Surgery Godfather-Chapter 598 - 545: Should the Surgery be Postponed?

Destiny is unpredictable, and man fluctuates between fortune and adversity.

It always happens this way. What you fear most ends up coming to pass.

The door to the catheterization lab opened and the old man was fraught with anxiety. His face as pale as a sheet, he hurriedly inquired about his wife’s condition from Director Guan, who took the time to explain it to him in detail.

The old man looked utterly broken, as if his body had come apart. He leaned against the back of his wheelchair, stupefied, taking a long while to come to his senses, even as his lips trembled incessantly.

Yang Ping instructed the nurses to quickly wheel the old man back to his ward and to take good care of him. Then, he called Head Nurse Cai and asked her to try to get in touch with the old man’s other relatives.

People of their age, who are in poor health, have to be admitted to the hospital several times a year, usually in a constant state of distress.

With his old darling currently in the CCU, her fate unknown, and their son currently in custody, the old man was at a loss for what to do. His mental health was on the verge of collapsing.

Head Nurse Cai spent a long time communicating with him and managed to get a few phone numbers, but when she called them, the recipients assumed that the calls were scams and hung up after a few words.

With no other options left, they waited for the old man to calm down so he could call his relatives himself.

Given that he had little interaction with these relatives normally, when they received the calls, they either claimed they weren’t in the city or said they would try to find time to visit tomorrow.

Whether they would actually come tomorrow was uncertain.

Fortunately, the hospital’s chief on-duty officer happened to be Vice Dean Sun, who had experienced dealing with such situations.

He notified the Medical Affairs Department to send a clerk overnight to handle the old man’s affairs.

He also instructed the Department to contact the residents’ committee in the area where the old man lived during office hours tomorrow. free𝑤ebnovel.com

This patient was unique. He wasn’t an inpatient, nor was he a patient who needed to go through the emergency department, but a family member of a hospitalized patient who had suddenly fallen ill in the middle of the night and had had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.

The patient’s husband was on the verge of a mental breakdown and was already incapable of making decisions. Their only son was currently in detainment.

As for the other relatives, no one was reachable.

The only option was to contact the residents’ committee and have them intervene.

Dean Sun instructed the first doctor, Li Guodong, to promptly complete the medical records, and to thoroughly record the details of the rescue to avoid being at a loss for words should a dispute arise.

Dean Sun said that human nature is such that it cannot stand testing. Every patient might potentially be a litigant, and every medical record might potentially serve as evidence in court.

While other matters could be put aside for now, the recording of the medical records had to be done immediately.

If the old woman did not survive the critical postoperative period in the CCU, despite the fact that no relatives had turned up yet, when the time came, all kinds of far-fetched relatives would pop up out of nowhere, each seemingly more enthusiastic than the last, as though everyone had become the embodiment of justice.

Having practiced medicine for many years and having served as Vice Dean for many years, Dean Sun had seen all kinds of ugliness and, therefore, he needed to be prepared.

In contrast to Dean Xia’s bold and decisive manner, Dean Sun was quite conservative.

Li Guodong hurried to complete the medical record and Dean Sun went over it word by word. He asked Li Guodong, "Dr. Li, according to what standard did you write these medical records?"

Li Guodong didn’t understand Dean Sun’s meaning and truthfully replied, "According to the latest standards for medical record keeping."

Weren’t medical records meant to be written according to the standards for medical record keeping?

Could there be other requirements?

Dean Sun shook his head, "That is the minimum requirement. Dr. Li, let me tell you, for every medical record, you need to consider that the patient could sue you at any moment. Only with this mindset can you write a good medical record."

Li Guodong nodded. It seemed that Dean Sun was right.

Dean Sun guided Li Guodong in adjusting the medical records several times before they were finally printed out and signed.

After the records were signed, Dean Sun looked over them a few more times and admonished Li Guodong, "Hold off on the child’s surgery tomorrow. I will talk to Professor Yang about it later."

Li Guodong didn’t understand why the surgery should be postponed. If they didn’t remove the needles promptly, they risked further complications, and the baby must be in great pain.

Dean Sun seemed to understand Li Guodong’s confusion. He said earnestly, "You are still young and there is much you don’t understand. You will mature over time. The baby’s surgery is not an emergency, so it doesn’t hurt to wait a few more days. Once everything is clear, we can proceed. What if a dispute arises? That would just add fuel to the fire, wouldn’t it?"

As he was leaving, Dean Sun told Li Guodong, "Dr. Li, when working as a physician, don’t do things haphazardly. Learn from Director Kong at the Overseas Chinese Building."

