A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Since Nurbahati and Zhou Yi became a golden duo, minimally invasive surgery has gradually gotten on the right track. Whether they are young doctors or veteran physicians, they are all eager to make some more achievements.

That afternoon, 58-year-old Tong Guoliang was wheeled into the department.

The moment he appeared, the relaxed chatter in the duty room came to an abrupt halt.

The man was so thin he was just a skeleton, his cheeks were deeply sunken, and he didn't even have the strength to be helped onto the hospital bed. He had to gasp for breath after speaking just one word, and his breathing was heavy and labored.

Zhou Yi followed up on the case immediately. When the test results came out and he saw the various data on the report, his mood became increasingly heavy: the illness was far more complicated and difficult to deal with than he had expected.

Tong Guoliang not only suffers from coronary heart disease, but also has multiple blood vessels in his heart that are narrowed by more than 80%, which is equivalent to the blood vessels being blocked down to a narrow slit.

What's more troublesome is that it also has moderate mitral regurgitation, which has severely affected the heart's pumping function.

Most critically, his heart function rating has dropped to level three, which is considered severely damaged. From now on, even getting up slightly could lead to fatal danger.

"can not wait."

Considering the critical condition of Tong Guoliang, Zhou Yi did not hesitate at all and directly used the best antiplatelet drugs and lipid-lowering drugs in the department, and also added a beta-blocker to stabilize the heart rate.

This treatment plan would be considered top-tier when used to treat similar conditions in the past. As long as the patient is sensitive to the medication, the symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath will usually show signs of relief within three days.

But reality dealt everyone a heavy blow.

One day, two days, three days...

The medication was administered precisely according to the prescribed dosage, and Zhou Yi visited the ward several times a day to check on Tong Guoliang. However, Tong Guoliang's condition not only did not improve at all, but worsened day by day.

He could barely speak a few words at first, but later he almost lost the strength to even open his mouth. His chest tightness worsened, and he was so out of breath that he couldn't straighten up after even the slightest movement.

During the ward rounds, Zhou Yi recounted his situation, and Nurbahati felt that he had also encountered a difficult case and did not have a more suitable solution at the moment.

During the day, Tong Guoliang felt as if a heavy stone weighing dozens of kilograms was pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. He didn't even have the strength to get up and drink a glass of warm water.

The nights were even harder to bear; I couldn't sleep all night long, and as soon as I lay down, I felt a tightness in my chest.

That morning, Zhou Yi went to make his rounds as usual. Just as he reached Tong Guoliang's bedside, the man's withered hand gripped his arm tightly. "Dr. Zhou, is my illness... really incurable?"

Just as Zhou Yi was about to say something comforting, Tong Guoliang interrupted him with a sob in his voice: "I've been taking medicine for several days, but it's not helping at all."

I still want to see my grandson start elementary school next year, and I want to hold him in my arms. Now, let alone holding a child, I don't even have the strength to lift my arm anymore...

At this point, Tong Guoliang could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face.

"Uncle Tong, don't worry, we're still trying to find a solution. We definitely won't give up on you. Just hang in there a little longer."

After leaving the ward, Zhou Yi began to consult the latest treatment guidelines and medical literature. His computer contained more than a dozen similar difficult cases, which he compared and analyzed one by one, studying them word by word.

The more they investigated, the more anxious they became. The limitations of Western medicine alone were clearly evident. All the necessary medications had been used, and the dosages had already been increased to the maximum that the patient could tolerate. Increasing the dosage any further could trigger serious complications and accelerate the deterioration of the condition, which would be counterproductive.

Rather than continuing to agonize over it, Zhou Yi decided to consult with Nurbahati about a treatment plan.

Nurbahati has been closely monitoring this difficult case, visiting the ward several times.

"Continuing like this is not a solution. The medication has reached its limit, and if we delay any longer, the patient's condition will only worsen."

