Surgery Godfather-Chapter 2004 - 1355: Possible
Xu Zhiliang looked at her and said, "We can do it."
Zhao Xiaofeng added, "But this surgery, we can’t guarantee it will be completely clean. Diffuse type glioma, do you know what it means?"
The woman was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.
"It means the tumor and normal brain tissue grow together and can’t be separated. We can remove most of it, but some will always remain. If left, it may recur in the future. But if we take too much, he won’t wake up now."
Zhao Xiaofeng looked at the woman.
"Think it over. Do it, or not?"
The woman stood there, her lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.
The boy reached out and held his mother’s hand.
"Mom," he said, "I’ll do it."
The woman looked at him, tears falling.
"But..."
"I’ll do it." The boy said, looking at Xu Zhiliang.
"Director Xu, go ahead. No matter the result, I’ll accept it."
Xu Zhiliang was silent for a few seconds.
Then he nodded.
---
The next day, Xu Zhiliang reviewed Zhou Yuan’s scans over a dozen times, simulating the surgery process countless times in his mind. Every possible accident, every coping strategy, he considered. This was the study method taught by Yang Ping—pre-surgical simulation, post-operative review. Yang Ping said, performing a surgery ten times is not as good as simulating it a hundred times. If you can’t get through it in your mind, you can’t get through it in your hands.
At seven in the morning, there was a knock at the office door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and it was Zhao Xiaofeng.
"Director Xu," Zhao Xiaofeng came in, "I didn’t sleep all night."
Xu Zhiliang looked at him.
"What were you thinking?"
"About this surgery." Zhao Xiaofeng walked over to the view box, looking at Zhou Yuan’s scans, "This kind of case, I’ve read in literature. Centers that can do this, there are less than ten worldwide. Those who can do it well can be counted on one hand."
He turned his head, looking at Xu Zhiliang.
"Director Xu, facing this kind of surgery, will you be nervous?"
Xu Zhiliang was silent for a few seconds.
"I used to be." He said, "Now... no. I’ve passed the... stage of nervousness."
Zhao Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment.
Xu Zhiliang looked at the shadow on the scans.
"But not being nervous doesn’t mean... complacency. I’ll think through... every step. Before making every incision, I’ll first think of... a retreat."
He looked at Zhao Xiaofeng.
"You’ll be the first assistant today."
Zhao Xiaofeng straightened up.
"Yes."
---
Xu Zhiliang didn’t wait; on the third day, the surgery began at nine in the morning.
When the shadowless lamp lit up, Xu Zhiliang sat in the chief surgeon position. Zhao Xiaofeng sat in the first assistant position, while Chen Houming was still an observer.
The patient was already under anesthesia, lying there, head fixed in a head frame. The surgical area was disinfected and draped, exposing only a small patch of scalp.
Xu Zhiliang took a deep breath, and the surgery began...
The tumor was deep in the medulla. Normal tissue was grayish-white, glossy, like fresh mushrooms. The tumor was darker in color, more fragile in texture, like overcooked tofu. But they were mixed together, with indistinct boundaries, you in me, me in you.
Xu Zhiliang stared at the image for a long time, then continued.
Separate, stop bleeding, separate again, stop bleeding again. Every twenty minutes, a specimen was sent for frozen pathology. The nurse jogged out, jogged back in, each time bringing back a report.
First frozen result: positive margin.
Xu Zhiliang said nothing, continuing to cut deeper.
Second time: still positive.
Third time: positive.
Fourth time: positive.
Fifth time: positive.
The operating room was so quiet that only the sound of the suction device was heard. The anesthesiologist stared at the monitor, the nurse passed instruments, Zhao Xiaofeng’s forehead was covered in sweat. In the corner, Chen Houming stood motionless, a statue.
When the sixth specimen was sent, Zhao Xiaofeng finally couldn’t hold back.
"Director Xu," his voice was very low, but tense, "if we cut any more, it will reach the respiratory center."
Xu Zhiliang said nothing.
