Surgery Godfather

Chapter 255: Chapter 0239: Stop at the Foot of the Mountain

The image of the vascular reconstruction transmitted from Tokyo appears on the big screen.

It’s crystal clear, showing every detail – the source, trajectory, coordination, and interaction of each blood vessel with surrounding organs.

The image, displayed in green, covers everything from the origin of each vessel down to its bifurcation. Using this image as a reference for surgery, real direction can be given during the surgical procedure.

Takahashi, who was still in a gloomy state, immediately looked fresh when Fujiwara Miyuki notified him that the image could now be seen on the screen.

The reconstructed image has outlined the order in which the steps of the surgery should take place. This highly optimized sequence is calculated by the computer. Takahashi knows the power of this system.

Immediately changing his approach, he began to look for the eighth blood vessel according to the image guide. As expected, it was easier to separate this one than the one he had tried to find on his own.

However, as these vessels were malformed and extremely delicate, often stuck together, and connected to important organs in multiple complex ways, attempts to separate them bluntly risked damaging the adjacent organs.

The current vessel originates from the aorta and is still stuck to it. It was selected by the system to handle first, which indicates the complexity of the vessels that come later.

The surgery was somewhat desperate and suffocating, Takahashi had completely lost his desire to show off, he was carefully separating the blood vessels, hoping to finish the process quickly.

His hands moved proficiently, but slowly, this limited the ability for his hands to operate independently. Under these challenging conditions, using both left and right hands for independent operations could easily lead to accidents. After all, operations performed with both hands were more safe and steady.

Blunt separation was impossible, only sharp separation could be employed by using a scalpel or tissue scissors.

“Tissue Scissors!”

Takahashi began to separate the vessels carefully with the tissue scissors, one bit at a time, the intestines were being separated, getting closer and closer to the abdominal aorta, as the vessels were intertwined around it.

Like dancing on the edge of a knife, Takahashi’s technique was skilled, but the complex course of these malformed vessels could not be underestimated. If they were not ligated from the dry parts, even a tiny drop of leaking blood left untouched could lead to the patient’s death from hemorrhagic shock.

Although these blood vessels were malformed, they were quite thick, many with diameters reaching or exceeding 0.5 cm, their rarity and complexity were stunning. Finally, the main source was reached and sorted with sutures, but the process took five minutes.

Even with the help of a clear image, it took five minutes. At this rate, he could only manage to locate a dozen or so vessels.

The ninth vessel was even more challenging. As anticipated, the computer’s sequence would not be misleading. Takahashi began to sweat, and there were only thirty minutes left. The patient wouldn’t be able to hold on like this, let alone the risk of aortic occlusion failure.

These blood vessels, extending upwards to the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and downwards to the kidneys and back to the spine, made it impossible to proceed with the surgery, no matter how clear the images were. @@novelbin@@

No matter how precise the information is, victory can’t be guaranteed if the enemy is too powerful!

Takahashi turned around, moving out of the operational area, as the patrolling nurse helped wipe the sweat off his forehead.

–

Fujiwara Masao sighed, this patient’s condition was even more complex than the one he had faced years ago. It took Takahashi fifteen minutes to deal with only eight vessels, and now, another five minutes had passed yet the ninth vessel still remained isolated. The surgery could not proceed.

Although the monitor screen only showed the surgical area of the patient, covered by a thick sterilized blanket, it would still be heartbreaking for any doctor to witness the failure of resuscitating a patient helplessly.

Fujiwara Masao picked up his phone, oh, Takahashi was still on the operating table, it would be better to call Miyuki.

“Tell Professor Han to cut the live stream! Let Takahashi take the call!”

It’s too brutal, watching the patient suffer on the operating table while the doctor’s hands are tied. Watching this patient die helplessly is just too brutal.

Takahashi retracted his hands into the protective bag on his chest and headed for the clear space. Fujiwara Miyuki then held the phone to his ear: “Takahashi, even if we were in Tokyo, you would not be able to complete this surgery. Please face the reality and give up. You are my best student, you have done your best.”

“Okay, sir,” Takahashi respectfully replied.

Fujiwara Miyuki then activated speakerphone: “Respected Professor Han, we all did our best. No doctor would like to see this outcome, but we still have to make a decision. Turn off the video, let’s end this friendly demonstration here. If Takahashi can’t handle it, no one can complete this surgery—”

There was no doubt about the judgment from the phone, if Takahashi could not handle this surgery, no one in the room would be able to. Takahashi already stood at the top of the world’s trauma surgery pyramid.

But he was, after all, just one man, one doctor. Human capabilities and medical skills are both limited and there are places that they cannot reach.

When he finished the call, Takahashi was overwhelmed with a sense of defeat, his head buzzing. He had never done such sloppy surgery before.

He came up to the stage full of confidence, especially when his mentor Fujiwara, from distant Japan, used the latest image reconstruction engine to recreate the vascular image, his confidence was boosted even further.

But after getting on the operating table, the first, second, and third vessels were easy, the fourth started to take more time, the fifth was already a struggle, the sixth was very difficult, the seventh was only completed by luck, the eighth took five minutes and was dealt with roughly, and the ninth, there was no end in sight. It was a twisted and tangled mess with the hepatic artery, there was no way to locate it and it was impossible to separate it. Clumsy sutures could easily cause impediment to the blood supply of the liver.

He was soaked in sweat, his hands were slightly shaking. He had not fulfilled his teacher’s regret, nor performed this Mount Everest-like surgery in front of everyone.

He moved his neck slightly, looked up at the ceiling, feeling as if he was at the foot of a high mountain, made several steps up, but was unable to proceed further.

Facts are facts. The objective fact is as hard as steel!

