Chapter 185 - 169: Wu Ting’s Performance, Astonishing Technique

Chapter 185: Chapter 169: Wu Ting’s Performance, Astonishing Technique

The next day, early in the morning, Wu Ting arrived at the Hepatic Tumor Surgery ward.

Sheng Ping had already completed all her preoperative examinations and signed the consent forms.

When Wu Ting arrived, the doctors from Hepatic Tumor Surgery were eager to meet the master diagnostician.

Liu Xingye was Sheng Ping’s attending physician, responsible for the preoperative consultation and other miscellaneous duties.

Seeing Wu Ting walk over, Sheng Ping greeted him.

"Dr. Wu, you’re here."

"It’s all thanks to you for reminding me to get a detailed check-up. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Getting diagnosed with early-stage liver cancer was terrible luck, but compared to finding it in the mid-to-late stages, it was a blessing in disguise.

To put it bluntly, if Wu Ting hadn’t astutely noticed her condition, in a little more time, her fate would have been sealed. At least for now, Director Fu was very confident he could perform a complete, curative resection.

Liu Xingye looked at the young Wu Ting, finding it hard to believe.

"You’re the doctor who diagnosed the patient? Where did you learn this diagnostic method?"

’He must have learned this from some professor,’ Liu Xingye thought. ’Otherwise, with Wu Ting’s age and experience, it’s simply impossible.’

While the two were talking, Director Fu also arrived at the ward. He confirmed everything was in order, ready to begin the surgery.

Director Fu was delighted to see Wu Ting and introduced him to Liu Xingye.

"Director Fu, I’m a bit embarrassed to say this, but I’m still leading a team in a research project on this diagnostic method. We have some preliminary results, but it still requires further experimental data and statistical analysis."

"The theoretical basis is essentially what I outlined for you in my message."

Although Wu Ting himself could already make precise diagnoses based on the indicators, the project was still in progress, so he had to be vague.

Even so, Director Fu and the others were deeply impressed.

"Well then, we’ll eagerly await the completion of your team’s project. Once you have results, you must come to our Hepatic Tumor Surgery department and give a training lecture."

"Dr. Wu, you have a limitless future."

Director Fu had high hopes for Wu Ting.

Listening from the side, Liu Xingye was a mix of envious and admiring. ’To earn such high praise from Director Fu... this Wu Ting is really something else,’ he thought.

As a senior attending in Hepatic Tumor Surgery, he understood the clinical significance of this diagnostic method. The potential benefit to humanity was immeasurable.

"Dr. Wu, I’m truly impressed!"

Liu Xingye cupped his hands in a gesture of respect toward Wu Ting. A single surgery could save a few people at most, but pioneering a diagnostic method for primary liver cancer related to hepatitis B—that was something that would truly benefit all of society.

When Wu Ting’s results were published, it would be an absolute bombshell in the field of liver cancer!

Next, Director Fu led another discussion about Sheng Ping’s condition and formulated a surgical plan.

A partial hepatectomy is a Grade III surgery, one that a senior attending physician is qualified to lead. It’s the same grade as a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but the risk and difficulty are much higher.

However, with Director Fu leading, Liu Xingye as first assistant, Wu Ting was approved to participate as the second assistant.

Wu Ting was thrilled to take part in such a relatively advanced surgery.

’Once I have enough clinical experience and this transitional period is over, I can go back to City First Hospital and start performing these surgeries myself!’

Unlike surgeries like appendectomies or cholecystectomies, for which he was readily granted authorization to be the lead surgeon, a hepatectomy was not so simple. That’s why Wu Ting needed this clinical experience at Haijin Port Hospital—to build a case for him to perform these surgeries when he returned.

Although he already had Dr. Cao’s entry, [Partial Hepatectomy (Purple)], Wu Ting decided to keep a low profile. It was a good chance to observe the skill level of a typical senior physician.

After the patient was administered a combination of continuous epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation, the surgery officially began.

