A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

On the day of the briefing, Nurbahati was more enthusiastic than anyone else.

He wore a crisp new white overcoat, his hair was slicked back and shiny, and even his shoes were polished so bright you could see your reflection in them.

Upon seeing the hospital leaders accompany Professor Cao into the meeting room, he immediately stepped forward to greet them, speaking before the other department heads could: "Dean, Professor Cao, I've already prepared the presentation materials. Shall I start first? That way, the experts can learn about our cardiology department's core achievements as soon as possible."

Dean Zhang Jianguo, recalling his earlier volunteering, nodded: "Alright, then thank you for your trouble. Please speak well."

Nuerbahati immediately took the microphone and strode to the center of the venue.

From the moment he opened his mouth, he focused entirely on traditional open mitral valve surgery, exaggerating the advantages of the technique and even picking out a few complex cases he had performed to bolster his argument.

"This traditional open mitral valve surgery is the cornerstone of our cardiology department. Countless dangerous cases have been saved thanks to this technique."

When he got excited, he specifically brought up the case of an acute myocardial infarction complicated by severe mitral regurgitation from last year, and described it vividly with embellishment: "Take last year, for example, that critically ill patient. Halfway through the surgery, he suddenly had a massive hemorrhage, and his blood pressure dropped to sixty in an instant!"

The nurses in the operating room were trembling with fear, and even the experienced assistants were panicked. I remained calm under pressure, and relying on my decades of clinical experience, I immediately pinpointed the approximate location of the bleeding point. In just a few precise movements, I found the spot to stop the bleeding, pulling the person back from the brink of death!

The patient recovered very well after the surgery. He was able to get out of bed and move around after only a few days in the hospital. When he was discharged, he even presented me with a banner, holding my hand and repeatedly saying that I was his savior!

Nurbahati was talking so much that he was spitting everywhere, completely unaware that several colleagues in the audience who knew the situation were secretly rolling their eyes.

Zhou Yi, standing in a corner of the venue, had a clear view of Nurbahati's performance.

After listening to this routine report, Professor Zhang showed no smile and asked sternly, "Is your department just clinging to these old technologies?"

Haven't you explored any new technologies? For example, right-sided small-incision mitral valve repair, which is a major trend in cardiac surgery now. It's less invasive, has a faster recovery, and can greatly improve patients' postoperative quality of life. Haven't you been paying attention?

Nurbahati felt as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He quickly stood up, forcing a fawning smile, and was about to wave his hand to smooth things over: "Professor Cao, the technology you mentioned is still in the exploratory stage and not very mature, so we were embarrassed to mention it in our report..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yi took a steady step forward and said in a humble yet assertive manner, "Professor Cao, I have already started a clinical pilot program for right-sided small-incision mitral valve repair in our department."

The first surgery has been successfully completed, and the patient has recovered well and been discharged smoothly.

"Shut up!"

Nurbahati abruptly interrupted Zhou Yi.

He thought to himself that Zhou Yi was a clueless idiot, showing off in front of his mentor for no reason. Wasn't he just asking for trouble?

If your tutor points out a flaw in your technique, not only will you be finished, but he will also lose face completely!

Nuerbahati quickly added, trying to belittle Zhou Yi's technique: "Professor Cao, don't listen to his nonsense. This technique is immature, and patients have a high risk of postoperative complications. It's not suitable for widespread adoption at all."

Professor Zhang completely ignored Nurbahati's explanation. Upon hearing that Zhou Yi was indeed working on this technology, his eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward, his tone full of anticipation: "Oh? You've really started?"

Tell me your surgical plan. Especially the operational details of valve exposure and creation through a small incision; this is a key challenge in this technique, and many people get stuck here.

Zhou Yi took out a pre-prepared PPTU disk from his file bag and walked straight to the projection equipment without pausing for a moment.

"Professor Cao, experts, I'll get straight to the point and report on the core operational points of valve repair surgery."

The first step is the surgical approach; this is fundamental, and if you get it wrong, everything else will be in vain.

Conventional approaches are prone to encountering the subcostal nerves and surrounding small blood vessels. I chose a location 0.5 cm lateral to the midclavicular line at the 4th intercostal space on the right side. This position allows the laparoscope to be directly aligned with the core of the surgical area as soon as it is inserted, without having to make repeated adjustments and wasting time.

