Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1133 - 907: Little Li, Your Hands Must Be Steady!_2

Chapter 1133: Chapter 907: Little Li, Your Hands Must Be Steady!_2

"Maybe we should let him rest a few hours tonight and perform the surgery tomorrow morning? If the pain recurs, we can administer another epidural injection?" Li Min said, seeing the Elderly Director sleeping so soundly, he really didn’t want to disturb him.

Yang Ping agreed with Li Min’s suggestion, "He hasn’t eaten much for several days, pay attention to the balance of fluids and electrolytes later. Rehydrate him tonight, and we’ll do the surgery tomorrow morning."

At that moment, the Elderly Director woke up. He rubbed his eyes in a daze and saw the doctors doing their rounds in front of him, Professor Yang and Little Li.

"Professor Yang, look, I’m causing you so much trouble. Xiao Li has already troubled you enough with his internship, and now I’m troubling you even more. I’m so sorry." The Elderly Director got up and leaned against the head of the bed.

Yang Ping and Li Min helped him sit up properly, and Yang Ping said, "You should just rest well, don’t get up. We’ve got your test results, it’s not a lumbar disc herniation, but a schwannoma at the L5 nerve root. You must have surgery, and we plan to do it tomorrow morning. Have a good sleep tonight, don’t eat anything, and don’t drink water. We’ll perform the surgery in the morning."

"A schwannoma? It’s not lumbar disc herniation? You’re saying this is like capsizing in a gutter?"

The Elderly Director sighed, thinking how he had mistreated it as a lumbar disc herniation for so many years despite being a doctor himself. It was quite embarrassing.

Li Min said to the Elderly Director, "Surgery is a must for this condition, there’s no other way."

The Elderly Director nodded, "Then let’s have the surgery. But this operation has to go into the vertebral canal, and involves cutting on the nerve root."

Yang Ping then told him, "We won’t disturb your rest then. We’ll come to see you again tomorrow morning. Li Min will be the chief surgeon for your surgery tomorrow."

The Elderly Director has been doing just fine until he heard this, and suddenly his heart gave a violent leap. Could Li Ming really handle this kind of surgery?

Immediately, the Elderly Director cast a doubtful glance at Li Min.

In the Elderly Director’s view, Li Min was only capable of performing simple surgeries, such as appendectomies, Cesarean sections, and debridement suturing. This kind of lumbar surgery that required going into the vertebral canal was not something Li Min, or even the Elderly Director himself, had ever performed.

The Elderly Director knew that lumbar spine surgeries were major surgeries, and a moment of inattention could paralyze someone.

"Little Li?"

The Elderly Director asked uncertainly.

"Yes, I’ll be the chief surgeon for your surgery tomorrow. Don’t worry," Li Min replied cheerfully, thinking the Elderly Director was pleasantly surprised that he was confident enough to perform such a high-level surgery.

Surgery was not something to take lightly. Surely, Li Min hadn’t volunteered himself, had he? The Elderly Director had always been good to Li Min, treating him like a son, and hadn’t offended the young man. Li Min wouldn’t take this opportunity to use him as a Guinea pig, would he?

"Little Li? Are you using me for practice?"

The Elderly Director asked cautiously.

Li Min found the Elderly Director’s wary tone amusing because the Elderly Director was usually optimistic and acted like a mischievous old child, often joking around with others. Li Min took it as the Elderly Director making a joke now.

"Elderly Director! I’ve been here for an internship for so long and haven’t had the chance to operate. You have to give me this learning opportunity," Li Min continued along with his words.

Sure enough, the Elderly Director felt a chill in his heart.

The kid really did want to use this as an opportunity to practice on him. Well, let him practice then.

"How about conservative treatment first? I feel quite at ease right now, and after so many years, I’ve managed this far. I can hold out a little longer, can’t I? We can talk if it really doesn’t work out. I’m afraid my body can’t withstand the surgery," the Elderly Director thought he still had a chance.

Yang Ping said firmly, "There’s no way to treat this condition conservatively at this point. If you want to get better and be pain-free, surgery is necessary."

It seemed there was no escape; he was the pig on the chopping block. Little Li, are you really up for it? Don’t paralyze me now; I’d have nowhere to argue my case then.

Just thinking about Little Li performing spine surgery made the Elderly Director’s heart lurch.

