Chapter 354: Running an Errand

"The surgery is a bit tricky," the System NPC said. "A long time ago, I was invited to attend a consultation."

Ji Xiang knew the System NPC's temperament; perhaps when people grow old, they become willing to talk about past events. To a young person, memories are just one thing, but to an elderly person, they might be their most precious treasure.

"A national-level athlete suffered an Achilles Tendon Rupture and could never reach their former peak level. In competitive sports, the winner takes all, so that athlete began to drink heavily, and symptoms of Depression also appeared."

"After all, I hadn't touched Orthopedics for many years, especially Sports Medicine surgeries; the main body of the work was still completed by Zhou Congwen."

"What main body, Teacher?" Ji Xiang asked.

"H-Z Surgery," the System NPC said indifferently.

Ji Xiang was startled.

H-Z Surgery—Ji Xiang had never heard of a surgical procedure name like that.

And!

Naming a surgical procedure after a surname means the procedure has been recognized by the academic community and promoted on a large scale.

Thinking of this, and then thinking of the cigarette the Coach handed over at the end of the Empathy, Ji Xiang's heart pounded.

"The surgery is somewhat difficult, and in the end, it couldn't be promoted. I once tried to lower the difficulty of the surgery, but unfortunately..." The System NPC shook their head.

"Teacher, what happened later?"

Ji Xiang asked.

"Later, well," the System NPC said. "The surgery was successful, followed by rehabilitation training, returning to the field, correcting bad habits, and then that athlete saw hope, finally returning to their peak and going even further."

"!!!"

"The musculoskeletal system emphasizes smoothness. For example, in Arthroscopic treatment of rotator cuff injury, why does Suture Knot Impingement occur?" the System NPC asked.

"Not smooth enough..."

Ji Xiang helplessly continued along the System NPC's words.

Using "smooth" to describe the effect of a surgery felt a bit unreliable to Ji Xiang, but upon careful thought, it was indeed the case.

After surgery on the rotator cuff, there is always a suture knot remaining, which is equivalent to having a small pebble in one's shoe grinding against the foot.

Because of the repeated friction caused by movement, the sole of the foot will develop blisters, and the rotator cuff position will also develop Subacromial Osteolysis.

The corresponding principle seems to be applicable to positions like the knee joint and ankle joint as well.

"That's about it. Let's go, I'll take you to perform an open repair of a rotator cuff injury + acromioplasty first. You experience the feeling of smoothness, and then I'll teach you H-Z Surgery."

Early the next morning.

Ji Xiang took Sha Paozi for a half-marathon run.

Sha Paozi had a great body; on the first day, the second half of the half-marathon was basically Ji Xiang carrying it back. But after nearly two months of adaptation, Sha Paozi had already turned into a sheepdog with extremely strong Stamina.

After eating at home, Ji Xiang rode his bike to the hospital.

Along the way, he recalled the surgery the System NPC had taught him last night. When Ji Xiang saw the hospital gate, he felt that what he saw was different from before.

Ji Xiang couldn't say what was different himself; perhaps it was that after mastering a top-tier surgical procedure, he himself had undergone changes he wasn't yet accustomed to.

Arriving at the inpatient department and changing his clothes, Ji Xiang saw that Deng Chaohong had arrived even earlier than him.

"Teacher Deng, why are you here so early today?" Ji Xiang asked.

"It's still about that Patient from yesterday," Deng Chaohong smiled slightly. "The family contacted the Imperial Capital and finally decided to invite an Expert to perform the surgery."

"Why not stay in the Imperial Capital to have it done?" Ji Xiang was startled.

He looked closely at Deng Chaohong and saw that Professor Deng Chaohong didn't particularly care or seem particularly unhappy, which put his mind at ease.

To be explicitly distrusted by a patient and still be able to endure it—Deng Chaohong could be considered a kind-hearted person. It was just that Deng Chaohong's expression was a bit strange; it wasn't that he was unhappy, but rather that he seemed to be hiding something.

"Hehe," Deng Chaohong chuckled and didn't explain much to Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang had also been in contact with Clinical work for a while and had seen many different types of patients and Family Members, so he vaguely understood.

There could be many reasons for a patient's family; a more absurd one was the mother he and Meng Qingfei encountered in the Emergency Department who wanted to send her child abroad to study in high school.

To this mother, the child's future was more important; as for Acute Appendicitis, that was just a minor ailment that could be temporarily ignored and perhaps endured with oral Antibiotic.

Without standing in the other person's shoes, it is hard to have Empathy.

"The Expert coming is a senior fellow student from when I was studying for my Doctor of Philosophy," Deng Chaohong raised his hand to smooth out his furrowed brows.

Yet, the vertical lines remained on his forehead, as if they couldn't be smoothed away.

"Teacher Deng, I feel like you aren't very happy?" Ji Xiang asked.

"That senior fellow of mine has a bad temper; he was bullied quite a bit back then. Or rather, it wasn't exactly bullying, it was mainly that his surgical style was a bit poor. Once he got on the operating table, he was like a different person, cursing as soon as he opened his mouth. If it weren't for the need to maintain sterile technique, I'm afraid he would have started hitting people."

"There really are people like that."

"Of course, there are many Doctors who have two personalities on and off the operating table. The pressure during surgery is high, and a second personality naturally emerges; this is very normal," Deng Chaohong said.

"It's just one surgery, it doesn't matter, just tough it out."

Deng Chaohong nodded slightly, "Xiao Ji, go ask about the medical history, then prepare for the surgery."

"When is that teacher coming?"

"The day after tomorrow, I've reserved time for preoperative preparation."

Lu Kai stood to the side, constantly apologizing with a smile. This was his first order as a 'medical escort', but this job didn't seem easy to do; after all, human hearts are unpredictable, and who knew what the Family Member was thinking? Lu Kai felt a bit troubled.

"Xiao Lu, it has nothing to do with you, don't worry about it," Deng Chaohong said. "The Family Member wants to invite an outside Expert to perform the surgery; I will certainly cooperate well."

The more Professor Deng Chaohong acted like he didn't care, the more Lu Kai felt sorry for him.

Ji Xiang didn't chat idly; he asked for the Patient's room number and went to collect the medical history to prepare to write the Medical Record.

"Professor Deng, that senior fellow of yours is doing quite well now, right?" Xu Leyu asked.

"Quite well, he already has quite a reputation in the Imperial Capital and has unique insights into Sports Medicine surgeries," Deng Chaohong said. "When members of the national swimming team get injured, they mainly look for him."

"Damn, that's impressive!" Xu Leyu knew what Deng Chaohong's words implied.

"The Family Member is quite impressive, to actually be able to invite him here."

"But if he were truly impressive, he would have stayed in the Imperial Capital to perform the surgery," Xu Leyu said. "Since your classmate is actually leaving the Imperial Capital now, his skill level is probably just so-so."

Deng Chaohong smiled; he also knew that Xu Leyu was speaking up for him.

"He doesn't usually leave the Imperial Capital either; I don't know why he did this time," Deng Chaohong said. "Could it be because of me?"

"Because of you?" Xu Leyu was taken aback.

"Sigh, he is petty," Deng Chaohong said helplessly. "We had a conflict over a small matter when we were in school, so..."

Xu Leyu was stunned.

(End of this chapter)