Famous Among Top Surgeons in the 90s
Chapter 645 - Chapter 645 When its time for the departmental exams

Chapter 645: When it’s time for the departmental exams Chapter 645: When it’s time for the departmental exams What? Who is the chief surgeon then? Is a surgeon more skilled than Teacher Tan coming?

“It seems so.” Tan Kelin said in a cold voice devoid of any emotion, “You, come be the chief surgeon for this surgery.”

Teacher Tan’s appointing finger landed on Xie Wanying’s face.

Li Qi’an nearly screamed.

Everyone had an inkling that Student Xie was bound to take the lead in another surgery before completing her rotation, as a part of the exit exam that couldn’t be avoided. Indeed, the plan was to let her choose the safest case. Easier said than done, because in a clinical setting, there is hardly ever a perfect candidate for an intern to perform a safe exit surgery. Unexpected events are rife in the clinical world. No amount of kindness from a teacher can prevent the unexpected. For medical students destined to become doctors, getting used to surprises is beneficial–it makes a deep impression so they won’t be scared when they encounter similar situations in their future careers as doctors.

“Yes, Teacher,” Xie Wanying answered.

“Go scrub in,” Tan Kelin said and then turned to take up the responsibilities of the first assistant.

Li Qi’an followed behind Student Xie. Xie Wanying wasn’t nervous, but he was nearly nervous to death, babbling, “Yingying, are you sure you can do this? Have you ever been the chief surgeon for a laparoscopic procedure before?”

Two months had passed since she first acted as a mirror assistant. Whenever there was a chance, the teacher would have her practice on the platform. She had already served as first assistant for laparoscopic surgeries twice. However, she had never been the chief surgeon. But that didn’t matter–with the teacher around, what was there to fear?

The reason she was assigned as the chief surgeon for this operation was clear–it was because being the first assistant was much more challenging than the chief surgeon. Teacher Tan would certainly take on the heaviest and most difficult parts of the surgery. Giving the chief surgeon maximum operating space would expedite the completion of the surgery. The shorter the duration of the surgery for the pregnant woman, the better for both the fetus and the mother. A surgery involving three lives was far more critical than one involving just a single life.

As she went to scrub in, the teacher reviewed the examination reports and confirmed the surgery area on the patient again. The biggest fear in laparoscopic appendectomy is if the appendix has moved behind the uterus, in which case, laparoscopy would no longer be feasible. Therefore, repeatedly ensuring the appendix wasn’t located behind the uterus before the operation was crucial.

The surgical positioning on the table should be slightly tilted to the left for the pregnant patient, facilitating placental blood supply and exposing the operative area. Given the patient was pregnant, the entry for insufflation was particularly cautious. Whether it was the choice of needle size or the point of insertion, care was required to avoid damaging the enlarged uterus. These very important tasks needed to be done by the first assistant. Naturally, Tan Kelin took it upon himself to ensure everything was done correctly.

After donning surgical gowns and entering the room, Xie Wanying approached the operating table to begin exploratory laparoscopy, searching for the appendix. Time was of the essence, as the chief surgeon, mirror assistant, and first assistant’s surgical instruments all entered the patient’s abdominal cavity.

The clock on the wall was watched by the circulating nurse and the anesthesiologist, following Tan Kelin’s instructions to keep the laparoscopic surgery within two hours. If time exceeded the limit, they would have to switch to an open surgery immediately. This was because prolonged exposure to CO2 gas beyond this time frame could cause irreversible harm to the fetus.

In such a surgery that involved three lives, it wasn’t possible for anyone to continue dwelling on whether this was their exit exam. Therefore, Li Qi’an’s chatter hadn’t lingered in Xie Wanying’s ears or mind at all earlier. Her mind was solely preoccupied with the three lives at stake, and her future medical career was not her current concern.

Her attention had to be fully focused on the surgical instruments in her hands. This time, it felt like she and the teacher had switched roles.