Chapter 1282: 1244 Quan Xiaocao

"Zheng Lao Ban, what do you think the patient's abdominal cavity looks like?" Director Wei asked while scrubbing his hands.

"More severe abdominal adhesion syndrome, sticky as a mess, possibly stemming from chronic persistent irritation." Zheng Ren said: "If it's a woman, consider possible ovarian or fallopian tube inflammation." Zheng Ren replied while scrubbing his hands.

The splashing water sound was like a mountain spring dripping; Zheng Lao Ban's speaking voice sounded like he was singing.

"The patient is so old..." Director Wei felt that Zheng Lao Ban's consideration was a bit unreliable; he even doubted the possibility of abdominal adhesion syndrome.

Perhaps it's not abdominal adhesion syndrome, but maybe some disease even more troublesome than it.

Pan-gastrointestinal fibrosis? Perhaps that's this disease.

"Director Wei, let's open and have a look; if it's troublesome, we may need to bring in obstetrics as well." Zheng Ren said.

"..." Director Wei felt it was a bit unreliable.

If it were the first time meeting Zheng Ren, he would have long ago slapped this young doctor away.

But several surgeries have proven that Zheng Lao Ban's general surgery skill is very strong, even stronger than his own.

Out of respect for the strong, Director Wei remained silent. If going on stage later proved Zheng Lao Ban was right, his opposition would be as embarrassing as possible.

Let's open and have a look.

After scrubbing up, a young doctor had already laid out the sheet.

Xie Yiren happened to arrive, wearing a hat and mask, only her curved brows and eyes showing. When she looked at Zheng Ren, her crescent eyes curved even more, flowing with a silent smile.

The sterilized instrument box was brought to the instrument table; Xie Yiren went straight to scrub in, replacing the instrument nurse of the Big External Operating Room.

Whenever Zheng Lao Ban performs surgery, there's a high chance a dedicated instrument nurse and specialized instruments are needed. Everyone in the operating room knows this, and the nurses have countless speculations about Xie Yiren.

But Xiao Yi Ren's skill is indeed high, and she works in tacit understanding with Zheng Lao Ban, so no one says much more.

After laying the sterile sheet, disinfecting, and laying the sheet, the young doctor's all tasks were done; he quietly stepped aside.

Zheng Ren suddenly recalled that day half a year ago, when he had struggled hard to get into the surgery, only to end up standing in a corner waiting.

Now he himself counts as someone who can go on stage for surgery and be observed by others.

"The surgery is big; just stand behind me and watch closely." Zheng Ren said gently: "If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask, no need to be polite."

The young doctor had been feeling a bit down, but upon hearing the usually taciturn Zheng Lao Ban speak to him, he suddenly startled.

"Zheng Lao Ban, you're here." Director Wei stood in the surgeon's position, with Professor Feng beside him, yet he spoke to Zheng Ren in an affirmative tone.

"Hmm, then I won't be polite. From an imaging perspective, analyzing it, the difficulty of surgery after opening the peritoneum is especially high." Zheng Ren said lightly.

After disinfecting, he reached out and the willow-leaf blade was slapped into his palm.

An incision beside the right rectus abdominis, almost from below the xiphoid process to the pubic symphysis.

What kind of surgery requires such a large incision? The young doctor standing behind Zheng Ren was stunned.

"Zheng Lao Ban, this... incision is too big, isn't it?" the young doctor called Quan Xiaocao asked timidly.

Zheng Ren only then realized, he actually was her; he truly was blind...

Quan Xiaocao, having a name so ordinary it's rustic. Not a doctor from the 912 home, nor an off-site trainee chief or attending physician or the like.

She is still a student, a rare "spicy" girl, yet also of the timid sort. Interested only in surgery, she looks down on all internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and basic research.

Last year after finishing the graduate entrance exam, her grades were quite good.

Her family had no connections, and what matters most in graduate entrance exam besides scores is the advisor.

It's best to find a doctoral advisor with a milder temperament, who exerts lighter pressure on his/her graduate-student research dogs. Quan Xiaocao heard this from senior fellow students.

Doctoral advisors also recruit master's students; after entering, one can rely on one's own effort to go all the way to a doctorate, saving worry and effort.

And a doctorate is so hard to obtain; aside from some truly monstrous existences, most doctoral candidates run around everywhere just to graduate.

At this point, a humane advisor becomes important.

When publishing an SCI paper, having one's own name on it is enough to change a young person's life. And many advisors merely treat doctoral students as their slaves, preferably not letting them graduate, because after graduation they lose a strong laborer.

There are doctoral candidates who, unable to graduate after prolonged delay, with nowhere to turn, can only jump to their death; such incidents are not uncommon.

Quan Xiaocao stumbled upon the 912 Gastroenterology Surgery department during last year's New Year.

The New Year is a good time. The home doctors and trainee laborers all returned home to celebrate. Even the most demanding team-leading professor cannot forcibly keep people.

After all, it's a traditional custom; if not allowed to go home for the New Year, soon there will be universal betrayal and alienation.

And at this time Quan Xiaocao came to 912, where she encountered Professor Feng, who was performing surgery alone.

The laborers who showed up at the door—how could they not be wanted! Although she was a girl, Professor Feng was somewhat dissatisfied, but when personnel were lacking, one couldn't be picky.

Fortunately Quan Xiaocao is capable, enduring hardship without complaint. In the hospital where men are treated like livestock, she, a girl, works as hard as a large beast of burden, earning Professor Feng's approval.

This year's exam scores are quite good; even if she doesn't know Feng Jianguo, accepting her would be no problem. Plus coming early to help for free, working like a beast of burden, if nothing unexpected happens, her advisor should be Professor Feng.

Having long been accustomed to professors treating her as invisible, Quan Xiaocao felt somewhat surprised by the legendary Zheng Lao Ban's gentleness; the question she had kept in her heart slipped out.

Just asking about the incision—even if it were Zheng Lao Ban's slip of the hand, it wouldn't matter much.

Quan Xiaocao thought so.

"We'll know once we open it." Zheng Ren slapped the willow-leaf blade back, and hemostatic forceps and electrocautery appeared in his hand.

Does this count as an explanation? Quan Xiaocao didn't continue to raise her eyes with doubts. She herself isn't even counted as a trainee; being present in the operating room is a violation.

It's just that everywhere is short-staffed, so everyone turns a blind eye. If she provoked a big shot, Professor Feng probably wouldn't protect her.

Quan Xiaocao had a clear understanding of this point.

Layer by layer, they entered the abdominal cavity.

"Director Wei, don't exert force when lifting the peritoneum." Zheng Ren reminded in advance.

Just lifting it a few millimeters, Zheng Ren used the willow-leaf blade to "stab" and rupture the peritoneum.

During surgery, the scalpel rarely uses this "stab" motion, because not knowing what tissue lies beneath, if it accidentally harms other organs, what then?

Regarding Zheng Lao Ban's unconventional maneuver, Director Wei hadn't yet had a chance to say anything when the blunt scissors squeezed into the puncture site and began to separate bit by bit.

Uh... is the adhesion beneath the peritoneum also this severe?

When the peritoneum had been opened a few centimeters, a sheet of white stuff appeared in the operating field.

What the hell is this?