Chapter 174 - 159: The Haijin Harbor Heart Surgery Department’s First Grand Consultation

Chapter 174: Chapter 159: The Haijin Harbor Heart Surgery Department’s First Grand Consultation

It was the weekend again.

It was time for Wu Ting to go to Jinggang University Affiliated First Hospital for his studies.

Professor Shen Siyuan had sent Wu Ting a message in advance, telling him to wait for her at the cardiac surgery building on Saturday morning.

Wu Ting was very much looking forward to it. This Professor Shen was his official graduate mentor, and he would be studying under her for a long time to come.

As Wu Ting was preparing to head to Haijin Port a day early, Dr. Yan Xi sent him a message. Dr. Yan Xi still had many connections in Xiao City.

Dr. Yan Xi had done some digging into the background of the incoming deputy director of the research center, Zhang Heng.

"Wu Ting, I looked into it. This Deputy Director Zhang Heng is bad news. The project he’s bringing to City First Hospital is actually in the field of advanced hepatitis B-related liver cancer. The direction he’s currently pioneering is a treatment method combining Entecavir with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization!"

"This Director Zhang really has grand ambitions."

"Hepatitis B is a very common and incurable disease. It can develop into liver cancer at any stage, and the majority of liver cancer patients in our country have a history of hepatitis B."

"Advanced hepatitis B-related liver cancer progresses rapidly, and its early symptoms are not typical, making surgical resection very difficult. Therefore, treatment often requires interventional therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, biological therapy, or even Liver Transplantation."

"And the field Director Zhang is researching this time is a minimally invasive transcatheter method combined with antiviral therapy—it’s a project with enormous potential and prospects!"

"Of course, besides this brand-new, cutting-edge project, Director Zhang is also highly skilled in laparoscopic resection of hepatitis B-related liver cancer. That will be the main Surgical Technique he will be developing at our research center this time!"

"With Director Zhang joining, our City First Hospital’s laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment center will be able to perform surgeries for hepatitis B-related liver cancer. We’ll also be able to collaborate with the hepatobiliary surgery, oncology, and infectious disease departments. This will be a huge boost to the research center’s overall strength!"

"Moreover, I heard that to recruit Director Zhang, Director Huo agreed to many harsh conditions. Besides coming himself, Director Zhang is also bringing a trusted assistant. In the future, Director Zhang’s team will be a force to be reckoned with in our research center."

Dr. Yan Xi was, of course, on Wu Ting’s side, and she wasn’t too fond of this Director Zhang.

Dr. Ling Ling, however, was another matter. After all, Director Zhang’s mentor’s senior was Ma Mengchao, making him and Ling Ling fellow apprentices of a sort.

Wu Ting had previously rejected Professor Ma Mengchao, so Zhang Heng’s sudden arrival at the research center was certainly intriguing!

After reviewing Zhang Heng’s research field and preferred Surgical Techniques, Wu Ting had a clear picture of the situation.

"Dr. Yan, thank you. I’ll be careful!"

Wu Ting wasn’t the least bit intimidated by someone like Zhang Heng. In fact, the more formidable the opponent, the greater the potential rewards for himself.

’If I can get Zhang Heng’s entry for hepatitis B-related liver cancer,’ he thought, ’and maybe combine it with my mentor Professor Shen Siyuan’s immunology entries, I might just be able to make a breakthrough that will shake the entire field of hepatitis B research!’

On the contrary, Wu Ting found himself rather looking forward to Zhang Heng’s arrival!

...

...

Early the next morning, Wu Ting arrived at the cardiac surgery department as instructed by Professor Shen Siyuan.

It was Saturday, but Shen Siyuan hadn’t taken any time off. Wu Ting had learned from one of Director Shen’s subordinate doctors that she had been at the hospital for over three hundred consecutive days.

Aside from necessary consultations and surgeries, all her remaining time was spent on research. Not just during the day—Director Shen even worked overtime at the hospital at night.

For Director Shen, medicine was her life, and her life was research!

Director Shen was stunningly beautiful; she could have lived a life of ease on her looks and figure alone. Yet she spent every day either in the wards, the operating room, or the lab. It was, admittedly, quite admirable.

She was truly a pure researcher!

Huang Dian was the cardiac surgery physician on duty today, and he was the one who received Wu Ting. Wu Ting’s performance during his last interview had completely won over Huang Dian, so Dr. Huang had a very good impression of him.

"Dr. Wu, please wait here for a moment. Director Shen and Director Shao were in surgery all last night. They did two operations back-to-back, and the most recent one was a major procedure—a heart transplant. It’s been almost ten hours, so they should be finishing up soon."

Hearing Huang Dian’s words, Wu Ting was surprised. He hadn’t expected Director Shen and Director Shao to work so hard, operating through the night and even performing a major surgery like a heart transplant.

But hadn’t Professor Shen Guofeng said that Director Shen’s clinical skills were a complete mess?

Wu Ting had assumed Director Shen was only brilliant at research; he hadn’t realized she was so dedicated on the clinical front lines as well.

"Dr. Huang, if I may ask, when I was choosing Director Shen as my graduate mentor, I heard Professor Shen Guofeng say that her clinical skills seemed... average. But it feels like that’s not quite the case."

Huang Dian chuckled at Wu Ting’s question. However, when he spoke about Shen Siyuan, his tone was filled with admiration and respect.

"Well, that depends on who you’re comparing her to. Compared to top national surgical experts like Director Shao or Professor Shen Guofeng, Director Shen is indeed a little green. But compared to attending physicians and associate chief physicians like us, Director Shen’s skills are more than formidable."

"It’s just that her research abilities are so outstanding that they overshadow her clinical skills, making her seem like she’s just a theorist and a researcher."

