Chapter 284: Is Using a Ping-Pong Ball Treating a Disease or Driving

Early the next morning, Ji Xiang and Liu Zhuren arrived at the hospital very early, both sharing the same thought: to go to the ICU together to see the Patient.

The Patient lay quietly in the light-shielded room, stiff all over like a zombie.

Liu Zhuren knew deep down that this was already the best-case scenario; if not for Ji Xiang discovering that the Patient was infected with Tetanus Bacillus, it would likely be untreatable by now.

The Patient's condition was stable, but whether they could be cured still depended on their own physical constitution.

Under the influence of medication, the better the physical constitution, the more likely they were to pull through.

The Patient was young and in good health, and with the support of the Second Affiliated Hospital's intensive care capabilities, as long as the diagnosis was correct and there was medical intervention, a recovery should be within reason.

Leaving the ICU, Liu Zhuren wanted to pull Ji Xiang aside to say a few words, but felt it was meaningless; Ji Xiang hadn't gained much benefit from the Provincial Hospital's natural science project.

"Xiao Ji, how is your preparation for the Physician Certificate going?" Liu Zhuren asked.

"Zhuren, it should be no problem."

"That's good, you must pass it this year!" Liu Zhuren raised his voice, speaking to Ji Xiang in an unquestionable tone.

Then, Liu Zhuren looked deeply at Ji Xiang and emphasized his tone again, "Must!"

Ji Xiang didn't understand why Liu Zhuren was so serious, but nodded.

……

……

One week later.

The Patient was lucky; no airway spasms occurred, and the Anesthesia Machine kept on standby was never used.

Gradually, their stiff limbs could move slightly, and the laboratory test values had also dropped to a tolerable level.

When discharging, the Family Member was very happy and invited the relevant department staff to eat at the largest restaurant in the Provincial Hospital city.

But Ji Xiang did not go.

Liu Zhuren felt that Ji Xiang was still rather aloof, a pure Doctor.

If it were himself when he was young, he would have thought Ji Xiang was right to do so, but now Liu Zhuren didn't think that way.

However, Liu Zhuren noticed one detail.

The Patient's father, who had been a bit distraught at the beginning—after all, no one could bear the thought of a white-haired person burying a black-haired one—had calmed down once the Patient's condition stabilized; he acted very steadily and with quite a bit of authority.

He seemed to know Ji Xiang, and even specifically went to find Ji Xiang to express his gratitude and invite him to dinner.

Ji Xiang didn't know what was said, but he refused the Patient's father's invitation.

Yet that man didn't get angry, but instead chatted and laughed with Ji Xiang, as if they were acquaintances.

Liu Zhuren began to ponder in his heart again.

Ji Xiang was not as simple as he appeared; he had known this for a long time. But one thing after another kept pulling at Liu Zhuren's ears, telling him that there was definitely something up with Ji Xiang.

……

……

A few days later, early in the morning, Bai Chuzhang arrived at the department early.

"Liu Zhuren, emergency consultation for Gynecology." Bai Chuzhang walked into Liu Zhuren's office and got straight to the point.

"What kind of Patient?" Liu Zhuren was stunned.

Normally, for an emergency consultation, he should be the one to go to Gynecology to see the Patient first. Even if Bai Chuzhang were to step in, he should have called to inform him there was an emergency consultation and to meet at Gynecology, rather than Bai Chuzhang coming to him directly.

Liu Zhuren's heart stirred, and he immediately realized there was big trouble here.

"The Family Member is blocking the door; I came to ask if you have any good solutions." Bai Chuzhang sat straight down in Liu Zhuren's chair, while Liu Zhuren stood honestly to one side.

Bai Chuzhang entered the Gynecology department in the computer system and found the Medical Record of a Patient.

Ten months ago, the Patient had a difficult labor, and prolonged pressure led to necrosis of the vaginal wall, resulting in a vesicovaginal fistula.

