Surgery Godfather
Chapter 1268 - 965: Are you alright, Professor Yang?

Chapter 1268: Chapter 965: Are you alright, Professor Yang?

During Xiao Su’s hospitalization in the Overseas Chinese Building, the big sister of Human Resources Office at Sanbo Hospital planned to contact a high-end postpartum care center for her to spend her confinement period.

Postpartum care centers are generally privately funded and provide a good environment for confinement care to those new mothers with better financial conditions. They’re highly valued in China’s traditional culture.

Later, the big sister from Human Resources decided to let Xiao Su spend her confinement in the ward of the Overseas Chinese Building instead, where the current medical care team was fully equipped and even better than the private care centers outside. However, Xiao Su did not want to spend her confinement in the hospital, let alone any care center. She wanted to go home for her confinement, preferring to keep things simple.

She felt she would be more comfortable and at ease in the familiar environment of her own home.

After accompanying Xiao Su for a few days, she insisted that Yang Ping resume his normal work schedule and only spend time with her after getting off work, so as not to hold up his work. Otherwise, it would be a waste of his time. Yang Ping could not argue with her and had to end his holiday early and return to work at the hospital.

Under the leadership of Song Zimo and with the support of Xu Zhiliang, the Surgical Research Institute had been operating well, allowing Yang Ping to be relaxed as boss hands-off. In fact, an individual’s power is limited, and the best way to amplify one’s power is by cultivating an excellent team and then using that team to nurture more talent.

"Professor, isn’t your paternity leave still ongoing? Why are you coming to work?" Song Zimo knew that Yang Ping couldn’t take much time off for paternity leave.

Yang Ping replied, "I felt a bit empty not working these days, so I wanted to come and have a look. It’s not far anyway. Is there anything special going on in the department?"

"Nothing to worry about, we’ve got it covered. The Organ Transplant Center is preparing for a lung transplant for Ou Lianfeng. They’ve found a suitable donor who has been on ECMO in the ICU for over twenty days and it’s unlikely they’ll make it. If they don’t, their lungs will be just right for Ou Lianfeng. The patient had signed an organ donation agreement before, volunteering to donate all usable organs—their heart, liver, kidneys, corneas, everything—potentially saving many lives. The Organ Transplant Center is asking when you will finish your leave. They haven’t done many lung transplants, so they really hope you can help out," Song Zimo reported the important matters of the department.

"I’ll be here during the rest of my leave as well, kind of a semi-leave, ready to help them at any time."

Yang Ping took a sip of water.

"How is the little professor doing? Crying or fussing?"

"The little guy is okay, he cries when he’s hungry, thirsty, or needs to poop, and when his diaper needs changing. Once it’s changed, he goes back to sleep. These past few days, I haven’t had much to do besides helping change diapers."

"Professor, do you know how to change them?"

"I heard from Tang Fei that you’re quick and gentle at changing diapers? Rapid-fire change?"

"Please, I’ve practiced a lot, professional level."

"Niu Zhixuan came looking for you a few times, said he wanted to treat us to a meal. I told him you were recently on leave and didn’t have time." Little Five saw Yang Ping come back to work early and told him about Niu Zhixuan’s visit.

Niu Zhixuan had a great relationship with Yang Ping and Little Five back then, so their collegial bonding was deep. When Niu Zhixuan was hospitalized in the Overseas Chinese Building, Little Five even bought a fruit basket and sent it in both their names.

"Let’s set a time with Old Niu. I’ll treat, and we’ll have a meal together to catch up. How is Old Niu’s health? I heard he was about to be discharged a few days ago. He wanted to recuperate for a few more days," Yang Ping asked with concern.

Little Five said, "It seems like there was some fluctuation in his condition yesterday. I’ve been quite busy and haven’t asked for details yet."

"Let’s go see him together later. Last time I only bumped into him and haven’t formally visited yet," Yang Ping proposed.

No time like the present, and with time on their hands, Yang Ping and Little Five went together to visit their old colleague in the Overseas Chinese Building. Yang Ping didn’t put on any airs, even though he was a big-shot professor, he still considered himself just an ordinary doctor.

When the on-duty nurse at the nurse station of the Overseas Chinese Building’s surgery section saw Yang Ping coming, she immediately approached to ask what he needed. Learning that it was to visit Niu Zhixuan, she quickly notified the head nurse and Director Zhuang. The young lady was quite astute and knew how to act on opportunity. But in a place like the Overseas Chinese Building, it’s expected that nurses on duty at the station are adept at handling situations. Otherwise, if a leader were to sit there half a day without moving or attention, or if they were unpleasant when speaking, it definitely would not work out since different standards apply here.