As Director Shen’s direct subordinate, Huang Dian certainly had the right to speak on the matter.

"Of course, compared to a ’famous blade’ like Director Shao, who is one of the top figures in the country’s hepatobiliary surgery field, Director Shen does pale in comparison at the operating table. However, Director Shao didn’t invite Director Shen to participate in a major operation like a heart transplant for her traditional surgical skills."

"It’s because Director Shen is a top-tier support. She single-handedly created and developed a set of immunomodulatory adjuvant therapies that can regulate a patient’s immune system, enhance their intraoperative and postoperative recovery, and reduce inflammatory responses."

"When it comes to the regulatory mechanisms of T-helper cells and immunomodulation research, Director Shen is top-tier in the country!"

Listening to Huang Dian’s explanation, Wu Ting felt a surge of admiration. ’A top research genius and Jinggang University Affiliated First Hospital are truly worthy of their reputations,’ he thought.

He would never have been exposed to this kind of cutting-edge interdisciplinary research combining immunology and surgery at City First Hospital.

Wu Ting felt fortunate to have chosen Shen Siyuan!

While they were waiting, Director Shao Yuqiao and Director Shen Siyuan emerged from the operating room.

After a full night of surgery, both were clearly exhausted, but compared to Shao Yuqiao, Shen Siyuan’s steps were steadier.

With her fine figure, stunning looks, and white coat, even at thirty-nine, Director Shen still had a powerful visual impact. Even Wu Ting couldn’t help but stare for a few extra moments.

Seeing Wu Ting and Huang Dian, both Shen Siyuan and Shao Yuqiao greeted them.

"Teacher Shen! Director Shao!"

Wu Ting immediately greeted the two medical titans.

Shen Siyuan nodded slightly, looked at the two of them, and gave her orders directly:

"I had originally planned to take Wu Ting to the lab to observe our project today, but something just came up in the emergency department. Professor Shen called me and invited me, Director Shao, Director Ou from the infectious disease department, Director Shen from hepatobiliary surgery, and Director Fu from Hepatic Tumor Surgery to a joint consultation."

"This patient’s situation is highly unusual. They were transferred from the Xiaoshan area of Xiao City, and the prognosis is not optimistic."

"Here’s the plan. Director Shao and I are going to our offices for a moment, and we’ll be right there. Huang Dian, you take Wu Ting to the emergency department’s conference room first."

"Both of you can participate and learn. This is a very rare opportunity for a multi-departmental consultation."

Shen Siyuan was extremely rigorous and serious about her work. After the marathon surgery, she ignored her fatigue, planning only to return to her office to grab a piece of chocolate and some water to refuel before heading straight to the consultation.

Director Shao was the same. Under the influence of Director Shao and Director Shen, the entire cardiac surgery department was full of workaholics.

It was Wu Ting’s first day shadowing Shen Siyuan, so of course, he would follow all her arrangements.

Following Huang Dian to the emergency department conference room, Wu Ting realized he was quite familiar with the team of experts for this consultation.

When they arrived at the conference room, Director of the Emergency Department Shen Guofeng and Director of Hepatobiliary Surgery Shen Xiaofei were already there, along with a few of their junior doctors and one or two interns.

Seeing Wu Ting, Shen Guofeng was surprised for a moment, but then he understood and nodded at Wu Ting with a smile.

Shen Xiaofei, however, looked at Wu Ting with a hint of resentment. After all, what a great seedling he was. If only he could have joined his hepatobiliary surgery department.

Even now, Shen Xiaofei couldn’t quite understand why Wu Ting would abandon the field of hepatobiliary surgery, which he had been deeply cultivating, to study under Shen Siyuan in cardiac surgery.

Was it just because Director Shen was beautiful and her research projects were more cutting-edge?

Shen Xiaofei felt that while he couldn’t compete in looks, he wasn’t lacking in research or clinical skills. His research areas were ones that could yield results quickly. In contrast, Shen Siyuan’s projects were not the kind that could easily produce results or achieve breakthroughs!

Before long, Shen Siyuan, Shao Yuqiao, Director Ou from the infectious disease department, and Director Fu from Hepatic Tumor Surgery all arrived.

The emergency department was the initial point of diagnosis. One of Shen Guofeng’s subordinates, an attending physician, began to present the patient’s case.

"Directors, this patient’s case is very unusual. They are a cardiac patient with a co-infection of the hepatitis B virus."

"First, regarding the liver, there is already hepatocyte degeneration and necrosis, which corresponds to mid-stage cirrhosis and liver cancer..."

"At the same time, the patient’s heart is also showing pathological changes. We’ll need Director Shao and Director Shen from cardiac surgery to provide a diagnosis on this..."

The attending physician handed the latest ECG report to Director Shao.

At the same time, the liver function test results were given to Shen Xiaofei and Director Fu from Hepatic Tumor Surgery.

Director Fu, an expert specializing in hepatic tumors, began examining them immediately.

"The patient’s transaminase levels are a bit high! They’re already more than three times the upper limit!"

Director Fu was a little surprised. Elevated transaminase levels are caused by autoimmune-mediated liver damage, a result of the specific pathogenic mechanism of hepatitis B.

Generally, a transaminase elevation of less than three times the limit is considered safe for surgery, but this patient had clearly exceeded that threshold.

Beside him, Director Shao looked at the ECG, his brow furrowed.

"The patient has concomitant right-sided heart failure. Coupled with congestive hepatopathy, the myocardial cells have also been damaged!"

Director Shao commented concisely, as sparing with his words as if they were gold, and handed the ECG to Shen Siyuan.

ECG diagnosis was a weak point for Director Shen Siyuan. With Shao Yuqiao’s vague comment, Shen Siyuan was caught in an awkward position, unsure whether to take the ECG or not.