Chapter 2252: 2175 So Slow It Makes Your Hair Stand On End (Alliance Leader's Furious Rant, Big Bird Extra 2)

Mu Tao stood beside Wu Lao, just like any time before.

In the operating room, Zheng Lao Ban began to tread the line.

On the screen, the guidewire advanced slowly, and after a few minutes it rested at the distal end of the retinal artery.

Because super-selective procedures aim to get as close as possible to the retinal capillary network, Zheng Lao Ban used the finest guidewire.

It was thinner than the guidewires used in neurointerventional surgery, the kind specially made for infant interventional procedures.

This guidewire is soft and flimsy, unable to bear any force; during super-selective procedures it easily kinks, making failure especially likely.

Yet watching Zheng Lao Ban manipulate the microguidewire, though its advance was slow, there was not a single mistake or redo, and Mu Tao felt moved.

"Mu Tao, do you know Zheng Lao Ban's technique?" Wu Lao asked.

"Teacher, it should be an understanding of how to deal with turbulence in blood flow within vessels." Mu Tao said, "Zheng Lao Ban's grasp of turbulence is deep; I think that's why his interventional surgery is especially good."

"Hmm." Wu Lao nodded.

Overcoming the effects of turbulence is the most profound interventional theory and skill. Wu Lao, having performed interventional surgery for half his life, merely had a vague awareness that guidewires and microguidewires moving through vessels are greatly affected by blood flow.

As for how to overcome it and increase the surgery's success rate, Wu Lao was completely at a loss.

Zheng Lao Ban had already mastered the techniques for dealing with turbulence at a young age, and Wu Lao greatly admired him for it.

This is a breakthrough at the technical level, but it is hard to quantify and even harder to master.

The microcatheter entered, but instead of going to the extreme limit, it stopped inside the vessel without touching the surrounding vessel wall.

They began the angiogram, just as Zheng Lao Ban had predicted, and a portion of the retinal capillary network showed blockage, severely impairing the oxygen‑carrying red blood cells that supply "nourishment" to the retina.

After confirming the condition, the surgery continued. Su Yun attached a syringe to the catheter's tip and began injecting saline mixed with a small amount of contrast agent.

His movements were slow, careful, and delicate.

Once the saline entered the retinal capillary network, Su Yun began to increase the pressure slightly.

The "viscous" dye macromolecules were pushed forward by the saline being injected from the syringe.

Because there was a gap between the catheter and the surrounding vessel wall, Su Yun carefully controlled the pressure of the saline injection, trying to avoid rupturing the capillaries and causing bleeding.

This step required immense patience.

When speed was called for, Zheng Lao Ban's surgery proceeded rapidly; when slowness was needed, he was not at all anxious, waiting quietly.

Time passed.

After 12 minutes, the blockage's position began to shift. The macromolecules deformed under pressure, conforming to the capillary wall's pressure, and were gradually "pushed" away.

Mu Tao knew this was the most difficult part of the surgery.

Here, one must continually make minute adjustments to the force, letting the pressure comply with the capillaries' elasticity.

After three minutes, Su Yun stopped.

Mu Tao felt a stir inside, pressed the intercom button, and without speaking, listened to the conversation between Zheng Renhe and Su Yun inside.

"Boss, I can't do it." Su Yun, rarely admitting defeat, said, "I don't feel the vessel wall's compliance well; if I push further I think the capillaries will burst. With less force there's no effect."

"Oh, then I'll take it." Zheng Renhe took the syringe, "It's like doing chest compressions during a liver transplant; your arm strain hasn't healed yet, has it?"

"Lao Fan rubbed me with dit da jiu for a few days, I'm much better. But such delicate operations still need time before I can do them; you say you, how slow the surgery has to be, this is an occupational injury!"

"Oh, okay, it's an occupational injury." Zheng Renhe replied blandly, not adding more.

"Go slower!" Su Yun still worriedly reminded.

"It's fine, I've got it under control." Zheng Renhe said, "She's still young, her retinal capillaries are elastic, I can sense the resistance changes, I'll be very careful, you can rest assured."

"Su Ya, you say you've caused me how much trouble." Su Yun began to chatter incessantly.

"Yun Ge'er, sorry." Xu Suya whispered, her voice trembling.

"Don't talk to the patient." Zheng Renhe said, "Speaking changes airflow, which alters the pressure in the capillary network."

"So many things." Su Yun scoffed, "Actually, life isn't as hard as we imagine. When faced with difficulties, list all possible solutions, then you realize you can't do any of them and just give up."

A remark with no beginning or end, unclear whether it was aimed at Zheng Lao Ban or Xu Suya.

Mu Tao was stunned upon hearing it.

"Right, Old Mu?" Su Yun then asked.

"……"

He realized he was "eavesdropping," but in fact he was talking to himself, and Mu Tao was speechless.

This was him chastising himself for his poor surgery, speaking only about interventional procedures. Who could guarantee his surgery could be better than Zheng Lao Ban's? Nonsense!

Not only Zheng Lao Ban, but he also thought he couldn't measure up to Su Yun.

Mu Tao chuckled, then pressed the intercom button again.

If he wasn't allowed to listen, then he wouldn't listen at all.

Watching the screen's image, after Zheng Lao Ban took over, the overall surgery speed seemed no faster than when Su Yun had been doing it.

Many clumps of black dots moved almost imperceptibly, nearly impossible to detect.

But as time passed, after 1 hour and 35 minutes, Mu Tao called up the previous images and performed an overlay.

This comparison made things simple and direct; at many sites the movement of the black dots in the blockages remained clearly visible.

The surgery was proceeding slowly.

No one spoke; Wu Lao and Mu Tao waited silently.

Zheng Lao Ban seemed not rushed at all; he had infinite patience, finely sensing the pressure fed back from the syringe and adjusting his force accordingly at any moment.

One surgery lasted a full four hours and twenty-two minutes.

A recanalization procedure is infinitely harder than a destructive occlusion procedure, as evidenced by the time it takes.

When the last shadow disappeared and the contrast agent filled the entire retinal capillary network, Wu Lao's body went limp, then he leaned back against the chair.

Those vessels filled with contrast agent were like plant roots and stems, delivering ample nutrients to the retina, allowing the patient to regain sight.

The surgery having reached this point could be called a success; the teacher was too nervous, and Mu Tao knew it.

Watching the Shou Bing isn't difficult; it's just opening the retinal Capillary network. But those who understand know the difficulty of this Shou Bing—if one is slightly careless, the Shou Bing fails, and the patient may suffer permanent blindness.

However, this is only one eye.

"Zheng Lao Ban, do you want to switch hands and rest a bit?" Mu Tao pressed the walkie-talkie and said.

"Su Yun, are you tired?"

"Not tired."

"Then never mind." Zheng Ren turned his head, through the Lead glass his eyes bent, giving Mu Tao a smile.

……

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