Having said that, Dean Sun left the ward and went on to inspect the work in the catheterization lab and the CCU.

Li Guodong sat in his office, feeling somewhat at a loss. He understood what Dean Sun meant.

Director Kong was indeed a legendary figure, currently serving as the medical director of the Overseas Chinese Building.

Everyone at Sanbo Hospital knew about him and his rather poor standard of professional skill.

However, Director Kong was adept with words and understanding people’s psychology.

So, he relied on these two skills and rose to the rank of chief physician and the advisor of a master’s degree program, and he was currently seeking to become a doctoral advisor.

When Director Kong was head of the Cardiology Department, his professional competence was quite poor, and he often made inappropriate comments during case discussions.

Still, none of the doctors in the department exposed his mistakes, and no one complained about him. They were all willing to work under him.

For he had a kind of chivalry ethos, capable of defending the interest of the department’s doctors. At critical moments, he took responsibility and spoke up for the staff. He absorbed all the disputes within the department and solved countless conflicts with his eloquence.

During his tenure as department director, there was not a single lawsuit, and complaints were extremely rare.

It was truly amazing!

Once during an interventional surgery, Director Kong was the chief surgeon and, unfortunately, punctured the patient’s aorta. The patient died right there on the operating table.

Yet, in the end, the patient’s family did not utter a single word of complaint. Not only was there no dispute, but they even presented banners of gratitude and baskets of fruit.

In the medical industry, he and Director Tang from another private hospital, were regarded as legendary figures.

Not many doctors could reach such a level. Ah!

Just one word – admirable!

Li Guodong had witnessed Director Kong’s abilities, but he found he could not, simply could not, emulate his traits.

Even for very common and simple treatments that lower-ranking resident doctors could handle, Director Kong would overcomplicate matters. He’d insist how serious and complex the cases were, and then miraculous ’cure’ them.

The patients would not only believe him but also be overflowing with gratitude.

Sometimes even the standardized training students couldn’t stand it, but they only grumbled about it in private.

Director Kong’s unique abilities won the attention of Dean Xia. During reforms, most department directors were replaced by young, capable doctors holding doctorates. Yet, only Kong was promoted to be the director of the Department of Internal Medicine in the Overseas Chinese Building.

As the director of the Department of Internal Medicine of the Overseas Chinese Building, he contributed a great deal to the hospital, making all the operations in the hospital run smoothly.

Like when they needed to approve some budget, while other hospitals struggled with the approval, Sanbo Hospital could get it done smoothly.

While the Medical Insurance Bureau was strict with other hospitals, they gave Sanbo Hospital a thumbs up, considering it as a model for medical insurance.

Director Kong had a distinct trait; he was generous to his subordinates and colleagues, and always willing to help.

If anyone came to him with a problem, he would treat it as his own and wouldn’t brush them off.

As Yang Ping, Song Zimo and Xu Zhiliang returned to the department from the CCU, Li Guodong quickly reported, "Dean Sun says to delay Minmin’s surgery. Should it be postponed?"

Such a small child, with so many needles punctured into her body, must have been in a world of pain. Every time Minmin cried inexplicably, it was probably due to the stimulus of needles in certain parts of her body during movement.

Although the operation was not a life-saving emergency surgery, the earlier it was done, the better.

Furthermore, some needles, especially those in the heart region, carried deadly risks at any time.

"Dean Sun mentioned this to me. I’ve already told him to go ahead with the surgery as planned tomorrow. Let’s not delay the child because of tonight’s incident," Yang Ping was also feeling a bit sleepy and planned to head to the on-call room for a rest.

Li Guodong reminded, "The old lady suddenly suffered a myocardial infarction. The old man seemed confused and there are no other relatives present. What if ---"

What if there’s some dispute, it would be a thankless task.

Yang Ping looked at Li Guodong. He was right. From the perspective of self-protection, this would be the safest course of action.

After some thought, Yang Ping told Li Guodong,

"Dr. Li, it is correct for a doctor to protect himself, but we also need to consider the patient’s perspective. Having the operation a day early would relieve the child from the pain sooner. Of course, we are not rushing the surgery. We take full precautions technically and procedurally. Tomorrow, before the surgery, I’ll report to Dean Xia."

Li Guodong nodded, "I understand!"

"Proceed with the surgery as planned tomorrow!"

Song Zimo also patted Li Guodong’s shoulder.

"The best way for a pilot to ensure his safety is to never take off!"

Then, Xu Zhiliang said to Li Guodong, "Dean Sun ---slick operator---learn from him---at most learn half."

Li Guodong’s face turned somewhat red in an instant.