Fortunately, he still knew how to carry out a socially expected medical conversation as a medical student. Hence, he would not anger the family members on the spot. Of course, this was mainly because the patients and their families had clear minds. Everyone rushed to seek medical treatment from Ling Ran. They did not seek for Ling Ranâs smiling face. Even if Ling Ran was a little blunt in his words, they would not offend the doctor on the spot.
But when they were not in front of the doctor, everyone would not be so obedient and respectful.
Wang Fangjun had his back turned toward Ling Ran, and he was being issued spinal anesthesia. At that moment, he laid on his side, and he could not help but said, âYour Doctor Ling is too difficult to talk to. Heâs so straightforward. I asked him, what if I would like to play basketball in the future? Do you know what he replied?â
âJust quit.â The anesthetist disinfected him while talking.
âHuh? How did you know?â Wang Fangjun was greatly surprised.
âYou ruptured your Achilles tendon, what else can you do besides quit basketball?â The anesthetist whose surname was not Pan was not motivated to perform spinal anesthesia. He issued the anesthetics quickly.
Wang Fangjun grunted. Once the feeling of being issued anesthetics was gone, he began to slowly be unable to feel anything below his waist. He opened his mouth and said, âLiu Weichen could still participate in the competition on TV. Didnât Kobe also continue to play basketball?â
âDo you want to get a large incision to suture your Achilles tendon? Just so you know, that incision will be 6 inches long,â the anesthetist whose surname was not Pan asked in a very relaxed manner.
The hair on both of Wang Fangjunâs legs was disinfected and shaved. He silently imagined the six inches in his mind, shook his head, and said, âCan you make the incision a little smaller?â
âYou still canât play basketball even if we used a limited incision on your Achilles tendon repair. The minimally invasive surgery you do now has the smallest incision,â the anesthetist whose surname was not Pan said, âBy undergoing an Achilles tendon repair with a large incision, you have to recover for a few months, then undergo rehabilitation, then only can you play basketball. Would you pay such a high price for basketball?â
âThen the many new shoes in my house have to be thrown away? Thatâd be too wasteful.â
âThen, just wear it on normal occasions.â
âIt feels a bit weird if youâre putting on sneakers but youâre not playing basketball.â Wang Fangjun was obviously a chatty patient. He did not stop talking even when he was already sent to the operating table.
Ling Ran coughed a few times before he approached the operating table. He looked at Wang Fangjun before he asked the nurse to put on his surgical gown.
Wang Fangjun saw Ling Ran come, and he wisely ended the topic.
âRegional anesthesia?â Ling Ran liked patients who cannot talk. So he still tried his luck.
The anesthetist whose surname was not Pan nodded and said, âThe patient insisted on regional anesthesia.â
âOkay.â Ling Ran was reluctant to transfer the patient to other people, hence he could only accept the patientâs choice.
Although from a doctorâs point of view, the side effects of regional anesthesia and general anesthesia were not that much different, patients did not think so.
In this Achilles tendon repair required a large incision, they could still issue general anesthesia, but for minimally invasive surgery, spinal anesthesia was enough.
âPrepare a tourniquet for the injured limb.â Ling Ran might have obtained the Perfect Level Achilles Tendon Repair Technique, but he had not performed many minimally invasive surgeries before.
Ling Ran raised both the ankle joints and pressed down on the patientâs legs.
âThe leg hairs arenât shaved clean.â Ling Ran looked at the calf and regarded it with slight disdain. Although it would not affect the operation, why was there still a few hairs left when most of the other hair had been shaven?
The circulating nurse who was responsible for skin preparation was stunned for a moment before she hastily said, âThe backs of his legs are completely shaven.â
âShave it again.â Ling Ranâs request was very strict.
The circulating nurse had to shave the patientâs legs again.
Wang Fangjun felt strangely embarrassed. He said, âI am a man with more leg hair than othersâ¦ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âUs shaving your hair has nothing to do with your genetics.â Ling Ran interrupted him.
Wang Fangjun felt even more puzzled. âIs it not my hair you are shaving?â
He heard the sounds typical of hair being shaved, but Wang Fangjunâs legs could not feel anything, and he was almost convinced himself.
âI am going to perform two incisions to see the situation.â Ling Ran waited until Wang Fangjunâs legs were completely shaved and disinfected again before he picked up the scalpel.
