Chapter 189 - Hard to understand, but sounds amazing? (1/2)

”The patient's tumor has started spreading!”

”It didn't show on the CT scan!” Professor Li was so shocked that his hair was beginning to stand on ends.

”The tumor's membrane has already been broken!” When Zhang Fan cut into the liver, he discovered that there was a small hole in the tumor membrane. This was why tumors would be so disgusting to fight against. As long as there was even a little hole, it would easily transfer to another location. Not to mention, this hole had likely only appeared right after the CT scan was finished!

If the tumor really did transfer itself, then this surgery would become a classical example of having performed a perfect surgery but still ending with the patient's death!

”Shall we clear the lymph nodes in the area?” Professor Li asked hesitantly. This was what was so scary about cancer. It would be impossible to ascertain if the tumor had transferred itself or not. The only solution would be to cut out all suspicious tissue. That would mean no longer having to worry about tumorous tissue. However, the downside would be that this would also cut away much of the organ's basic function. If anything unexpected happened, nothing could compensate for the missing liver tissue. Additionally, the liver was an especially complex organ with abundant blood supply connecting everywhere, along with being responsible for its own internal secretions and helping the body to detoxify. Something bad happening to the liver might also cause brain problems!

Zhang Fan considered it for a moment before he gently placed the tumor into the specimen plate, and said, ”Let's clear them all!” He was also quite worried. Nobody would be able to make a guarantee in such a scenario. Having more damage to the patient's liver was still better than the patient dying!

The doctors observing the surgery in the conference room were somewhat confused. That was because the video feed allowing them to watch the surgery only showed images but no sound, so they weren't able to hear Zhang Fan and Professor Li's conversation. Just earlier, Zhang Fan's surgical techniques had astounded all of the spectating doctors. The patient's vitals had still remained incredibly stable even as such a gigantic tumor was removed. Everyone had been astonished yet again when they saw the tremendous tumor removed completely.

However, they didn't know that Zhang Fan and Professor Li were currently grappling with a difficult decision! In the end, Zhang Fan made up his mind to continue with the surgery!

Zhang Fan turned to ask the anesthesiologist, ”What's the patient's blood pressure and breathing rate?”

”Doctor Zhang, 90/70 mmhg, breathing rate 20!” answered the anesthesiology director.

”Lower the blood pressure! Lower it as much as you possibly can!” Zhang Fan commanded.

”Okay!”

Reducing the blood pressure would lessen the bleeding. However, there would also be obvious downsides to this. All of the major organs might start failing at any moment due to not receiving enough blood. This was just like dancing on top of a thin wire. If one danced well, it would be considered beautiful. If one didn't dance well, then a life would be lost.

Zhang Fan continued the surgery and began to clear out the lymph nodes. Professor Li no longer worried when he saw that Zhang Fan had decided to continue. Zhang Fan was the primary surgeon for this surgery, after all. His decision was also taking the safest route here.

Almost none of the spectating doctors noticed that a problem had occurred with the surgery. That was because it was unlikely for doctors like them, who typically performed more basic surgeries, to meet with such a complex surgery in their entire life. Zhang Fan cleared out every lymph node that he possibly could around the porta hepatis. He did his very best to clean things as thoroughly as possible so that all possibilities of the tumor transferring itself would be eliminated. After this surgery concluded, Zhang Fan told Professor Li, ”When the patient recovers from the surgery, I recommend radiotherapy!”

After the successful removal of a liver tumor, there would always be a large chance of the tumor relapsing within five years. There would be an even larger chance of relapsing in such a situation where it was suspected that the tumor might transfer itself. The success rate for completely eliminating the liver tumor for five years wasn't that high. This was something that doctors were helpless about. No matter how skilled the doctor, there would always be matters beyond the doctor's control. This was why the medical field was so difficult. Even if a doctor trained for thousands of times, a specific illness could have more than 10,000 variations. This would test a doctor's overall skill level. Over the recent few years, China had also discovered that this was a problem with average Chinese doctors. Too many Chinese doctors only knew how to treat illnesses related to their specific department, without being able to look at the bigger overall picture of the patient's health.

