Chapter 42

The news spread quickly, the entire Orthopedics Department knew that Yang Ping was going to perform a three-thousand-yuan distal humerus comminuted fracture surgery using only steel wire and steel needles.

Many young doctors, graduate students, and interns from the Spinal, Joint, and Sports Medicine departments had already been asking in advance about the time of the operation.

Little Five and Zhang Lin had been spreading the word: “One seat, one meal! No bargaining.” They even had the registration textbooks ready from the head nurse.

The stamp pad for signatures in the department was also taken away by them, saying that a written confirmation would be required at the time.

“Elder Man Zhang will definitely be there, he’s sure to sit front and center, so I’m going to spread glue over his chair,” shared Zhang Lin, full of mischievous ideas.

“The operating room has urged you three times, and you’re still applying glue,” scolded Nurse Chief Yao Ling, lightly tapping him with a medical record book.

The Nurse Chief had a lot of respect in the department; she was essentially the executive housekeeper of the ward.

Everyone had already arranged substitute doctors for the surgeries they would miss and were rolling up their sleeves to observe the upcoming operation. There were plenty of people in the department, with a great number of standardized training students and graduate students, hence arranging manpower was a piece of cake.

Song Zimo, Zhang Lin, Fang Yan, along with people from several other teams–and even people from Director Ouyang and Director Bai’s teams, had arrived, and over a dozen people from the Spinal, Joint, and Sports Medicine departments.

Everyone wanted to see how this three-thousand-yuan surgery would be performed, especially since it is to be done with a Kirschner wire – which seemed impossible.

After everyone finished their shifts on Thursday, they were worried about not getting a seat, so from early morning they already seated in the Teaching Room next to the main operating room, just short of having popcorn in their hands.

Wearing surgical gowns and communicating through surgical masks, everyone greeted each other. All are members of the Orthopedics Department, face to face daily, and may have even worked together during previous shifts.

Doctors just after graduation typically rotate through different specialties, getting acquainted with surgical or internal medicine departments, three months at a time, to learn about surgical or internal medicine knowledge, also familiarizing themselves with colleagues from these specialties.

Some interns, having no place to sit, stood at the back or, if they knew someone seated, squeezed onto their seat. The front row was automatically left vacant, a seat saved for Elder Man Zhang and the Directors, although it was uncertain if those directors would come.

However, since Elder Man Zhang was said to be attending, his assistant had already spread the word.

“Hello, Professor Zhang!” Doctor Peng from the Spinal department greeted Zhang Lin, making everyone’s heart skip a beat because they thought Professor Zhang Zongshun had arrived.

Zhang Lin immediately shook hands with Doctor Peng, “What an honour, Professor Peng, did you come in person?”

These young doctors, in their private interactions, jokingly addressed each other as ‘Professor’ or ‘Director’.

Next door, Song Zimo was sterilizing. Little Five was raising his hand, Director Tian was sitting on the side, mientras que la enfermera de instrumentos Su Yixuan was sorting out the instruments, and Yang Ping was already dressed in a surgical gown, waiting.

Director Tian was very stable and technically proficient making him someone who doesn’t stand out on a normal day, but always comes in handy.

Seeing those old spectacles wrapped in tape, everyone fell silent and shrunk back; he had actually come.

Professor Zhang Zongshun arrived, guided in by his assistant and settled into the middle seat. Zhang Lin quickly notified Director Han. Not long after, Director Han too made an appearance.

It was just a surgery and wouldn’t hinder anything. Other surgeries could be postponed, so Director Han had arranged his time accordingly.

Director Han shook hands with Old Zhang: “Professor Zhang, why have you come in person? We could have just sent a video for you to critique!”

“I wanted to see for myself. Wasn’t it said that Kirschner wire is useless for this kind of fracture? I wanted to see for myself. If I don’t have money for a plane ticket, how can I go to Beijing?” Old Zhang always had a humorous yet sharp way of speaking.

Director Han accompanied him: “Hurry up, find a cushion for Old Zhang to lean on.”

A student brought over a silicon position cushion, and Old Zhang didn’t hesitate to lean against it: “Young people, dared to be on stage, give yourself one point.”

“Young people lack experience. Their skills are nothing compared to the doctors during your time, Old Zhang,” said Director Han.

“Don’t you have backup? I tell you, Second Brother Han, these youngsters, you can’t pamper them every day. Scold them if you have to, otherwise, they’ll never grow up. Just look, each hat is tipped sideways.”

All those sitting behind immediately checked their hats, whether or not they were tipped, everyone adjusted them.

“At the start of the operation, just pretend the old guy isn’t here, just do your best–” Tian Yuan was cheering up Yang Ping.

“Lateral decubitus position, not a bad choice,” Old Zhang commented.

Time to start, preoperative confirmation.

The knife hitting the center of Yang Ping’s palm – a classic pencil grip, both incision and extraction were spot-on. The skin was split open in one motion, not too deep, not too shallow. They switched to the electric knife, and before any blood even came out, it was already applied; lightly tapped, the bleeding was completely cauterized. The deep fascia was subsequently cut open with the knife.

The approach was through Eagle’s beak osteotomy, the most convenient way to reveal the area. A miniature electric saw created a neat V-shape, opening the eagle’s beak and flipping it up, revealing the entire articular surface of the distal humerus.

The suction tip cleared away coagulated blood, revealing broken bones, some with cartilage, some without, horizontal, vertical, transverse sections; all kinds of shapes in a chaotic mess.

“How are they going to do this?” It looked even worse than the X-ray.

Everyone watching the clear video on the screen was stupefied. The initial idea of seeing how they would operate was dismissed – the surgery seemed impossible to even start.

There’s a specific term to describe this condition: a bag of bones!

Bone fragments like stones, outside skin and soft tissue like a bag.

Reassembling these bone fragments is extremely difficult, one could even say impossible.