Achilles tendon repairs performed using large incisions were usually S-shaped incisions that were five-inches long, and the minimally invasive was a 0.3-inches long incision close to the Achilles tendon to reveal the tissue surrounding the Achilles tendon.
Compared to surgeries carried out with large incisions, minimally invasive surgeries had a greater need for MRI scans. Since they would not be cutting open the skin to look at the tendon, it was necessary to determine the position by scans. For example, Achilles tendons that suffered from multiple ruptures, Achilles tendons which had breakpoints close to the muscle, and ruptures close to the end of the Achilles tendon would need to be treated with open surgeries. This was the case for several other patients.
Wang Fangjunâs Achilles tendon rupture was not problematic. It was just a simple rupture. Ling Ran chose the position and then used Assalâs minimally invasive surgical stapler for Achilles tendons to staple the ruptured ends together.
âIncrease the pulling force of the hemostatic forceps a little more.â Ling Ran performed the surgery while he explained, âThe inner ankle should be located at the inner side of Achilles tendon, this is determined by Assalâ¦â
Yu Yuan listened attentively and obediently did what she was told.
The doctors were all busy concentrating on the tasks at hand. The patient Wang Fangjun slowly felt bored.
âSpeaking of which, does that mean I really canât play basketball anymore?â Wang Fangjun tried to start talking about everything and nothing.
âNo, you canât!â Yu Yuan took a peek at Ling Ran and answered on his behalf.
âI still have a few pairs of basketball shoes. Iâll just sell them off. Do you guys want it? I have a pair of Air Jordans that are considered brand new. I only wore them about three or four times, definitely not more than ten.â Wang Fangjun quickly pushed the topic forward.
Two doctors who were stripping his tendons silently raised their heads and silently lowered their heads to continue stripping his tendons.
Once Wang Fangjun started the topic, he could not stop. He said, âIt is very expensive to do surgery in your center. I have to pay on my own for this minimally invasive small machine to be used on me, right? Thatâs about thousands of RMB. If you like Air Jordans, why donât you buy them so that you can give me a discount?â
Yu Yuan remembered Lu Wenbin and said, âWe have a doctor who bought Air Jordans before, but unfortunately, he is not in Shanghai.â
âEven doctors can afford Air Jordans now? You guys are really rich.â Wang Fangjun paused a while before he laughed and said, âI canât play basketball anymore anyway, Iâll sell two pairs of Off-Whites at a discounted price of 10,000 RMB. Itâs mainly because itâs too expensive to see a doctor. Otherwise, I would not give them up. â
Ling Ran was extremely disturbed by the noise. He stopped moving his hands, and he looked at the anesthetist.
The anesthetist whose surname was not Pan was ready to chat with the patient when he saw Ling Ranâs expression, so he obediently took out two syringes and injected them into the patient.
Wang Fangjun soon fell unconscious.
A tranquilizer was different from general anesthesia. It was specifically used to deal with patients under regional anesthesia. Some regional anesthesia surgeries required two or three hours, perhaps even more. If a tranquilizer was not used, the patient may not be calm.
In a minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair technique surgery, a tranquilizer was not needed. But in the face of different patients, it was clear that different strategies had to be used.
When the chief surgeon was not able to tolerate their voices anymore, time would not be the first factor of consideration.
The nurse waited until the patient fell asleep before they deliberately tested him to see whether he was truly asleep. They then let out a sigh, âThis is my first time seeing a patient who is so chatty.â
Ling Ran glanced at her and continued performing surgery.
Without any room to continue chatting, the nurse could only give up while she sulked.
The operating theater returned to Ling Ranâs favorite stateâsilence.
Ling Ran performed surgeries all the way until it was time for him to clock off work. He finished all eight patients.
After washing up, he saw the pharmaceutical sales representative Huang Maoshi waiting at the entrance.
âDoctor Ling, was the minimally invasive surgical stapler for Achilles tendons useful?â Huang Maoshi smiled.
âThere was no problem during the operation. Letâs wait and see the prognosis,â Ling Ran replied.
âOkay, okay⦠Right, Doctor Ling, Academician Zhu just arrived at the Operating Area.â
âOh?â
Huang Maoshi tried to recall something for some time before he suddenly patted his head. âAcademician Zhu left a book for you. Iâve such a bad memory. He said he placed it at the entrance.â
Ling Ran then went to the nurseâs desk at the entrance and took a printed book.
When he flipped it open, he saw a few impressive words on the first page: Zhu-Ling Achilles Repair Technique.