Surgery Godfather
Chapter 979 - 826: I Will Personally Mentor This Doctor_2

Chapter 979: Chapter 826: I Will Personally Mentor This Doctor_2

Of course, before the animal experiments, these doctors had already undergone rigorous training and had been assessed on the entire surgical procedure, preventing students from recklessly wasting experimental materials.

Song Zimo was to perform 20 surgeries in succession, a task that was extremely taxing. The staff employed an assembly-line approach, ensuring seamless transitions between surgeries. On average, Song Zimo spent just over ten minutes per pig, which meant that it took him over six hours to complete all the surgeries.

Twenty pieces of muscle were transplanted onto the pigs. Such transplants were akin to autografts since the organs were cloned from their own pluripotent stem cells, thereby eliminating any risk of immune rejection and obviating the need for anti-rejection treatment.

After the muscle transplant surgery, it was necessary to collect a large amount of experimental data. Therefore, the pigs were regularly captured for various checks, such as determining vital signs, drawing blood for tests, electromyography, and so on. In short, the more detailed the data collected, the better.

When it comes to structure and function, muscle, as an organ, is much simpler than the heart, liver, kidneys, and the like, but it contains all the characteristics of an organ.

Being able to clone a piece of muscle meant opening the door to clone organs individually. Following this technique, one could master the technology to clone organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys in the future.

The thought alone was exhilarating, so after completing the experiments, the interns, standardized training students, and graduate students took photos at the test site to immortalize the moment, so they could later say, "Look, I was right there at the experiment site."

---

Dean Xia took a stroll around the Surgical Research Institute, he was looking for Yang Ping.

An elder leader from the Provincial Hall had asked Dean Xia for a favor, to see if it was possible to arrange for a visiting doctor to study and learn at Sanbo Hospital Surgery Research Institute.

Dean Xia found this request rather difficult, as Yang Ping disliked dealing with such relation-based issues.

The elder leader had spoken earnestly, "This is not a relative or friend of mine, it’s not a personal relationship at all, but a surgeon from a remote mountainous area hospital in our province. Given the poor conditions in the remote mountain areas, this doctor, who has been working there for seven years since graduating from junior college, has been selflessly dedicated, wholly serving the people of the mountainous region, and has saved many patients. He has been awarded the medal for Good Doctor of the National People, and he has a wish, which is to have an opportunity to study at your institute."

Dean Xia was aware of this doctor—Dr. Li Min, a city dweller who had other opportunities to stay in the city, but he volunteered to go to the mountainous area to support the medical services, truly making him a role model for the times deserving of admiration, so Dean Xia agreed without hesitation.

Upon returning, Dean Xia went looking for Yang Ping to discuss the matter. He first walked around the Surgical Research Institute, went to the Security Room to check in on the few "guards," greeting them and inquiring if they were adapting well to the work, while reminding them to report any work-related needs to the hospital at any time.

Only then did he knock on Yang Ping’s door. Yang Ping was studying a case.

After Dean Xia explained the situation thoroughly, Yang Ping didn’t hesitate to say, "When does he report for duty? I’ll personally mentor this Dr. Li!"

Dean Xia was overjoyed inside, as this would allow him to give a good report to the elder leader.

Dr. Li was from North Bridge County, which was even more mountainous than Nanqiao County and one of the poorest mountain areas in Nandu Province. The medical conditions were extremely poor and, compounded by inconvenient transportation and scattered neighboring villages and towns, seeking medical treatment was very inconvenient.

The hospital in Guandu Town of North Bridge County was nestled in the mountains, where Dr. Li served as the town hospital doctor.

Due to poor economic conditions and isolated transportation, this town hospital could hardly retain anyone. Even local doctors would leave within a few years to earn money through labor, with hardly anyone willing to stay contentedly.

Dr. Li rooted himself there without regrets, staying for seven years, during which time he traveled to all the surrounding mountain villages, delivering medicine and medical care to the villagers. Under the guidance of the elderly director, he carried out various surgeries and saved many patients.

This era needed such spirit; the leadership at the Provincial Hall wanted Dr. Li to receive the best advanced training. Where could he go? The Provincial Hall leadership asked Dr. Li, and he was free to choose anywhere; the organization was willing to make arrangements wherever he wished to go.

Dr. Li stated his desire to undertake a one-year training at Sanbo Hospital Surgery Research Institute, wondering if it was possible.

After speaking, Dr. Li’s face turned red, feeling he had asked for too much. After all, what was the Sanbo Hospital Surgery Research Institute? It was a place for doctors and masters, how could they want someone with a junior college degree like him?

But the leader had said, "We will definitely fulfill your request; go back and wait for the news, and we will make the arrangements."