Originally, Yang Ping had intended to visit privately, but it turned into something resembling a teaching round, with Director Zhuang, the Head Nurse, the physician in charge, the supervising nurse, the duty doctor, and a whole group of people following, and the physician in charge even presented the medical history seriously, with all the graduate students and standardized training students trailing behind.

"Mr. Niu’s condition had been very stable, meeting the discharge criteria," Director Zhuang immediately reported, quite nervously, as he believed Yang Ping came for this reason, "but around eight o’clock yesterday morning he began experiencing upper abdominal pain. We conducted an emergency surface ultrasound bedside and drew blood to check for pancreatitis markers. We didn’t find anything unusual, everything seemed fine. The ultrasound also showed a significant reduction in the edema of the pancreas. Director Fang from the General Surgery Department came over several times to check, and it was the ultrasound department director who performed the ultrasound himself."

Niu Zhixuan is a friend of Yang Ping; Yang Ping personally greeted him and took special care of him, and Little Five even sent over a fruit basket, indicating that the relationship between Niu Zhixuan and Yang Ping was extraordinary. What was Director Zhuang? One of the big shots at the Overseas Chinese Building, who was adept at handling things.

"Seeing that you’re on a break, I didn’t dare to bother you with this matter," Director Zhuang said, with a hint of an apology.

Yang Ping replied, "It’s fine, I just happened to have time to come over and have a look today."

Upon arrival at Niu Zhixuan’s ward, Niu Zhixuan was reclining on the bed, his expression not seeming very well. Seeing Yang Ping coming, he immediately tried to get up, but Yang Ping quickly pressed him back down, "Are you okay? I heard there was a recurrence of your illness?"

Given the situation, Niu Zhixuan said, "No problem, no problem. I might have eaten something with too much fat, leading to increased pancreatic secretions. I just need some rest and pay attention to my diet; I’m sorry for troubling everyone."

"You don’t usually have any upper abdomen issues, right?" Yang Ping asked seriously.

"No problem, I’m fine usually."

Even though Niu Zhixuan was a friend and blamed his condition on consuming high-fat foods, Yang Ping still took the medical history seriously and then proceeded to examine his abdomen.

"Let’s do an abdominal CT with thin slicing," Yang Ping decided on the spot.

Niu Zhixuan immediately became anxious, "Professor Yang, there’s no problem, is there?"

"No problem, just being cautious," explained Yang Ping. "You know, the pancreas is surrounded by the duodenum, which C-wraps around the pancreas. Plus, there can be gas accumulation in the intestinal tract. Gas under ultrasonography shows up as a mixed echogenic response, which means ultrasound’s ability to investigate the pancreas can be compromised."

"Immediately contact the Imaging Department’s CT room, send him right away, don’t hesitate," Director Zhuang ordered the physician in charge and had already begun calling Director Meng of the Imaging Department.

In the VIP ward, various tests usually don’t require queuing and have priority. Now, with Niu Zhixuan being a friend of Yang Ping, he had the VIP among VIPs treatment. Everyone promptly took their places, with nurses going to fetch wheelchairs and doctors going to write medical orders.

After everyone had dispersed, Niu Zhixuan was left startled in the ward: "Professor Yang, this... there’s no problem, right?"

The atmosphere felt off. The department director and head nurse had both come, and now a CT scan was needed. It couldn’t be anything serious, could it? I’ve just deviated from drinking plain porridge for a few days and ate a meat bun yesterday—I haven’t caused any serious issue, have I?

"No problem, I just examined you. There’s a lot of gas in your intestines, and I want to find out why. Too much gas can’t be detected by ultrasound," Yang Ping explained to him.

"Professor Yang, don’t hide it from me, I’m also a doctor. Is it really nothing? You’re here during your vacation for nothing? The whole department didn’t come out for a teaching round for nothing? An emergency CT for nothing? Don’t conceal it from me; tell me the truth. Is there a problem with the latest tests? The CEA, it’s not high, is it?"

Niu Zhixuan remembered that this morning he had fasted for a blood test including CEA and a set of tumor markers. He had purchased high-end medical insurance, and staying in this VIP ward was fully covered, so since he had been hospitalized, why not add a few more tests as part of a comprehensive checkup? Besides, he had been treated for acute pancreatitis for several days, so he asked the doctor to add some extra tests.

"Professor Yang! Tell me the truth, I can handle it."

Niu Zhixuan grabbed the hand of his old colleague, feeling more and more uneasy.