He stared at the microscope’s images. The tumor had a thin layer left, clinging to the dorsal side of the medulla. The color of that area was slightly different from the surroundings, the blood vessel distribution slightly varied. One more millimeter forward, it was the life center.
He watched for a long time.
"Electrical stimulation." He said.
Zhao Xiaofeng handed over the stimulator. The current softly brushed the area.
On the monitor, the patient’s respiratory rate changed. From sixteen times per minute, to fourteen times, then back to sixteen.
Xu Zhiliang’s hand paused.
"Stimulate once more."
There was another change. This time more pronounced, the respiration dropped from sixteen times to twelve times, took several seconds to recover.
In the corner, Chen Houming took a gentle breath.
Xu Zhiliang didn’t look up. He stared at the microscope, stared at that thin tumor tissue, stared at those distinct nerve fibers.
Continue!
"Director Xu!"
"Be a good first assistant."
"Dr. Xu!"
"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing."
Xu Zhiliang ignored Zhao Xiaofeng and Chen Houming’s reminders, continuing the surgery.
He carefully, little by little, removed the last thin layer of tissue, then stopped.
"Enough." He said, "Close the skull."
Zhao Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment. His suspended heart suddenly dropped, he only then realizing his back was drenched in sweat, the monitor showing normal breathing.
Xu Zhiliang stood up, vacating the chief surgeon position.
"You... close the skull."
Zhao Xiaofeng froze.
"Me?"
"Do you know how to close the skull?"
Zhao Xiaofeng nodded.
"Then do it."
Zhao Xiaofeng took a deep breath, sat in the chief surgeon position.
Xu Zhiliang sat beside him, watching.
One stitch, another stitch, and another stitch.
---
When the surgery ended, it was already two in the afternoon.
Xu Zhiliang walked out of the operating room into the resting room, Chen Houming came out from inside, sitting next to him.
"Five hours." Chen Houming said, "Faster than I expected."
Xu Zhiliang said nothing.
"Those last moves," Chen Houming looked at him, "how did you judge?"
Xu Zhiliang was silent for a few seconds, said, "Experience."
Chen Houming nodded.
Zhao Xiaofeng came out from inside, standing beside Xu Zhiliang.
"Director Xu," his voice was drifting, "how did you judge those last moves?"
The same question.
Xu Zhiliang looked at him, "Experience." He said, "Sometimes... you have to trust the instruments, sometimes... you have to trust experience. Knowing how to choose is also... experience."
"But what if..."
"There are no what-ifs." Xu Zhiliang said, "With this kind of surgery... too many what-ifs means... lacking experience."
He looked at Zhao Xiaofeng.
"Got it?"
Zhao Xiaofeng nodded.
"Got it."
---
On the second day after surgery, Zhou Yuan woke up.
Breathing steady, limbs able to move, able to speak. Just a bit weak, needing to pause for breath when speaking.
When Xu Zhiliang made rounds, he was leaning on the bedhead, his mother feeding him porridge. When he saw Xu Zhiliang come in, he wanted to sit up, but Xu Zhiliang pressed him down.
"Lie down."
Zhou Yuan looked at him, eyes red.
"Director Xu, my mom said you operated for five hours."
Xu Zhiliang nodded.
"Thank you." Zhou Yuan’s voice trembled a bit.
Xu Zhiliang looked at him.
"How do you feel now?"
Zhou Yuan thought for a moment.
"Not bad. Just speaking is a bit tiring. Can’t catch my breath."
Xu Zhiliang nodded.
"Normal. The respiratory center... was slightly affected; it will recover gradually. It might take... a few months, maybe a year. But it will get better."
Zhou Yuan nodded.
"Director Xu," he said, "I want to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Will it recur in the future?"
"It will; human life has its span, and you’re only... nineteen." He said, "At nineteen, I think I can keep you alive. Even if it’s only... five years, it’s worth... living well, living in the present, as for a recurrence, we’ll deal with it later."
In the end, he just said one sentence:
"First, get... better, maybe in the future medicine will advance, so you don’t need to worry about the future; you need to think about how to make today, make now joyful and meaningful."
He turned and walked out of the ward.