“I am sorry, Professor Han–, please cut the live stream.”

Without much time for hesitation, Takahashi was forced to say regretfully.

Director Tan stood there, looking at Director Han, who was looking at the clear reconstruction image displayed on the screen from Tokyo.

“Xiao Yang, have you got a clear view of this picture?”

Yang Ping nodded his head, indeed this image was much clearer than the previous CT reconstruction image. The initial scan appeared like a clump of overcooked noodles mixed together, making it impossible to discern anything. With the current imagery, each vessel was clearly defined, the relationships between them were completely nuanced, both in terms of accuracy and discrete level, it exceeded the previous images by a vast margin.

If the surgery was performed based on the previous image, it would involve a great degree of difficulty, but with the help of the current image, the surgery would basically be no longer difficult.

Yang had just reconstructed the image in his brain, after all, his brain image construction ability could only use the original CT image.

“Any problem?”

“No major issues!”

So, it means there are no problems!

“It’s still premature to give up now, let us take some rest. Xiao Yang, you take the stage, as Chief Surgeon! Xiao Song assists, cooperate with Xiao Zhang and Little Five. Little Five, what are you waiting for, wash your hands and get on stage!”

Little Five had just left the operating room to help Fujiwara Miyuki transmit the images and removed his surgical gown and gloves. He would need to wash his hands and dress up again.

Takahashi was staring at Director Han, has he gone mad?

I, Takahashi Fumiya, couldn’t handle it and yet he’s asking others to take over. Does he want everyone to see the patient passing away on the operating table?

Ridiculous! A hint of anger rose in Takahashi. He undressed his surgical gown and gloves and threw them into a large yellow trash bin.

“The patient’s vital signs are temporarily stable–”

Fatty was getting excited.

Finally, Yang Ping took the stage, Song Zimo immediately refreshed his spirits. Director Han and Director Tan also prepared to leave the stage. Director Han asked: “Do you need us on standby to assist you?”

“Thank you, Director, having Song Zimo and the others is enough. ” Yang Ping positioned himself in the Chief Surgeon’s spot.

Director Han pondered and said: “Focus and brace yourself. This operation is like the Mount Everest in trauma surgery. Over a hundred blood vessels, none of them can be missed. A single miss equates to the bleeding speed of a femoral artery. Show your best skills. Do you remember my saying? There are no authorities today, you are the authorities! I will be sitting here, give it your all!”

Director Han didn’t undress, nor did he remove his gloves. Seeing Director Han still dressed, Director Tan also stayed dressed. The circulating nurse brought several stools, and Director Han sat down.

Takahashi and Fujiwara Miyuki didn’t plan to leave, they also sat in the operating room. To avoid contaminating Directors Han and Tan, they sat at a distance, at different corners watching the operating theatre’s screen.

—

This operation is too difficult, Takahashi can’t save the situation, the live video feed should be turned off soon.

The surgery area appears on the video. For a brief moment, it was left vacant as the surgeons’ hands and instruments have moved out of the area. Then, several sets of hands entered the frame.

With two S-shaped retractor hooks, the abdominal cavity is opened up. The operation begins with two pairs of hands. These belong to the Chief Surgeon and his assistant.

Captions popped up on the video, as if they were typed out one by one.

Chief Surgeon: Yang Ping, orthopedic specialist.

Assistant: Song Zimo, orthopedic specialist.

As soon as Yang Ping got on stage, Professor Su straightened up immediately. Old Han really got him on the stage. But can he handle it?

“Doctor Yang is on stage?” Cheng Liquan alerted Su Nanchen.

Su Nanchen focuses on the screen: ” Finally, he’s on stage–” Can he really handle this operation?

Yang Ping, seeing this name, Ou Lichun realized it was his classmate.

“My classmate is on stage!” Ou Lichun tugged at Director Zhang to show him.

Director Zhang seemed unwilling to watch and casually glanced at the screen: “He just went on stage to close the abdomen, and then the clean-up and suturing of the facial and upper left limb wounds will commence, and the video will be switched off soon—”

Indeed, Ou Lichun felt as if Director Zhang had splashed cold water on his anticipation. At this stage, what can a single specialist do? He’s just cleaning up the mess. They’ve given up on this surgery.

—Fujiwara Masao felt a mixture of emotions in his heart. It’s highly regrettable that they have to watch as another patient is abandoned. He felt extremely uncomfortable.

Shut off the video feed. He couldn’t bear to watch, but his eyes held their gaze on the screen, as if hoping for a miracle to occur.

Takahashi only managed to suture eight vessels and then could progress no further, unable to continue the ascent. Even if he were on site, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it. With the new algorithm to rebuild the image, maybe an 80% chance? Or 60%? He really didn’t know.

Why hasn’t the video feed been turned off? Have they gone mad?

In the video, several pairs of hands, two retractors, and the two pairs of hands had begun to move. They were not closing up the abdomen, but were continuing on with the search and suturing of the blood vessels.

Don’t they have any basic ethical principles at all?

Under such circumstances, in order to maintain the patient’s final dignity, they shouldn’t appear in the video.

The ninth vessel, which Takahashi failed to locate was found, successfully isolated, right-handed hemostat applied, and severed; the left hand located the tenth one.

No, the eleventh and twelfth vessels have also been discovered, the two surgeons moved simultaneously, from above and below, operating separately. Besides, both of them were using their left and right hands independently, as if four people were performing the operation concurrently.

Fujihara Masao instantly recognized the peculiar operations by those pairs of hands.

One pair of hands was extremely quick, while the other pair was noticeably slower, but still exceeded the level of Takahashi’s independent movements.

He was just about to turn off the electronic screen, when he suddenly exclaimed:

Wait!