Since the patient’s tumor was in the left lobe of the liver, they used the supine position. If it had been in the right or caudate lobe, the patient’s right side would have been elevated 60 degrees. Such details were crucial.

After sterilizing and draping the area, they proceeded to make the incision.

Director Fu, as lead surgeon, made an incision along the patient’s left costal margin.

Watching Director Fu operate, Wu Ting nodded to himself. ’As expected of a top surgeon from Jin Province. His incision technique is so fluid, his skill is extraordinary.’

Once the incision was made, they began to explore the abdominal cavity to assess the organs and the tumor.

Thanks to the detailed preoperative diagnosis and Director Fu’s vast experience, everything proceeded smoothly.

After confirming the tumor’s location, they began to dissect the hepatic ligaments. Watching Director Fu expose the tumor, Wu Ting nodded to himself again. ’He’s a true veteran.’

’His technique is definitely a cut above the directors at Fan City First Hospital!’

Once the area was exposed, Director Fu began using a large needle and heavy suture to place interlocking stitches for hemostasis...

The whole process was as smooth as flowing water. At the opportune moment, based on the conditions, he performed the Pringle maneuver...

’Amazing!’

Beside him, Liu Xingye was mentally cheering, amazed by Director Fu’s technique.

Director Fu frowned slightly. Liu Xingye was still a bit slow on the uptake. Just as he was about to give an order, Wu Ting had already acted.

Wu Ting signaled to the scrub nurse, who passed the electrocautery knife.

Liu Xingye was bewildered.

Wu Ting passed the instrument over, and Liu Xingye reflexively took it before handing it to Director Fu.

Director Fu smoothly took it and began incising the liver capsule and superficial hepatic tissue...

Watching Director Fu operate, Liu Xingye had a flash of understanding. ’Oh, right.’ Of course, he knew this was the next step, but he hadn’t judged the timing correctly. Besides, he was used to following the director’s lead and didn’t dare act presumptuously. He preferred to be cautious, waiting for a direct command before acting.

After Director Fu completed the step, two options flashed through Liu Xingye’s mind: prepare the hemostatic forceps, or get the needle holder and suture. But he couldn’t decide on the timing. While he hesitated, he saw Director Fu extend his hand.

Beads of sweat formed on Liu Xingye’s brow. ’This is...’

Just then, from the other side, Wu Ting had already passed up a hemostat; his surgical proficiency was clearly on another level compared to Liu Xingye’s.

Based on this patient’s specific condition, it was better to divide the vessels and ducts before ligating them.

After all, some lead surgeons preferred to ligate both ends first before dividing the vessels, which was the source of Liu Xingye’s hesitation.

Liu Xingye took a scalpel and passed it to Director Fu. Director Fu was clearly very satisfied.

Next, it was time to release the clamp for the Pringle maneuver and suture the raw surface of the liver.

Liu Xingye figured out the next step, but by then, Wu Ting had already passed up the necessary instrument.

’Ah, so smooth.’

All Liu Xingye had to do was act as a relay. With Wu Ting’s assistance, the efficiency of the surgery increased dramatically, and Director Fu was able to work with unprecedented ease.

The only flaw was the extra step of using Liu Xingye as a middleman.

Liu Xingye was also a bit embarrassed. Clearly, Wu Ting was better than him at partial hepatectomies.

Just as Liu Xingye was struggling to keep up with Director Fu’s and Wu Ting’s line of thought, they reached another critical juncture.

One option was appositional closure; the other was to leave it open.

Normally, Liu Xingye would have waited for Director Fu’s command. But today, spurred on by Wu Ting’s example, he tried to think ahead—and found himself completely stumped.

He glanced at Wu Ting, sighed, and silently stepped back. It was better to let Wu Ting take over.

Sure enough, Wu Ting had already made his decision. He asked the scrub nurse for fibrin sealant and a hemostatic sponge.