If all else fails, we'll have to take a gamble and perform a traditional open mitral valve replacement.

Zhou Yi's eyes showed a hint of surprise, and a touch of hesitation.

Nurbahati sighed, his tone filled with helplessness: "I know this surgery is highly invasive, the patient's physical condition is currently poor, the risk of postoperative infection is also high, and recovery will be very difficult."

But compared to watching his condition worsen step by step until all hope is lost, this is at least a path to take, and it's better than sitting and waiting to die.

"Absolutely not!"

Without a second thought, Zhou Yi firmly rejected the idea: "Director, have you forgotten to look at his left ventricular ejection fraction? It's only 35%, the normal level should be over 50%, and his is less than half!"

Zhou Yi took half a step forward. "His heart function is already severely damaged. He simply can't withstand the huge trauma of open surgery."

Post-operative heart failure is highly likely, and whether the patient will survive the surgery is uncertain. This isn't just a gamble; it's pushing the patient towards death!

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Nurbahati's face also darkened. "The medication has reached its limit; it's having no effect whatsoever. Are we just going to watch him deteriorate without surgery? We're doctors, not helpless bystanders!"

"I didn't say I was going to be a bystander!"

"I've been spending all my time in the office these past few days researching literature and comparing cases. There must be similar difficult cases both domestically and internationally, and there must be other, more reliable methods. We can't make the decision to open the abdomen so hastily!"

The two argued back and forth, their faces flushed, neither willing to back down an inch.

Just then, Tong Guoliang's son, Tong Lei, stormed in angrily. "Can you even treat him? My dad suffers in the ward every day, groaning in pain, unable to even sleep. And all you do is lock yourself in your office and hold meetings? If you can't treat him, just say so, and we'll transfer him to another hospital immediately!"

Seeing this, Zhou Yi softened his tone and reassured him, "Don't worry, we're not just having a casual discussion, we're genuinely trying to find a solution for your father's condition. No matter what, we will never give up on him, please give us a little more time."

"Trying to find a solution? I've been thinking about it for days, what's the use?"

Tong Lei didn't buy it at all. He took a step closer, pointed his finger at Zhou Yi's nose, and said, "I heard from other patients in the ward that your department is working on some new technology lately. Are you using my dad as a guinea pig?"

His voice was urgent and loud, filled with strong skepticism: "If it really can't be cured, just give us a straight answer, don't delay our transfer to a big hospital in Urumqi! The experts there will definitely have better solutions than you!"

"How dare you talk like that!"

Nurbahati stared sharply at Wang Lei, "We've done our best to treat your father, trying every day to find a solution. How does that make us use him as a guinea pig?"

"Do you know how dangerous your father's condition is right now? Even the slightest bump could cause an accident. Can you afford the risks of transferring him to another hospital? If something really happens, you won't even have time to cry!"

Wang Lei was speechless for a moment, then became even more indignant, rolling up his sleeves to argue with Nurbahati: "I can't afford it? It's better than waiting to die here! If you were really capable, would my father have suffered so much?"

Just when things were at a stalemate, the office door was gently pushed open again, and Zhou Hongmei from the Traditional Chinese Medicine department walked in with a medical record book in her hand.

She had just returned from a consultation in Tong Guoliang's ward, and was slightly out of breath.

"Director Nu, Dr. Zhou, I'm sorry to bother you."

She strode between the two men, glanced at Tong Lei who was still angry, then turned to Zhou Yi and Nurbahati, and said in a serious tone, "I just took Tong Guoliang's pulse and carefully reviewed his medical report."

His condition isn't just a localized heart problem; he's severely deficient in both qi and blood throughout his body, and his internal organs are also weak.

Zhou Hongmei paused for a moment, then continued, "Right now, relying solely on Western medicine to control heart rate and prevent thrombosis can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. We need to regulate the Qi and blood from the root, while also taking care to regulate the internal organs. Let's try a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine; perhaps that will bring about a turning point."