This doctor is already middle-aged, and he's only just started practicing medicine.

Chapter 51 Lu the Scumbag

"Spleen preservation techniques are divided into in situ spleen preservation techniques and ectopic spleen preservation techniques, and the determination should be based on the damage grade of the spleen injury."

"It is called spleen preservation surgery, but it is actually spleen necrosis tissue resection and hemostasis surgery."

"Currently, the techniques you can perform are bio-adhesive bonding, hemostatic gauze packing, microwave coagulation hemostasis, and simple suturing. These correspond to grade I-2 spleen lacerations."

"If it is a grade 2 or 3 laceration, then omental reinforcement suture, splenic artery ligation and local suturing are required. This is something you need to understand in detail."

"In the future, we can gradually learn about procedures such as splenic segment and lobe resection, partial splenectomy, interlocking suture resection, ultrasonic aspiration resection, pedicled vascular spleen transplantation after splenectomy, and splenic embolization."

"The difficulty of liver preservation surgery is slightly greater than that of spleen preservation surgery, you know..." Chen Song, with his hands behind his back, meticulously explained the procedures and indications for spleen preservation surgery to Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng nodded slightly, glanced at Professor Tong Yuan'an, and seeing that Tong Yuan'an was not particularly angry, replied, "Professor Chen, I know that with my current abilities, I can only perform splenectomy and suture of grade 1 to 2 spleen injuries."

"That's already very good. It's thanks to your excellent basic suturing skills that you can perform the suturing process with finesse."

Chen Song concluded, "The suturing techniques used in hand surgery are still very practical."

Zeng Huanqi offered a cigarette at the opportune moment: "Hey, you two, wanna go out for a drink?"

"Walk."

"Let's go." Neither Tong Yuan'an nor Chen Song refused.

……

The emergency ward's fire escape connects to the outdoor area; the space is cramped but open. Chen Song, puffing on his cigarette, glanced at Zeng Huanqi and said:
“Xiao Zeng, although spleen suturing doesn’t require such high suturing skills, if you can’t complete the orange peel suturing, the trial and error cost for the patient is still too high.”

"And the orange peel suturing technique is something they must master in their second year of master's degree in hand surgery. If they don't master it, they're considered to be holding back."

"Of course, in our emergency department and general surgery department, suturing orange peel is considered the standard when a professional doctor graduates. Our standards are different."

Zeng Huanqi smiled and said, "I understand, Teacher Chen. Xiao Lu not only has good basic skills in suturing, but also has good proficiency in hemostasis, which is very important in spleen preservation surgery, so he will learn much faster."

“In the past, most of the procedures performed here were splenectomy and non-surgical spleen preservation, so it was difficult to find specific information on how to get started.”

Chen Song said, "Of course, we can't just give out these materials randomly. Each hospital has a different level of development. If a lot of things are exposed to the public, the already tense medical dispute situation will only become more tense."

"Surgical training is meticulous, with too many details to pay attention to. It's a secret that's not passed down to just a few people; it's usually passed down privately."

"Everyone has their own destiny, and splenectomy is a treatment that provides a permanent solution."

"Spleen-preserving surgery may lead to complications such as spleen necrosis, requiring a second cesarean section..."

"As for Xiao Lu, his comprehension is truly remarkable. A person's fundamental comprehension is best reflected in their progress and level of learning basic skills."

Tong Yuan'an had a general understanding of the ecosystem within the county hospital and knew that Zeng Huanqi had given Lu Cheng the opportunity, so he explained, "Dr. Zeng, at our Xiangya Hospital, during the master's and doctoral studies, we don't actually learn any special surgical techniques."

"It's about constantly honing their basic skills. First, it's about pushing their comprehension to improve, and second, it's about building up their basic skills so that they can easily learn simple surgeries."

“Take Chen Songhui’s spleen-preserving technique for example. Give me half a month, and I can definitely do it better than him.”

When Zeng Huanqi heard Tong Yuan'an criticize Chen Song like that, he glared at Chen Song, only to find that Chen Song did not refute him, nor did he even show any expression. Instead, he tacitly agreed to it.

