Surgery Godfather-Chapter 602 - 548: What’s Your Wife’s Last Name?

Between the third and fourth cervical vertebral bodies, there’s still one needle left. This is the thinnest one and is saved for last due to its high level of difficulty, even harder to extract than those in the pericardium.

The structure filling the intervertebral space is the intervertebral disc; the needle is planted inside it.

After rinsing the abdominal cavity and retracting the equipment, Li Guodong sutured the three small incisions on the abdomen.

Yang Ping then shifted the battlefield to the cervical spine. The baby’s cervical spine was very small; Yang Ping originally planned to use ultrasound positioning and then remove the thin needle under an endoscope.

However, there was no suitable endoscopic system available for use in the neck area in the Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Equipment normally used for adult cervical spine minimally invasive surgery, such as the dilation tube system, was definitely not suitable for a baby. The endoscopic system used by the paediatric ENT department was also unsuitable.

Yang Ping had no choice but to use an open mini-incision surgery. The cut was not big, only one centimeter.

This needle was about 1.8 centimeters long. In theory, no matter if the needle punctures the human body from the front or the back of the neck, the needle’s maximum depth would be under the skin and it could not go any deeper. From then on, the position of the needle would change with muscle contraction.

With all the movement, how did the needle manage to enter the intervertebral space so perfectly?

Moreover, one end of this needle is sharp without any anomalies, while the other end has lost its rounded feel.

Was a long needle jabbed into the intervertebral space and then a part of it broken off inside?

Yang Ping thought about this needle for a long time and felt that this was the only logical explanation.

Dr. Jin performed surgery all night yesterday. He could rest now, but he wanted to observe Yang Ping’s operation. He was standing on the side now, not thinking of any rest at all.

Also, considering the situation in Orthopaedics today, any rest would certainly be out of the question. Dr. Jin decided to stay. He could watch the surgery and take a breather at the same time.

Yang Ping was planning to use a small incision, so frequent positioning was unavoidable. And this area wouldn’t be able to avoid X-ray positioning either.

Dr. Jin looked around the operating room. Besides himself, there was only Liang Fatty and Zhou Can in the room; the interns and standardized training students had all rushed to the Trauma Emergency Center for assistance.

Liang Fatty was sitting on a stool in a daze and it was clear that he couldn’t be expected to do anything else.

Zhou Can is a girl, Dr. Jin thought, standing there as a grown man while asking Zhou Can to move the C-arm X-ray machine, would not be appropriate or justifiable.

So, he quietly went to the storage room next door by himself and started pushing the C-arm X-ray machine. He first moved the main computer screen out and arranged it, then pushed out the C-arm. It’s a bit of an effort for one person to move this machine; usually, the interns do the pushing.

In spine surgery, it is extremely important to position the segment correctly, and it is indispensable.

In the past, before the C-arm machine was available, positioning was done based on experience, and there were instances where the wrong segment was operated on — even veterans were not exempt.

Once everything was ready, Dr. Jin asked, "Professor Yang, the C-arm machine is ready. Can I assist you on the platform?"

"Scrub in!"

Yang Ping didn’t beat around the bush. Since Old Jin was so enthusiastic, he let him participate in the operation.

However, they wouldn’t need to use the C-arm machine at all. Yang Ping had not planned to use the C-arm machine for positioning.

Using a C-arm machine for positioning would, in theory, be necessary. However, Yang Ping was highly skilled and daring. In order to minimize the radiation exposure for Minmin,

They couldn’t provide any protection for the thyroid during cervical spine surgery. If they could reduce the X-ray radiation, they would.

"No need for the C-arm! I will use ultrasound for positioning." Yang Ping said as he began to disinfect the skin of the neck area again before making the incision.

Not using the C-arm, but the ultrasound?

How to position the segment? If the segment can’t be positioned, how to perform the surgery?

Dr. Jin was very confused. An experienced doctor and a senior physician actually couldn’t figure out how to use an ultrasound to position spinal segments.

That’s normal, because only Yang Ping dared to do this.

Yang Ping was too familiar with anatomy, he only needed to do a touch examination of the cervical spinous processes and he could accurately determine the corresponding sequence of the cervical spinous processes. Then, based on the distance relationship between the spinous process and the intervertebral space on the original X-ray, he was able to accurately locate the intervertebral space.

Dr. Jin stepped onto the platform with his questions, scrubbed in, and assisted Yang Ping.

Yang Ping planned to use the anterolateral approach. After a quick ultrasound scan for positioning, he made a small cut, slightly separated it with a microvascular clamp, then inserted a micro skin retractor and let Li Guodong retract the skin.

"Never ever imitate me. Always use the C-arm machine for positioning during your surgeries."

Yang Ping reminded Dr. Jin and Li Guodong, especially Dr. Jin.

This reminder is necessary, just like when dangerous actions appear on TV and the audience must be reminded: Do not imitate.

If imitated, the consequences would be disastrous.

If it were Song Zimo, this reminder would be completely unnecessary. He understands clearly what can be imitated and what cannot.

