Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1100 - 891: How Many Pigs Are Paralyzed?_2

Chapter 1100: Chapter 891: How Many Pigs Are Paralyzed?_2

It seemed that Professor Yang was truly allowing them to take the lead as chief surgeons, not just in words, but in action, which meant he had to perform well.

Thus, the fiery spirit of the lead surgeon, which had just dimmed, now reignited, "Everyone, pick up the pace. Guodong, after positioning the patient, you need to quickly lead the team in washing hands, disinfecting, and laying the drapes."

"Brother Five, should we review the images again?"

So the two walked back to the image light to study the films carefully. Usually, before the surgery began, junior doctors were busy scrubbing and laying drapes while the chief surgeon would find some time to review the images once more.

Now, Zhang Lin was the chief surgeon, a senior doctor, and he had to adopt a calm and collected demeanor while reviewing the images at the image light.

"How long will the surgery approximately take?" Liang Fatty asked, so that he could manage the anesthesia timing.

Zhang Lin thought for a moment; it was hard to say, so he asked Little Five, "Brother Five, how long might we need?"

Little Five didn’t know either. Usually, when they performed spinal scoliosis correction surgery as the lead surgeon, they were accompanied by a senior doctor who would step in and handle any complications, which meant the surgery time didn’t reflect their true capability.

Now the two were independently leading the surgery, and it was uncertain how long it would take without a comparable reference.

"Let’s prepare for four hours initially, no, make it five hours," Zhang Lin said uncertainly.

Liang Fatty would have to adjust as they went, possibly adding more anesthetic mid-procedure. However, anesthesia for spinal scoliosis surgery had demanding requirements. If the timing was inaccurately estimated and the patient became agitated during the procedure, it could severely affect the surgical maneuvers, risking damage to the spinal cord.

Li Guodong was also very proactive. With Zhang Lin and Little Five stepping up as chief surgeons, he was considered one of the outstanding young doctors, and he naturally moved up a level too.

During the draping and disinfection process, Zhang Lin periodically imposed strict demands on the junior doctors as the chief surgeon, insisting that every detail of their work was meticulous. Everything had to meet high standards. Indeed, he exhibited the demeanor of a major professor, and if not for the familiarity among the team, if Zhang Lin were performing this surgery in an outside hospital, his demeanor would likely surpass that of any visiting professor from Beijing.

The surgery officially began, with Zhang Lin as the chief surgeon and Little Five as his assistant.

Zhang Lin stood in the chief surgeon’s position. Now more than ever, his posture had to be exemplary. He had to set an example for the students, being Teacher Zhang after all.

The incision site had been marked in advance. Zhang Lin made an incision following the markings. Although he hadn’t mastered One-Stroke Flow, he still had to pretend, making a downward sweep.

After several additional cuts to open the skin, Zhang Lin began using the electric knife to cut through the subcutaneous tissue and the lumbar back fascia. His movements were fairly standard as, after all, his daily basic training was not for nothing.

After opening the fascia, he began separating the muscle, using the electric knife to start subperiosteal dissection from the spinous processes. Zhang Lin’s movements were slow as he moved forward step by step.

Muscle separation proceeded from the spinous processes to both sides, revealing the vertebral plates. Li Guodong and another young doctor were responsible for hook handling, placing the hooks into the surgical area.

Zhang Lin told Li Guodong, "You two need to handle the hooks well. Hook handling is very important during surgery. If hooks are not properly exposed, the chief surgeon appears passive. Good hook handling makes the chief surgeon’s job much easier."

"Don’t underestimate hook handling. It’s a profound craft involving extensive knowledge."

Li Guodong kept agreeing.

As an expert in hook handling, Zhang Lin couldn’t stand assistants placing hooks improperly. He immediately corrected their placement by hand before handing them back to Li Guodong.

He didn’t forget to instruct Li Guodong, "The placement of hooks is crucial. It must not interfere with the surgery, should maximize exposure, and your hands shouldn’t be so stiff. Maintain consistent, even pressure, always keeping an eye on the progress of the surgery. Hook adjustments should be timely based on the surgical progress, remember, the timing of hook adjustments is essential—it’s not just random play. When there’s time, I’ll give you a class on this."

Once the spinous processes, vertebral plates, and joint protrusions were exposed, Zhang Lin began implanting pedicle screws.

Since it was their first time truly leading a surgery, the control of the surgery’s rhythm was not very good, sometimes a bit reckless, sometimes too tentative.

"Don’t rush. Let’s do this steadily," Little Five reminded Zhang Lin.

Zhang Lin steadied himself, "Okay, I won’t rush."

Dr. Jin and Dr. Wen, who had been observing the surgery, initially thought that a spinal scoliosis correction surgery like this would be beyond Zhang Lin and Little Five.

In their opinion, Little Five and Zhang Lin were only supposed to change medications, write medical records, and handle hooks, not associated with high-level surgeries like spinal scoliosis correction.

However, seeing the surgery progress up to this point, not only had the two not panicked and called for help, but they were also proceeding steadily and cautiously. Although the surgery’s pace was slow, the steps were clear and well-performed.

Technically, they had deficiencies, but strangely, they were extraordinarily coordinated on the operating table. Whenever they reached steps each was proficient in, they let the other handle it, effectively having two chief surgeons who not only didn’t argue but also worked in great harmony.

The implantation of all pedicle screws was completed. The intraoperative C-arm machine confirmed that, though the screw positions weren’t perfect, they were standard—whether it was the entry points, directions, or depths, all had reached an acceptable standard without any screws being subpar.

After setting the screws, Zhang Lin began identifying the osteotomy sites, though he seemed unsure at the moment.