This led to Dean Xia seeking out Yang Ping.

---

Meanwhile, at Beiqiao County Guandu Town Hospital.

This was essentially a health clinic, with just over a dozen doctors and nurses responsible for the entire town’s medical and preventative care.

Because it was a mountainous area and it was inconvenient to travel, nearby villagers all came here for medical treatment.

Dr. Li Min was performing an appendectomy as the chief surgeon. Since his skilled assistant had resigned to work elsewhere, his current assistant was a newcomer, which made the procedure quite slow.

"Xiao Li, any difficulties with the surgery?"

The elderly director asked from outside the operating room. The director could still perform some simple operations, but due to his age, his body couldn’t handle more demanding tasks.

"It’s fine. The appendix is already removed, and now I’m doing the purse-string suture."

Through the door of the operating room, the elderly director called out loudly, "Xiao Li, when you’re done, come to my office."

After finishing the surgery, Li Min went to the director’s office. The elderly director said, "Sit down!"

"Xiao Li, this is a notice sent from the county. Let me see, it should be a direct order from the provincial hall, instructing you to go to the provincial city for further training. The hospital for the advancement, let me see, Sanbo Hospital Surgery Research Institute." The elderly director put on his reading glasses to look at the notice.

"Really?"

Li Min had always dreamed of training there. Despite living in a mountainous area, he frequently kept up with medical trends through the internet and had always idolized Yang Ping from the Sanbo Hospital Surgery Research Institute.

He had watched Yang Ping’s five limb reattachments on his cell phone and had been utterly in awe. Later, he followed Sanbo Hospital’s official website and official account to keep abreast of the latest developments from Yang Ping and Sanbo Hospital.

"Xiao Li, the leaders have given us the discretion to set the duration of the training. I hope you will learn as much as you can. Go for three years, then come back. Look, the state provides salary and living expenses, along with subsidies. It’s a rare opportunity," the elderly director said, leaning back in his chair.

Dr. Li said, troubled, "How can I train for so long? What about our patients?"

"Lian Po can still eat. Do you really think I’m completely out of commission? I can still manage, just more slowly," the elderly director said with confidence.

"You’re old—"

The director, despite being an old man, was originally from the gynecology and obstetrics field and could still perform various simple operations. Anyway, township hospitals had to be jacks-of-all-trades, but indeed, he was of retirement age. However, he had no choice but to keep working because there was no one else to take charge of the hospital.

"That settles it. Learn for at least three years, get the basic surgeries down, and prepare to head to the provincial city in a few days. I’ll have Shanya’s vehicle take you to the county to catch a bus," the elderly director arranged.

Shanya’s vehicle was a second-hand Wuling, the only private car in the vicinity.

"There are three surgeries these next few days: a Caesarean section, ascites drainage, and debridement of necrotic lower limbs."

Some of the patients here were actually quite severe, like those discharged from the hospitals in the province or the county to be sent home for palliative care. For example, the patient needing ascites drainage had a late-stage abdominal tumor and was brought home from the provincial hospital to lie in bed, but his abdomen had become very swollen and needed treatment.

The patient requiring debridement of necrotic lower limbs was also brought back from the county. After undergoing several amputations, the necrosis kept reoccurring, forcing further amputations higher up. Repeated a few times, the family had run out of patience, preferring not to send him back to the county hospital and instead bringing him here every few days for debridement.

"I’ll do it! What’s the matter with Aliang? After three months, he still can’t get a handle on cutting thread and tying knots? It’s a good opportunity for me to set him straight," the elderly director said furiously.

"Such simple tasks of cutting thread and tying knots, why can’t he get them right? So clumsy," the elderly director muttered.

"You mustn’t scold him, nowadays young people quit at the slightest criticism, they can’t handle the pressure," Li Min warned.

"I—just meant to talk to him. I’ll teach him myself. Xiao Li, I don’t know what I’d do without you," the elderly director sighed.

"Fourth Master Yuan took a fall and has been bedridden for a month, reportedly with a palm-sized pressure sore on his buttocks. The village secretary said they are dispatching someone to bring him here in a tricycle today. I’ll check him and decide when to leave after that."

"How come I haven’t heard about it? Otherwise, you could have gone to his home and done skeletal traction; it would be better than just lying there," Li Min suggested.

"Probably the elderly couple didn’t want to worry their children living away."

"I’ll handle this. I think he can’t just be treated with a few screws."

This kind of situation is usually a hip fracture. If it’s possible to put in large screws, it might be manageable here, but if a more complicated procedure is necessary, it probably won’t work. They would have to send him to the county hospital or go with conservative treatment.