As the retractor pulled the skin apart, Yang Ping’s vascular clamp continued to separate. It entered through the muscle gap, avoiding blood vessels and nerves, and went straight to the anterolateral of the 3/4 cervical intervertebral space.

"Deepen the hook a bit!"

Yang Ping reminded, and Li Guodong immediately adjusted the retractor.

Compared to Zhang Lin Xiaowu’s golden-silver twin hooks, there was a huge gap in Li Guodong’s retractor technique.

"Get me a headlamp."

The light from the overhead lamp could hardly illuminate the narrow space within the small incision. Only the concentrated light beam from a headlamp could give a clear view of the inside.

Yang Ping moved his head away from the surgical area. Zhou Can helped him put on the headlamp, and then he returned to the operating table.

The beam of light from the headlamp was just right to illuminate the narrow space. Yang Ping used a microvascular clamp to hold a corner of the gauze and inserted it in to soak up a small amount of blood.

Dr. Jin stared into the small incision, seeing nothing at all. How was one meant to extract the needle?

The scalpel merely pricked the anterior longitudinal ligament and the front of the intervertebral disc. Then, a straight microscopic vascular clamp was inserted, pulled back, and finally the last needle was removed and thrown into the curved dish.

Dr. Jin nearly collapsed onto his knees.

He had always heard that this guy was a half-human, half-god freak. Turns out, it was true.

An old doctoral veteran, a senior attending physician, impressive in both theory and practical experience.

Unable to understand how the surgery was completed, just making a small incision, pricking inside, and the needle got out.

The thirty-fourth needle was removed, marking the end of the major task.

Yang Ping inspected the needle. The tail was not rounded, with old fracture marks. It was likely that it broke inside after the long needle had been inserted.

Looking at the dense array of needles in the curved dish, Yang Ping was relieved. All the needles in the young one were taken out.

"Don’t try to imitate me!"

Yang Ping warned again.

If it wasn’t to reduce the child’s X-ray radiation, Yang Ping would still prefer to use the standard procedure of using a C-arm for positioning, so as not to mislead others.

Xiao Su once again counted the quantity of the needles.

The remaining closing work, Yang Ping handed over to Li Guodong. He and Dr. Jin went to assist at the surgery center.

——

The Trauma Emergency Centre was in full swing today, with all the operating rooms filled to capacity.

The nurses delivering blood pretty much raced, one just came out, and another one would enter.

Yang Ping and Dr. Jin arrived at the operating room to support.

The two strongest in the Surgical Research Institute took action, bleeding from the pelvis and thigh was stopped, and the high school student’s blood pressure was forcefully stabilized.

Song Zimo looked up and saw Yang Ping. Just when he was about to report, Yang Ping signaled him not to be distracted and to continue with the surgery.

Song Zimo understood, kept his mouth shut, continued the operation, there wasn’t much to say anyway.

If he couldn’t handle this surgery, he could let the professor step in.

If he could handle it, continue with the surgery and don’t talk needlessly.

With the professor standing beside him, even if the sky fell, Song Zimo wouldn’t bat an eye.

Clearly, the level of the top surgeon of the Surgical Research Institute, handling this kind of surgery, was as easy as pie.

Dr. Jin, standing behind Yang Ping, watched Song Zimo’s lightning-fast sewing, his surgery was steady and quick. He couldn’t help but exclaim, Young Master Song, your progress is really fast.

If it wasn’t for his older age, he would definitely cheekily beg Yang Ping to work under him.

Suddenly, Dr. Jin felt a pang of sadness.

"Teacher Zhang!!!"

Another intern timidly asked.

"What is it?"

"Did an intern just say that Dr. Li in the maternity ward is doing a cesarean section?" Zhang Lin asked Xu Zhiliang.

Xu Zhiliang thought for a while and said, "It seems so!"

"Why did Dr. Li call us to the cesarean section?" Zhang Lin asked.

"Didn’t he call us for a consultation? No, brother, what’s your wife’s surname?" Xu Zhiliang seemed to have an epiphany.

Zhang Lin casually answered, "My wife’s surname is Li!"

Surname Li?

Both of them looked up and exchanged glances!

Suddenly Zhang Lin thought, couldn’t be, right? Isn’t it that my wife is about to give birth? Taken to the operating room for a cesarean section, couldn’t be such a coincidence, right?

"The heartbeat stopped!"

The anesthesiologist screamed.

"Compress! Prepare to open the chest!"

Song Zimo yelled.

Zhang Lin and Xu Zhiliang couldn’t think of anything else. They immediately joined the rescue with Song Zimo.

"Professor Yang, Old Jin, quick, go to the next operating room, Old Bai can’t hold up. The abdominal cavity is open, and the blood inside is gushing out, can’t be stopped."

The scene, which had just stabilized slightly, was suddenly plunged into extreme tension again.

"What are you standing here for? Hurry up and help!"

The patrolling nurse shouted at the intern who had reported the obstetric situation. He was like an idiot, getting in the way.