"The skin incision should be kept within 1.2 cm. The muscle layer must be dissected with a blunt instrument. Do not use sharp instruments to scratch it, so as to avoid damaging the tissue."

Furthermore, the bleeding in this step must be kept below 5 milliliters. If it exceeds this amount, it is necessary to immediately check whether a blood vessel has been ruptured.

Nuerbahati's eyelids twitched as he listened, while Professor Cao squinted at the diagram on the screen, listening with great interest.

Before he could calm down, Zhou Yi had already casually switched the PPT slides.

The Book of Changes is explained in a clear and logical manner. Whether it is the operational steps or the key data, it is so accurate that there is not the slightest deviation, as if it is engraved in one's mind.

The members of the expert group listened attentively, frequently taking notes of the key points, afraid of missing any important details.

This scene, witnessed by Nurbahati, made him even more uneasy.

"Next comes the suturing techniques for valve repair, and the coordination of intraoperative esophageal ultrasound; these two complement each other."

Zhou Yi's voice continued, devoid of any emotion: "When suturing, the technique should be light and the pressure should be even. I use continuous locking suture, with the spacing between each stitch controlled at 2 millimeters, which ensures both firmness and prevents uneven stress on the valve."

As for esophageal ultrasound, it is essential to follow the surgical rhythm closely, confirming the valve position before suturing and checking the closure after shaping; no step can be omitted.

Nuerbahati's palms seemed to be dripping with moisture; his heart was filled with extreme inner conflict.

On the one hand, he hoped that Zhou Yi would make a mistake, either by omitting a key step or by reporting incorrect data, so that Professor Cao would expose him on the spot and make him lose face, and he could take the opportunity to put Zhou Yi in a better position.

On the other hand, he was also afraid that Zhou Yi's explanation might be flawless and gain Professor Cao's approval. If that happened, his authority as a "senior" and "department head" would completely collapse, and who would respect him in the department afterward? He would lose all face.

He would steal glances at Professor Cao's expression one moment, and then stare intently at the screen the next.

"That concludes the theoretical section. Next, we'll look at key operative segments from the clinical pilot surgery for a more intuitive understanding."

As soon as Zhou Yi finished speaking, he reached out and clicked on the video file.

The screen instantly displayed the scene of the surgery. In the video, his hand holding the laparoscopic instruments was as steady as if it were nailed to the spot, without the slightest tremor, let alone any shaking.

In his narrow field of vision, those slender instruments seemed to come alive in his hands, precisely avoiding blood vessels when separating tissues, without causing any unnecessary damage.

The suturing technique was meticulous, with each stitch placed precisely. The shaping process was swift and efficient, without the slightest hesitation, and even the intraoperative bleeding was remarkably minimal.

His voice remained steady, without any deliberate raising, yet everyone present could hear him clearly: "Look here, everyone, the pressure applied to suture the valve was truly precise."

Too loose is no good; the valve won't close properly after surgery, leading to bleeding and fluid leakage, rendering all previous efforts useless. Too tight is even worse; the valve tissue is already fragile, and excessive force can damage it, causing new problems for the patient.

As soon as he finished speaking, the surgical instruments in the video suddenly paused. "And here, I deliberately paused for two seconds. It wasn't that the operation was stuck, but that I was waiting for the esophageal ultrasound to give me a definite answer. I only dared to continue suturing after confirming that the positioning was 100% accurate."

Don't rush this step. I've seen many beginners rush to finish the procedure and start working before the ultrasound has even confirmed the error. As a result, they might make a tiny mistake and have to redo the entire surgery. In severe cases, it can even lead to complications.

This step is crucial to ensuring the success of the surgery; not a single step can be omitted, nor can it be rushed.

This explanation was straightforward and down-to-earth, without a single obscure jargon. Coupled with the incredibly steady operation shown in the video, the experts in the audience could no longer contain themselves and began to sigh in admiration.

"Wow, that technique is amazing!"

"Dr. Zhou explained it so clearly, I understood it immediately!"

……

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they leaned forward, afraid of missing any detail.