"So that's how it is. It means that a person's overall potential is reflected in their combined level of theoretical knowledge and basic skills."

“We didn’t have any standardized residency training before; we went straight to work after completing our undergraduate studies, so we’ve never heard of these kinds of comments,” Zeng Huanqi said, looking like he had learned something.

After Zeng Huanqi finished replying, Chen Song sarcastically remarked, "Tong Yuan'an, what are you bragging about? If it's a splenic artery dissection-type spleen injury, aren't you just going to be left helpless?"

"With your basic skills in hemostasis, you could kill a patient with a femoral artery dissection..." "Why not just get a vascular transplant?" Tong Yuan'an retorted.

Chen Song retorted sarcastically, "Then your hand surgery department really knows how to make money!!!"

"Why don't you just put patients with colds on ECMO?" Chen Song put over-medicalization in a rather elegant way.

Zeng Huanqi curiously changed the subject: "Teacher Chen, Teacher Tong, according to your assessment, how would you rate Xiao Lu's current qualifications?"

Tong Yuan'an said, "Our department is third!"

Chen Song: "Our department is second."

Tong Yuan'an's chubby face immediately broke into a wide grin, and he swayed his big, fat buttocks from side to side, as if he had won a round and the world was now fair.

Seeing that Zeng Huanqi didn't show much expression, Chen Song added, "The ranking we're talking about includes our own..."

Zeng Huanqi's legs trembled, and he suddenly became alert. His mouth opened slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed: "No...it can't be that bad, can it?"

To become an associate professor at Xiangya Hospital or Xiangya No. 2 Hospital, one needs not only sufficient academic qualifications, but also good opportunities, courage, competence, and talent. One may even need considerable research talent.

"More or less...it's hard to give a specific assessment right now." Chen Song said no more.

Then he picked up another one and handed it to Zeng Huanqi: "Little Zeng, would you like another one?"

"I'm not coming, I have to go hand over my shift." Zeng Huanqi understood and politely declined, then immediately slipped through the door, leaving Tong Yuan'an and Chen Song to continue their fight.

After Zeng Huanqi left, Tong Yuan'an finally breathed a sigh of relief and lit another cigarette with a snap: "Chen Song, you've got to say something. What exactly are you planning to do with Xiao Lu?"

"I haven't decided yet, but it definitely has nothing to do with you, Tong Yuan'an."

"If you don't want Director Xiang to call you and yell at you, I advise you to stop doing anything crooked, okay?" Chen Song smiled slyly, his tone seemingly harmless but carrying a warning.

Chen Song had a fairly deep understanding of Tong Yuan'an.

Xiang Dongshan is the director of the Emergency Surgery Department at Xiangya No. 2 Hospital, and also the chief director of the Emergency Department. He has a fiery temper and is known in the industry as a "mouth cannon," so much so that no one in the various surgical specialties of Xiangya No. 2 Hospital dares to talk back. Everyone knows him.

Tong Yuan'an's eyes darted around for a moment, almost scraping his chubby eyelids thin: "You even got Lu Cheng on Director Xiang's list? What gives you the right?"

Chen Song said, "It's not that he's been officially registered; it's that he told the director he was willing to give him a chance. If he can get to that point, the ladder to success is... it's openly available, and if you can do it, you can climb it too..."

"We can offer you the position of deputy director of our department."

"What's so shabby about it?"

The "Ladder to the Clouds" symbolizes soaring to great heights, a path open to the capable. Of course, its price is not cheap, and those who can reach this level are likely fewer than five in the entire country.

Most of these people are already taken and won't easily move on.

Tong Yuan'an hesitated for a second: "If Xiao Lu wants to take this path, it will take some time. At least ten years."

"But would Xiao Lu be willing?"

Chen Song didn't doubt it at all: "Why wouldn't you? Because of your fat face?"

“Huashan, you told me this,” Tong Yuan’an said in a very soft voice, “If someone is determined to become a demon, they must have some ulterior motive.”

Chen Song was slightly taken aback, his gaze becoming distant...

(End of this chapter)