Now that the surgery was finished, Zhang Fan would need to go make a speech at the academic conference. Although a small hole had appeared in the tumor, meaning that there was risk of the tumor transferring itself and causing a relapse, this liver tumor removal surgery would definitely be far more effective than any radiotherapy could. It would also be far better than liver transplant surgery! However, this surgery just lacked perfection.

This was the first time that Zhang Fan had ever given a speech at an academic conference! Of course he would be nervous. Originally, Zhang Fan had wanted to have Professor Li give the speech instead, but Professor Li absolutely refused. Professor Li didn't want to lose face by stealing someone else's credit! Professor Li's two doctorate degree students enviously looked over at Zhang Fan. Not only was Zhang Fan incredibly skilled, Chasu City Hospital's superintendent had been willing to set up an entire academic conference with him at the center. The two doctorate degree students were truly envious of such preferential treatment!

Only the person giving the speech at the academic conference would become famous. After this academic conference concluded, it was certain that all general surgery departments in Chasu City and the smaller cities under its jurisdiction would treat Zhang Fan as the #1 liver surgeon in the entire area! A doctor's fame would always start from his reputation being spread by other doctors.

”Leaders, teachers, fellow doctors, thank you all for taking the time to come today despite your busy schedules to attend this liver tumor removal surgery academic conference at our Chasu City Hospital today. Allow me to discuss the specific way of thinking and how to perform this surgery!” Zhang Fan spoke up in quite a humble manner. The conference hall had originally been noisy as the doctors were all discussing with each other, but everyone quieted down. Although the doctors were really astonished with the surgery they just witnessed, very few of them had actually understood it. Now that Zhang Fan was about to explain the surgery to them, all of the general surgeons in the crowd would definitely listen. Even though it wouldn't be possible to learn how to perform this particular type of large liver tumor removal surgery just by listening to Zhang Fan's explanation once, it would still help the doctors to really improve at performing liver surgeries.

”The liver is the largest and most important digestive organ in the body. It weighs approximately 1.5 kilograms on average. It's also the largest organ in the body apart from skin. The majority of the liver is protected by the ribs. Only a small portion of the liver can be touched through the skin under the sternum.” Zhang Fan gave a simple introduction of the liver before starting on the main topic.

”The success rate of patients surviving after liver tumor removal surgery isn't high. The death rate within five years of such a surgery is as high as 60%. Why is this number so high? Here, I must mention a term known as the hepatic sinusoid!” Zhang Fan then turned around to look for a blackboard, but there was none prepared in the conference room.

The major district manager for the large medical equipment supplier merchant in charge of hosting this academic conference was highly skilled at reading what others wanted. With just a hint of hesitation from Zhang Fan and him turning around to look for something, she immediately discerned that there was a problem. She then secretly came up to him, and asked, ”Director Zhang, do you have any requests?”

”Do you have something like a blackboard? I'd like to write some things down.” Zhang Fan wasn't trying to act pretentious. He really did want to write down and speak about his own experience and way of thinking. Actually, he didn't realize that this was a sign that his skill level had reached another realm! As the saying went, knowledge should be shared. It would be almost impossible to reach the peak of a medical field without being willing to share with others.

Superintendent Ouyang also heard Zhang Fan's request for a blackboard. She waved her hand and immediately had some employees of the hospital general affairs department carry over the large blackboard that was typically placed in the hospital's main hall. How large was this blackboard? It was about seven or eight meters long and two meters tall! It was a gigantic blackboard from a previous generation!

Zhang Fan started drawing on the massive blackboard with a piece of chalk. Sometimes, it would be easier to express medical knowledge with drawings. This was why famous Chinese author Lu Xun wasn't able to finish studying medicine properly. He was too busy writing, and didn't know how to draw!

Zhang Fan used red chalk and blue chalk to draw an anatomical model of hepatic lobules. Almost all of the doctors present for the academic conference were surgeons with at least some experience. Zhang Fan's anatomical drawing immediately made many doctors' faces redden because Zhang Fan's drawing was far better than what they could do.