Surgery Godfather
Chapter 935 - 807: Debut of the Ultimate Technique

Chapter 935: Chapter 807: Debut of the Ultimate Technique

After a session of freestyle discussion, Professor Li Zehui then spoke about the latest treatment advancements for pediatric congenital heart disease.

As a professor at Cleveland Medical Center and a rising star in the world of cardiac surgery, Professor Li Zehui’s lessons naturally contained an abundance of practical information, discussing cutting-edge techniques that can’t be found in textbooks.

A departmental case discussion featuring academics, international top experts, and even those who had flown in specially for the event, undoubtedly provided the students with substantial knowledge and boosted their confidence.

Director He Xiangjun from Sanbo Hospital’s Department of Thoracic Surgery had been mostly silent throughout, perhaps because the longer one works, the less passion and curiosity one tends to have; he showed no interest in the topics discussed by the young graduate students.

Yang Ping was about to become the chief surgeon for an infant case, so Academician Wang hoped Yang Ping could make a summary statement about the recent discussion.

As the department director, it was expected of him, and Yang Ping slowly approached the podium to say:

"I have given a lot of thought to this case, and when I spoke about placing an expander in the underdeveloped left ventricle, I wasn’t just saying it—I actually want to establish a project to specifically study it, hoping to find a radical treatment for underdeveloped left ventricles. We already have a broad direction. The rest is to refine our project. I hope every doctor and student in the department can get involved. We must consider how the expander is designed, how it’s implanted, how the pathways are brought out, and how exactly the expansion is to be carried out. We need to both increase the space in the left ventricle and ensure the thickness and contractile strength of the myocardial wall, allowing the left ventricle to beat normally and powerfully after complete expansion."

"I’m signing up!" Li Guodong said excitedly, raising his hand.

Immediately, many people in the audience followed suit, raising their hands to sign up, showing high enthusiasm and a belief that they could make it work.

"Alright, after the meeting, Li Guodong will take the lead in establishing the team."

Furthermore, Elder Wang just mentioned his two failed cases. Failure is the mother of success; without Elder Wang’s pioneering work providing experiences and lessons for successors, their success would not be possible."

"Elder Wang left one thing unsaid, which I will add. This case not only demands extremely high suturing technique but also a very rapid suturing speed because it involves an infant who cannot withstand long durations of extracorporeal circulation. It is necessary to employ hypothermic circulatory arrest techniques, which typically allow for a duration of 45 minutes, and with special brain protection techniques, can only be extended up to 60 minutes. Therefore, all suturing must be completed within this time frame, which is quite challenging."

Academician Wang had deliberately not mentioned this aspect earlier, not wanting to dwell on the objective difficulties. Failure is failure and must be confronted head-on.

In Yang Ping’s summary, the case discussion concluded. Everyone looked forward to the surgery with great anticipation, hearing that the suturing involved would be the pinnacle of surgical technique.

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Early the next morning, the infant was brought to Sanbo Hospital by his parents and admitted to the hospital.

The little fellow had noticeable cyanosis on his lips, a symptom of lack of oxygen. In theory, a first surgery should have been completed within a month, but it was already a few days beyond that. Without surgery soon, the child was unlikely to live much longer.

The baby’s parents were also desperately seeking help, unwilling to give up, which is why they turned to Fuwai Hospital and found Professor Chen. Professor Chen is a top expert in pediatric congenital heart disease; aside from Academician Wang who had already semi-retired, it would not be an exaggeration to call Professor Chen the foremost authority on pediatric congenital heart disease surgeries in China.

The baby’s mother undid his clothes, and Yang Ping examined his entire condition before auscultating his heart and reviewing various tests brought from the other hospital. The indications for surgery were clear: there were no contraindications to surgery, so there was nothing much else to say—surgery!

An earlier operation meant less risk and more hope.

"We’ll complete the preoperative examinations today, and proceed with the surgery tomorrow," said Yang Ping after the examination.

Academician Wang greatly appreciated Yang Ping’s decisiveness, his readiness to act without hesitation or let difficulties stand in the way.

The baby’s surgery was to be done in three steps. If the first stage went well, it indicated that Yang Ping’s vascular sutures were satisfactory. Generally, this suggested that the second and third stages would likely go smoothly too, making the first operation most critical.

Xia Shu quickly got into the groove—perhaps he inherently enjoyed the working state of comprehensive surgery—once he started his shift, he utilized his specialty to assist the physician in charge with perioperative management for this infant.

The surgery was scheduled to begin the next day.

Yang Ping would be the chief surgeon, with Academician Wang and Professor Chen serving as assistants due to their experience with such surgery.

Song Zimo and Xu Zhiliang were also to be on the platform, albeit in peripheral roles.

Professor Li Zehui, Director He Xiangjun, and Xia Shu would serve as observ\ers, sitting in a corner of the operating room, ready to watch the procedure on the screen.

Professor Cao did not attend this time; feeling his age, he thought it best to minimize his viewing of Yang Ping’s surgeries.

To prepare for any possible emergencies, Yang Ping chose a median sternotomy, which provided the most open and clear approach.

Upon opening the thoracic cavity, the heart was exposed, a small organ not even the size of a walnut, with even smaller major blood vessels.

Vascular anastomosis was Yang Ping’s signature skill, his trick of the trade. It was this expertise using vascular anastomosis in limb reattachment that brought him recognition at Sanbo Hospital, raising his profile with each surgery. And what is the core technology in limb reattachments? It’s vascular anastomosis. Are there blood vessels finer than those in an infant’s fingers?

The aorta, pulmonary artery, and their connections to the heart were also exposed. Yang Ping gently touched the thin blood vessels with his fingers, feeling that their elasticity was very poor.