Seeing Wu Ting’s choice, Liu Xingye worked backward in his mind and realized that both appositional closure and leaving it open were viable options at this stage.

If he were the lead surgeon, he would definitely have chosen appositional closure.

However, the principles of a precise hepatectomy allowed for a more nuanced assessment. If the raw surface was managed properly, with no significant bleeding or bile leakage, appositional closure could be omitted.

But making that call required a profound level of expertise.

Director Fu would dare to make that call, but Liu Xingye wouldn’t. He didn’t have the confidence.

He hadn’t expected Wu Ting, merely assisting, to also make the same veteran judgment call. Clearly, his eye for partial hepatectomies was at least on the level of a department director.

’Incredible.’

This time, Liu Xingye was completely won over.

Among the younger generation of doctors, he had only ever seen this level of synergy in Cao Dongge, the indispensable assistant to Director Shen Xiaofei of Hepatobiliary Surgery.

But Cao Dongge had earned that skill by working practically year-round, accumulating experience one surgery at a time in the OR.

’And how old was Wu Ting?’

Director Fu was also surprised by Wu Ting’s decision. Once or twice could have been a lucky guess. But keeping up with his train of thought every single step of the way could only mean one thing: when it came to partial hepatectomies, Wu Ting’s thought process was on par with his own.

Director Fu’s admiration for the young man grew. At the same time, he tacitly accepted Wu Ting taking over from Liu Xingye as the first assistant.

Liu Xingye could only smile wryly as he watched the seamless coordination between Wu Ting and Director Fu.

’So a surgery like this could be done so smoothly!’

Next, with Wu Ting’s assistance, Director Fu completed the wedge resection of the liver tumor with the grace of flowing water!

"Wu Ting, you handle the final irrigation and place the drainage tube."

Director Fu had given Wu Ting a task that was originally meant for Liu Xingye.

Wu Ting, of course, completed the task flawlessly, and then proceeded to perform the abdominal closure as well.

Watching Wu Ting’s suturing technique, Director Fu and Liu Xingye were once again filled with admiration.

"As expected from the creator of the Wu’s Umbilical Hole Skill and a proponent of cosmetic suturing."

Word of Wu Ting’s surgical techniques for appendicitis and cholecystitis had already spread throughout the medical community in Jin Province, with many hospitals beginning to adopt them.

The surgery concluded perfectly.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing a high-difficulty partial hepatectomy with Director Fu and Liu Xingye. You have acquired an entry from Director Fu: Emergency Treatment for Traumatic Liver Rupture (Purple). This encompasses Director Fu’s years of experience in emergency treatment for traumatic liver rupture, enabling you to save patients’ lives in critical moments.]

The liver is one of the body’s most vital organs. Its tissue is fragile, highly vascular, and large. When subjected to trauma, especially in conjunction with rib fractures, it is extremely prone to rupturing, leading to massive hemorrhage. The condition is perilous, critical, develops rapidly, and has a high mortality rate!

Clinically, only the most senior, top-tier surgeons can perform emergency surgery for a traumatic liver rupture. At City First Hospital, only someone like Huo Yun had reached that level, and he was still a notch below Director Fu.

By mastering this skill, Wu Ting could now truly turn the tide in a desperate situation.

Even an associate chief physician from the Provincial Tumor Hospital like Zhang Heng would need to perform extensive examinations and review imaging data before daring to attempt such a rescue, and even then, he would be treading on thin ice, fraught with anxiety.

But in such situations, it’s a race against time. The more thorough the examination, the more time is wasted, and the greater the danger to the patient.

Director Fu, in contrast, could proceed directly to an open-abdomen procedure with nothing more than a cursory bedside ultrasound, relying on his vast experience to guide the rescue intraoperatively. That was true calm and composure!

After this surgery, Wu Ting prepared to return to City First Hospital to await his next advanced training session at Haijin Port Hospital.

And it was about time he met with Associate Chief Physician Zhang Heng.