The Elderly Director was well aware of internships; he had done one at a county hospital back in the day, and it was good enough if he got the chance to assist. There was never an opportunity to be the chief surgeon.

The Elderly Director had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Alright, I will let you practice on me."

Li Ming was generally earnest and reliable in his work, unlike the other two fellows at Guandu Hospital who were clumsy. If it had been them, the Elderly Director would be heading home on crutches right now.

"Don’t worry! Li Min can absolutely be the chief surgeon for this surgery, and he will certainly do a splendid job," Yang Ping reassured the Elderly Director.

"Hmm, I’m definitely at ease," he said.

The Elderly Director said one thing but felt another—his words were light, but inside he was in a panic.

Li Min’s professional skills were good, and the kid was a hard worker, but after all, a primary care doctor is a primary care doctor. How could the Elderly Director not know Li Min’s capabilities? It hadn’t been that long since he joined; how could he possibly be the chief surgeon in this type of surgery? Moreover, at this level of provincial hospital training, there wasn’t really a chance to be a chief surgeon; it was all about assisting and stitching up.

After Yang Ping and Li Min left, the Elderly Director asked for two sleeping pills; otherwise, how could he possibly sleep?

This young man’s appendectomy was taught by me personally. He’s been here for such a short time, and now he’s going to be the chief surgeon for my lumbar spine surgery—that would keep anyone awake.

The next morning, the nurse tried to insert a urinary catheter into the Elderly Director, who absolutely refused. An old doctor who often performed gynecological surgeries actually rejected the nurse’s attempt to insert a urinary catheter. In the end, it was Li Min who inserted it.

"You’ve been doing gynecological surgery for decades, how could you be shy about letting a nurse insert a urinary catheter?" Li Min had a good relationship with the Elderly Director, so he spoke without much reservation.

The Elderly Director seriously said, "Is that the same thing? I was a doctor back then, and now I’m a patient. Little Li, there are no outsiders now, tell me the truth, can you really be the chief surgeon for the lumbar spine surgery? Don’t force yourself, okay? I know you mean well, you’re doing this for my own good. My old body is still strong and I need this leg for a few more years. You have to be steady, don’t let your hands shake."

"What are you talking about? Who shakes their hands on purpose? Is shaking something one can control?" Li Min said while collecting the catheter bag.

"Little Li, your hands must be steady!" the Elderly Director grabbed Li Min’s hands.

"Elderly Director, just relax, Professor Yang has already taught me a lot, this kind of surgery is a piece of cake. Not to mention my current level, when I’d just arrived here, even those few experimental pigs I operated on were running around everywhere."

You little rascal, you’re resigning yourself to your fate, you’ve never performed this surgery on a human before, only practiced on pigs.

"Have you done this surgery?"

"Of course, I have."

"I mean on a human, not a pig."

"I’ve done it on a human."

Nonsense! Asking him is useless.

No doctor would honestly tell their first surgery patient, "I have never done this surgery, you are my first case as a chief surgeon." The patient would be scared into leaving the hospital outright.

"First surgery case, send in the patient!"

The nurse’s urging voice came from outside the door.

The gurney was pushed toward the operating room with the Elderly Director on it, a scene he had seen for dozens of years. Now it was his turn to lie there with a rookie holding the scalpel—his heart couldn’t help but flip-flop.

Forget it, it’s not easy for Little Li either. Doctors always have a learning curve; nobody wants to be the first, but then who will be the first? Little Li’s case is understandable. It’s hard to get started with strangers, but it’s easier with someone you know.

Thinking this way, the Elderly Director felt much more at peace, and his outlook swiftly improved.

Li Min followed the nurse to accompany the Elderly Director to the operating room, with the Elderly Director talking to him non-stop.

"Little Li, if you see that the neurofibroma is hard to remove, just give up if it’s not feasible—don’t force it!"

"Little Li! You must clearly see the nerves, don’t panic, keep your mind clear. I always teach you to be bold but careful, your heart must be very careful, but your courage must not be too big."

"Elderly Director! Just relax, don’t be nervous."

"Of course, I’m relaxed. When have I ever been nervous? Where do I seem tense? I’m just relaxed, aren’t I? I’m just chatting with you, we haven’t seen each other for so many days, is chatting not allowed?"

"Little Li, your hands must be steady!"

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