A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Director Li from Dalian leaned closer to the screen: "Yes, the pulmonary artery pressure must be very high. Now, dissect the pulmonary artery..."

The surgery proceeded step by step. Nurbahati's hands were steady, but his forehead was covered in sweat. The nurses kept wiping his sweat.

Zhou Yi stood next to the video equipment, acting as a translator and a mouthpiece.

He needed to accurately convey the instructions from the Dalian experts to Nurbahati, and at the same time, report the situation at the surgical site back to Dalian.

"Director Li said that the dissociation needs to be more thorough, otherwise the annular band won't fit..."

"Dr. Nuer said that the pulmonary artery wall is very fragile and prone to bleeding..."

"Director Li suggested using a specially made pulmonary artery clamp..."

Now comes the most crucial step – placing the compression band.

"Now measure the pulmonary artery diameter, it's 1.8 cm. The constriction zone needs to be reduced to 1.2 cm."

Nuerbahati carefully placed the tightening band and tightened it little by little.

"stop!"

Director Li suddenly shouted, "It's too tight! Look, the pressure in the right ventricle is already rising. Loosen it a bit!"

The suture band was adjusted three times before it reached the ideal state. When the last stitch was tied, Nurbahati's hand trembled slightly.

Director Li said, "Okay, now we'll open the loop. The crucial moment has arrived."

When the aortic clamp was released and blood was re-infused into the heart, the small heart first trembled weakly a few times, and then began to beat regularly.

The pulmonary artery pressure slowly decreases, and the blood oxygen saturation gradually increases.

"It's a success..." Nurbahati's voice choked with emotion.

On the other side of the screen, the experts in Dalian also breathed a sigh of relief.

But the surgery wasn't over yet.

During the chest closure process, the child suddenly experienced arrhythmia.

"Premature ventricular contractions!" the anesthesiologist said nervously.

Director Li from Dalian quickly diagnosed, "It might be myocardial ischemia. Administer amiodarone slowly."

The medication took effect, and the heart rhythm gradually returned to normal.

The surgery had been going on for six hours when the last skin suture was tied.

As Nurbahati walked out of the operating room, he told his anxiously waiting parents, "The surgery was successful, but I still have to overcome the challenges of postoperative infection and the recovery of my heart function."

The parents knelt down to kowtow, but were quickly helped up by medical staff.

Postoperative monitoring is another challenge.

Aygul volunteered: "I'll take charge of the traditional Chinese medicine treatment. After the heart surgery, I'm deficient in both qi and blood, and I need to strengthen my body and consolidate my foundation."

Based on the child's specific condition, she formulated a traditional Chinese medicine treatment plan, a gentle formula to invigorate qi and nourish yin, which was administered in small, frequent doses through a nasogastric tube.

She explained to her Western medicine colleagues, "We can't rush it. The child just had major heart surgery, so the medication should be administered gently and quietly, like a spring rain."

On the first day after surgery, the child developed a low-grade fever.

Western medicine advocates the use of antibiotics, but Aygul suggests using traditional Chinese medicine to clear heat and detoxify first.

"Antibiotics can damage the spleen and stomach. My child's spleen and stomach are weak now, so he can't absorb nutrients and his recovery will be slow," she insisted.

Ultimately, a compromise was adopted—primarily using traditional Chinese medicine, with close monitoring, and antibiotics would be considered if infection indicators rose.

Three days later, her temperature returned to normal.

On the fifth day after the surgery, the child opened his eyes for the first time.

Aygul gently comforted him in Kazakh, "Don't be afraid, Yerbol, you're all better now, you can go home."

The child blinked weakly.

On the tenth day after the surgery, the child was able to sit up.

Ultrasound examination showed a significant decrease in pulmonary artery pressure and a gradual improvement in cardiac function.

The expert team in Dalian conducts ward rounds via video every day.

Seeing the child's recovery, Director Li remarked, "This case created two miracles—remote guidance to complete a complex heart surgery, and the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine to promote postoperative recovery."

A month later, Yerbol was discharged from the hospital. The child who had once been on the verge of death could now walk on his own, and although he still needed regular check-ups, his life was no longer in danger.

On the day of discharge, the child's father held Zhou Yi and Nurbahati's hands, tears streaming down his face: "You gave Yerbol two lives—once through surgery and once after surgery."

Aygul handed the prepared Chinese medicine to her mother: "Take it on time and take it slowly to regulate your body."

Come back for a follow-up examination in three months.

A reporter from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Daily heard about this story and made a special trip to interview the reporter.

On the day the report was published, the headline was particularly eye-catching: "A Life Relay Across 5,000 Miles - 5G Technology + Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Creates a Medical Miracle".

The report sparked widespread discussion.

Some have praised the advancements in technology: "5G makes remote surgical guidance possible, a revolutionary shift in the distribution of medical resources!"

Some people are paying attention to the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine: "Using traditional Chinese medicine for postoperative care, reducing the use of antibiotics, and promoting recovery is an exploration of a medical model with Chinese characteristics."

Some have raised questions: "Is it legal to perform such a high-risk surgery in a grassroots hospital? What if it fails?"

The Health Commission of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps held a special seminar.

Zhou Yi, Nurbahati, and Ayiguli were all invited to speak.

"I know there are risks," Nurbahati said frankly on stage, "but if we don't do it, the child will definitely die; if we do it, there is still hope. As doctors, we choose hope."

Zhou Yi added: "This is not an encouragement to treat all critical illnesses at the grassroots level."

Instead, it explores a model for utilizing modern technology to bring down experts from higher-level hospitals, especially in situations with extremely high transfer risks.

Aygul shared her perspective from the angle of traditional Chinese medicine: "Medical treatment is not a solo effort, but a team effort."

Western medicine uses surgery for emergency treatment, while traditional Chinese medicine focuses on conditioning and strengthening the body's foundation. By leveraging the strengths of each approach, we can best help patients.

The seminar ultimately produced a "Guiding Opinion on Promoting Telemedicine and the Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine".

It explicitly states that in remote areas, emergency treatment under remote guidance can be carried out for critically ill patients with extremely high transfer risks; and it encourages collaboration between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to leverage their respective strengths.

Good news also came from Dalian: Professor Liu applied for a national key research and development project - "Construction of a remote treatment system for critically ill patients in border areas based on 5G technology", and invited Xinjiang to be a partner.

"We need to turn this accidental success into a replicable model," Professor Liu said over the phone.

Yerbol returned for a follow-up examination three months after being discharged from the hospital.

The little guy has gained weight, his complexion is rosy, and he can run and jump.

An ultrasound examination showed that his heart function had basically returned to normal, and his pulmonary artery pressure had dropped to near normal levels.

Nurbahati told the parents, "You can live like a normal child from now on, but you should avoid strenuous exercise and have regular check-ups."

Yerbol held Aygul's hand: "Auntie, the medicine tastes bitter, can I not drink it?"

Aygul squatted down and said gently, "We'll drink it for another month, then we'll stop. From now on, we'll drink sweet, nourishing soup instead, okay?"

The child nodded vigorously.

After seeing the family off, Zhou Yi stood at the hospital entrance, gazing at the distant Tianshan Mountains.

He remembered his first day in Xinjiang, and that ambitious yet bewildered young doctor.

Even now, there are still many things he doesn't understand and many things he can't do, but he knows which way to go.

Nurbahati walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "What are you thinking about?"

Zhou Yi said, "Think about the next time, when the next Yerbol appears, can we do better?"

Nurbahati said confidently, "We definitely can, because we now know that we are not fighting alone."

Aygul joined in: "Me too, the experts from Dalian, and everyone who believes in the value of life."