Chapter 2528: Surgery Without Incision

Xie Wanying held the child in her arms, embracing tightly.

The pain of losing a loved one doesn’t discriminate between adults and children.

The family members waiting outside wiped their tears upon seeing this scene. Shan Shan’s parents rushed into the ward to hug their eldest daughter tightly.

Just like Student Xie said, family members are indeed among the vulnerable groups.

Fearing for potential complications, the doctor immediately contacted the operating room. By five o’clock in the afternoon, a room was available, and Xie Wanying and Wei Shangquan escorted the child to the operating room.

Nowadays, mainstream surgery is all about minimally invasive procedures. In general surgery, minimally invasive refers to placing tools like the Laparoscopic through small incisions to operate inside the patient. In orthopedics, minimally invasive is even more remarkable as it might not require incisions. Yes, not even a scalpel.

What is this minimally invasive orthopedic surgery about, and why does it require no scalpel? As mentioned before, some fractures need internal fixation after manual repositioning because they are unstable, and this fixation can be done without slicing open the skin to implant steel plates and screws. A few gristly needles through the skin for stabilization are sufficient in this type of minor surgery.

The gristly needle can be made of stainless steel or titanium alloy, with a very small diameter, not exceeding 4 millimeters. For today’s surgery, only a 1.5-millimeter needle is needed, just about the size of a thick embroidery needle. The doctor can hold it by hand and insert it into the patient’s skin and bone.

Getting an injection hurts, so inserting a needle into the skin and bone would hurt more. An anesthetic is necessary. Usually, a local anesthetic suffices, which the orthopedic doctor administers personally, without needing an anesthetist.

Actually, if it wasn’t for the machine assistance needed and the risk of having to open the incision if the fixation remains unsatisfactory throughout, such surgeries could be done entirely in the ward treatment room.

Speaking of no incision, how does the doctor see the bone fragments for fixation? Like interventional surgery, an easily accessible X-ray machine can guide the doctor in positioning. In orthopedics, the C-arm X-ray machine is commonly used, and medical staff need to wear lead aprons to prevent radiation.

They placed the child properly on the operating table, with the C-arm X-ray positioned parallel to the table.

Everyone witnessed Shan Shan’s strength at the accident scene. Sure enough, now lying on the operating table, Shan Shan showed no signs of fear, her eyes focused on the doctors’ actions.

The nurse noticed and said, "Oh my, is this child thinking of becoming a doctor in the future?"

Generally, children are terrified once they enter the operating room. Those dreaming of wearing a white coat are indeed not afraid.

Shan Shan’s cheeks blushed. Having seen the neat and heroic doctors in white coats today, she somewhat had the thought: imagining one day being as cool as the doctor sister, perhaps she could treat her sister Xiao Yu herself.

"Doctor Liu, are you the only one here?" The nurse saw Liu Huaiyu, who had finished sanitizing, asked.

"Aren’t these two people?" Liu Huaiyu pointed at the students.

"I haven’t seen them before."

It’s normal for the technical capabilities of newcomers to be doubted by seniors.

An anesthetist passed by the operating room door, recognized Xie Wanying, and said, "I know her. With her here, there won’t be any problem with the surgery."

The senior asserting her competence piqued the curiosity of many.

Pediatrics doctors about to get off work rushed over to watch the excitement.