Surgery Godfather
Chapter 903 - 791: Stomping to the Rhythm of the Heartbeat_2

Chapter 903: Chapter 791: Stomping to the Rhythm of the Heartbeat_2

"Okay, you give it a try. Don’t use your eyes; just let go, Professor Xu will always be watching."

The patrolling nurse was preparing to equip everyone with head-mounted microscopes, but Yang Ping said there was no need for microscopes:

"Prepare the thoracoscope and its instruments!"

Yang Ping turned his head to look below, and the thoracoscope downstairs wasn’t ready yet.

"Performing with a thoracoscope?" The patrolling nurse looked at Professor Xu in surprise, to confirm if this was for real.

Professor Xu was also completely baffled: "Thoracoscope?"

Common coronary artery bypass grafting could be performed with a thoracoscope, but this case required vascular anastomosis with a vein, and since veins have thin walls and the heart beats violently, the long-arm instruments of the thoracoscope are hard to control and fundamentally incapable of such delicate operations. Any mistake would tear the vessels apart.

Moreover, bypassing a constantly beating heart required a stabilizer to secure the heart. Otherwise, locating and anastomosing blood vessels on such a vigorously beating heart would be extremely difficult. With a thoracoscope, it was impossible to place a stabilizer, so it was unlikely to be feasible.

"Professor Yang, you’re using a thoracoscope?" Professor Xu couldn’t believe it.

Yang Ping firmly said, "Yes, surgery under thoracoscopy. Isn’t it written in the surgery informed consent? I’ve also discussed it with the patient."

Although it was written in the surgery informed consent, that was just to cover all bases by including all possible surgical methods.

"Hurry up and prepare, don’t waste time," ordered Yang Ping to the patrolling nurse.

Professor Xu did not stop him; the patrolling nurse had to comply. Professor Xu didn’t intervene because he was on the stage and wanted to see how Yang Ping would proceed, as he was, after all, the author of 13 CNS papers and was unlikely to act recklessly.

Furthermore, Yang Ping had just said---the operating room is solemn and sacred.

The thoracoscope was ready, the various lines were connected, and pre-surgery checks were completed.

Yang Ping started the surgery by creating a small hole in the patient’s chest, inserting the scope and instruments.

The operation began with harvesting the internal mammary artery under the scope. The movements with thoracoscopic instruments were so fast that they surpassed anything seen by doctors, including Professor Xu. It was much faster than open chest surgery by experts in coronary bypass.

Since the internal mammary artery is extremely delicate and fragile, with a diameter of only about 2 millimeters, it must be harvested without causing damage. Therefore, even open chest surgeries are usually performed slowly; the slow pace helps ensure stability and precision, as determined by human limitations.

However, to Yang Ping’s eyes, a 2-millimeter blood vessel was considered large. Replanting a child’s severed finger involved what he considered truly small vessels.

Director Xu was startled by the sudden quick movements; he had just intended to remind Yang Ping to slow down---this was heart surgery.

But the internal mammary artery had already been harvested and was handed over to Professor Xu.

Since a thoracoscope was used for the surgery, and the two assistant surgeons were busy holding the scope, Professor Xu, the main assistant, had nothing to do.

Professor Xu placed the harvested internal mammary artery on a wet gauze, carefully inspected it, and was finally reassured by its very high quality.

In the brief moment Director Xu examined the internal mammary artery, the radial artery had already been delivered to his hands. Due to the special circumstances of this patient, who needed multiple bypasses, solely harvesting the internal mammary artery was clearly insufficient. Another vessel was needed for the bypass graft, such as the great saphenous vein, but the patient had severe varicose veins, so the radial artery was chosen.

With the bypass grafts harvested, the next step was to cut open the pericardium and locate the target on the beating heart—the coronary artery and its branches. However, in this case, the coronary artery was already atherosclerotic, making it difficult to perform the bypass, so the cardiac vein also had to be located.

The thoracoscopic instruments were like slim, agile hands, quickly cutting open the pericardium and finding the target vessels.

Next came the most challenging part---vascular anastomosis on the beating heart under thoracoscopy.

Performing vascular anastomosis on a beating heart under a scope is extremely difficult because there is no stabilization of the heart, which beats violently. At this time, the vessels that need to be anastomosed are also undulating with the heartbeat.

What’s sought in vascular anastomosis is stability, which means preventing movement of the vessels and keeping the hands steady, a direct contradiction to the heart’s beating. Under the scope, this contradiction is magnified.