At the time, Liu Zhuren had personally gone for the consultation and provided his opinion—surgical treatment after 3-4 months.

Four months later, the surgery was performed by Liu Zhuren, but due to vaginal laxity, the fistula did not close completely post-surgery.

Thinking of this Patient, Liu Zhuren felt his scalp tingle.

If it were a normal Patient, Liu Zhuren could communicate with the Family Member and explain the difficulties.

But when the birth happened, even though they knew it was a difficult labor, the family insisted on a natural delivery and refused a C-section. It would be a miracle if such a Family Member could be reasoned with!

The surgery was considered a failure, and now the Patient and the Family Member had come to be hospitalized again, and were even blocking the door...

Liu Zhuren frowned upon seeing the familiar name.

"What do you think we should do? Are you confident?"

Bai Chuzhang asked.

"No." Liu Zhuren didn't hide it either; there was no point in hiding when encountering a thorny problem. Once on the operating table, the truth would come out, the problem wouldn't be solved, and the Family Member's anger wouldn't be quelled.

Admitting defeat was Liu Zhuren's answer.

Whether it was inviting a higher-level Expert or going to a brother hospital, Liu Zhuren did not want to take on this hot potato.

Bai Chuzhang didn't speak, but looked at the computer screen with a calm expression.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

A knocking sound rang out.

"Come in."

Ji Xiang pushed the door open and entered, with Zhao Zhe following behind him.

"Zhuren, there are six surgeries tomorrow; please review them." Seeing Bai Chuzhang there, Ji Xiang didn't walk further in, but bowed slightly and said politely.

"Xiao Ji, come here." Bai Chuzhang beckoned.

Ji Xiang stepped inside, "Bai Chuzhang."

"Take a look at this Medical Record and tell me what you think."

As he spoke, Bai Chuzhang stood up and gave his seat to Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang saw that Liu Zhuren was also standing, not sitting, but instead hunched over to look at the Medical Record.

After reading it, Ji Xiang didn't speak, but Zhao Zhe suddenly said, "Bai Chuzhang, Liu Zhuren, I encountered a similar Patient in Yuanliao."

"Hmm?!" Bai Chuzhang looked up at Zhao Zhe, "How did you handle it? Was the problem solved?"

"Using a ping-pong ball," Zhao Zhe said.

"!!!"

"It's true, I didn't believe it at first either. There was a Patient who had surgery for Crohn's disease and developed a rectovaginal fistula post-operatively. We performed three surgeries and couldn't fix it; fortunately, the Family Member was very cooperative, mainly because they had no money."

Regarding this Patient, we held many meetings—departmental ones, hospital-wide consultations—everything that could be said was said, and we could only urge the Patient to go to a higher-level hospital.

Later, a retired old Doctor came to get medicine and happened to run into us; he said it could be treated using a ping-pong ball."

"A ping-pong ball..." Bai Chuzhang looked down at Zhao Zhe, who was hunched over naturally with a subservient expression.

"It's like this," Zhao Zhe hurriedly said, "Old doctors in the past often used ping-pong balls. For example, after a total pneumonectomy in thoracic surgery, they would worry about mediastinal flutter, so they would fill the affected side with ping-pong balls. I've seen the X-rays of such patients and was shocked. Just imagine, one side of the thoracic cavity filled with round objects; it looked just..."

Zhao Zhe once again hopelessly veered off-topic.

Ji Xiang initially thought Zhao Zhe was making a dirty joke; what kind of ping-pong ball, if not a dirty joke, then what?

But this was a discussion about a Patient's condition, so Ji Xiang quickly abandoned his initial judgment.

Hearing Zhao Zhe start to ramble and fail to get to the point, he focused his mind and entered the System Operating Room.

"Teacher."

Ji Xiang explained the Patient's situation to the System NPC.

"Zhao Yisheng said he has seen similar surgeries performed using a ping-pong ball; is that true?"

"Yes," the System NPC gave Ji Xiang an affirmative answer.

(End of this chapter)