Chapter 2130: 2057 Heart the Size of an Almond

"Isn't the fetus also motionless after anesthesia?" Xie Ning asked.

"For now anesthesia hasn't started yet; the fetus will have spontaneous movements inside the uterus, such as turning over, changing position, etc." Lao He explained, "Once we move to a position Zheng Lao Ban is satisfied with, the anesthesiologist will start administering medication, fixing the fetus's position inside the uterus."

"How long will it take?"

"It's not certain." Lao He said, "When doing a four-dimensional color ultrasound on the fetus, sometimes we need to wait one or two hours for the fetus to turn over. If it never turns over, we have to wait for the next opportunity. There is a certain probability here; it's hard to say exactly when the Shou Bing can start."

Just as Lao He said, the B-ultrasound probe, once placed at a certain position, no longer moves significantly but only makes small adjustments.

In the B-ultrasound room, when doctors perform a four-dimensional color ultrasound on pregnant women, conscientious doctors will wait a long time, and in between they will also let the pregnant woman move a bit.

However, most pregnant women and their families do not understand this meaning; some even think that a doctor who finishes with just a few swipes has a higher skill level.

This is both laughable and frustrating.

"Here is the fetus's heart; currently the fetus's heart is only slightly larger than an almond." Lao He made an analogy, holding a laser pointer in his right hand and gesturing to Xie Ning with his left hand to show the size of an almond.

This is not yet the Shou Bing space, Zheng Lao Ban will use the finest guidewire to locate the position of the aortic valve, then deploy a balloon to expand the narrowed spot.

After having an analogy, the otherwise dull B-ultrasound image also became three-dimensional and vivid.

The heart is like an almond; all operations must be done carefully, which is easy to understand.

How difficult the Shou Bing is, how high the required Technique level is, becomes clear under Lao He's explanation.

Countless comments appeared in the bullet screen; some raised questions, some tentatively offered answers. Lao He took this opportunity to continue explaining to Xie Ning the difficulties of intracardiac intervention surgery.

As mentioned before, this Shou Bing has succeeded in fewer than 200 cases worldwide; its difficulty can be imagined.

Afterwards Lao He began to introduce how many similar fetuses domestically need rescue each year.

Moreover, this Shou Bing, because it is still at the exploratory stage internationally, many domestic doctors are completely unaware of its existence.

When encountering similar pregnant women and affected children, the only suggestion is to induce labor.

Not even a chance to try.

Whether from a medical or commercial perspective, the development and promotion of this surgical method are of extremely great significance.

Lao He himself has a deep Theory foundation, especially with high B-ultrasound proficiency, citing classics, and thus speaks convincingly.

He himself has said that B-ultrasound proficiency can detect pneumothorax.

This is a hard nut to crack; many doctors don't even know that B-ultrasound can detect pneumothorax. Only top-tier tertiary hospitals have this service, and only Lao He, this kind of anesthesiologist, is proficient in such business that appears unrelated to anesthesia.

Suddenly, the fetus moved inside the uterus. Lao He glanced at the time; the surgery live broadcast had already passed 34′34″.

Remaining still the whole time, just for this moment.

However, it's fine; although the time was long, this moment still arrived.

The so-called "still as a maiden" is exactly this.

Seeing Zheng Lao Ban holding the B-ultrasound probe in his left hand and making a gesture with his right, Lao He felt various envy, jealousy, and hatred.

This is to have the anesthesiologist of the Women and Children's Hospital administer anesthesia; the Shou Bing will officially begin.

After anesthesia was completed, Su Yun took over the B-ultrasound probe, and Zheng Ren began meticulous operation.

The puncture needle, as fine as a hair, appeared on the screen under ultrasound guidance.

The puncture needle is so fine that if you don't look closely or have poor eyesight, you'll miss it directly.

Passing through the pregnant woman's abdominal wall, uterine wall, amniotic cavity, fetal chest wall, etc., it reaches the fetal left ventricle and the position of the fetal heart aortic valve.

"Ning Shu, this is the key point of the operation." Lao He explained step by step; seeing Xie Ning's solemn expression, he knew he truly understood.

Not being family, one does not enter the family's door.

Zheng Lao Ban's father-in-law is also no ordinary person; for this difficult Shou Bing, my explanation leans a bit academic, yet an outsider actually understood it!

Lao He felt moved in his heart, and then saw Zheng Lao Ban send the balloon in.

Sending in the balloon and expanding it, opening the narrowed aortic valve.

Seeing the balloon begin to expand, Lao He's heartbeat started to quicken.

This is the most crucial step; he found related reports. Each report only mentioned successful cases, without mentioning failed Shou Bing.

But some case reports mention that this step of balloon expansion is the most important step. Because there is no related standard, the speed at which the fetus grows inside the pregnant woman's uterus also has no fixed value.

Therefore, how much force to use, how much to expand the balloon, lacks theoretical basis and data support. One can only rely subjectively in the Shou Bing, depending on Zheng Lao Ban's rich experience to complete it.

Lao He stared intently at the LED screen; at this moment, he forgot his own task, his whole person immersed in the Tension Shou Bing process.

The B-ultrasound showed that the balloon had reached the position of the fetus's narrowed aortic valve.

Subsequently the balloon expanded slightly, and Lao He immediately felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, as if a balloon were expanding at his own aortic valve position.

The entire fetus's heart is the size of an almond; the balloon's expansion speed is not fast, and it is very subtle, very slow, very slow. If not for the ultra-high B-ultrasound proficiency, Lao He would not be able to determine what Zheng Lao Ban is doing.

How precise must the operation be?!

Lao He felt moved, and glanced at the fetus's ultrasound data.

The aortic valve pressure difference began to drop from the peak of 88mmhG, Lao He's right hand gripping the laser pointer, making a creaking sound.

But he didn't notice it.

At this moment, Lao He had already crossed time and space, habitually naturally "standing" at the head side of the patient on the operating table, staring at the data of the ventilator and monitor.

Moreover, while observing countless values, he kept watching Zheng Lao Ban's operation, thinking in his mind about what his next step should be to perfectly cooperate with Zheng Lao Ban's Shou Bing.

As the fetus's arterial pressure difference decreased, Lao He also saw Zheng Lao Ban continue to expand the balloon.

88mmHg……83mmHg……81mmHg……

Shou Bing, at this moment, is the most dangerous.

Once uterine contractions occur or the fetus cannot tolerate the balloon expansion, and fetal heart stops, a cesarean section will be required.

75mmHg……64mmHg……

Lao He's heart had risen to his throat, while Zheng Lao Ban was still expanding the balloon.

His thought was — if it were him, he would probably stop expanding the balloon now, taking the good result and calling it a day.

After all, this is Asia's first case of intracardiac intervention surgery; even if the fetus has minor issues, it can still grow up completely.

Wait until after five years old to perform the open-chest Shou Bing; everything is still in time. Even at three years old…… two years old…… a few months after birth to do Shou Bing again, the risk would be lower than now.

But Zheng Lao Ban remained unmoved, still expanding the balloon at a speed indistinguishable to the naked eye, continuously and with Stability.

53mmHg……49mmHg……