Thus, at this moment, neither the surgeon’s hand nor the instrument could remain immobile; they had to move with the rhythm of the vessel’s movement, maintaining dynamic stability during the motion. Only then could the vessels be properly anastomosed. Failure to maintain dynamic stability would result in tearing the vessels or uneven anastomosis, falling short of requirements.

The first stitch began, then the second, and the third---

The thoracoscopic instruments were still swift and smooth, the needle tip almost stepping to the rhythm of the heartbeat, moving along with the moving vessels, achieving true relative motionlessness with them.

In this relative stillness, one blood vessel after another was sutured perfectly, both stitch and edge spacing were impeccable, and each stitch was placed accurately on the first attempt, without any trial stitches or unnecessary motions.

Professor Xu simply crossed his arms over the protective bag on his chest and stood to the side, watching the thoracoscope’s display screen.

Having performed coronary artery bypass grafting himself for twenty years, today he truly felt his eyes had been opened. Coronary artery bypass grafting could actually be done like this, with the surgeon’s needle tip completing the operation in time with the patient’s heartbeat.

The shock brought by the surgery, to Professor Xu, was far more intense than 13 papers.

Because coronary artery bypass grafting was Professor Xu’s forte, he was the best in Asia. The realization that there were higher skies and people beyond people hit him deeply.

Professor Xu wondered how Yang Ping could move so swiftly under the microscope and how he managed to time each needle stroke with the patient’s beating heart to keep the needle tip relatively still.

Professor Xu admitted to himself that even with more surgical experience, he could perform the procedure using a thoracoscope, but he would never be able to do it so swiftly and smoothly.

How many surgeries would it take to hone such skills?

But Yang Ping was so young; how could he possibly have amassed such a volume of surgeries?

Could this be natural talent?

It seemed the gap of talent could hardly be bridged by mere effort.

Professor Xu stood motionless in front of the screen, engrossed in this display of genius at work.

---

By now, the meeting room was in an uproar, as people jostled each other, those at the back fighting to get to the front to see, creating a bit of chaos in the conference.

Completing vascular anastomosis on eight vessels under the thoracoscope, even switching between arteries and veins, all while operating on a constantly beating heart, the movements fast and smooth.

Again, this shock was more intense than 13 papers.

This was a face-to-face shock, like watching a war movie, where no matter how realistic the 3D experience is, it can’t compare to the visceral impact of actual, blood-soaked battle scenes.

Professor Xin Weicong exhaled, having been worried as he saw Yang Ping’s swift movements; he had been so anxious he felt his heartbeat in his throat. Now that the surgery was nearing its end, he let out a sigh of relief.

When he said "All is well!" it really was.

Yang Ping quickly finished the surgery and immediately moved to another operating room to begin the next procedure, also using a thoracoscope.

By the time Yang Ping’s second operation concluded, Professor Zhong and Professor Chu were still performing vascular anastomosis.

Professor Xin thought that it wasn’t a matter of who was in line for the lead surgeon position but rather whether the Old Academician’s position as the chief surgeon should be handed directly to Yang Ping.

"I’m not in cardiac surgery, what level do you think Professor Yang’s skill is at?"

Professor Zhou Min had an internal medicine background and didn’t know much about surgery; he had simply watched the procedure for the excitement of it. However, judging by the cheers from the audience, Director Zhou knew the surgery must be impressive, though to what extent, he didn’t know.

Professor Xin stated frankly, "His skills surpass those of Professor Xu—"

"His skills in aortic dissection surgery surpass yours, and his coronary artery bypass grafting surpasses Professor Xu’s? Aren’t you the world’s number one? Isn’t Old Xu the best in Asia? How come both of your number one spots are now—"

Director Zhou Min, caught up in the moment, realized his choice of words was improper and held back the last two words "completely overshadowed".

"Our first place status is true enough, but that was before encountering Professor Yang. He is a specialist at topping the leaderboard, a slayer of those in first place," Professor Xin said without any hint of embarrassment, with complete confidence.

PS: Professor Gu Chengxiong from Anzhen Hospital is the first person in Asia for coronary artery bypass grafting! The new technique of "distal anastomosis for diffuse coronary artery disease" pioneered by Professor Gu is used in many complex coronary heart disease patients and is a world-leading technology. The "Gu’s Surgery" is also included in the European cardiovascular surgery textbook "ARTERY BYPASS", for cardiac surgeons all around the world to learn.

Additionally: Certain details from the previous Chapters have been slightly corrected. Thank you everyone!