a.m.
Operating room three.
Zhao Heng, Xu Man Ni, and the anesthesiologist Gao Jun are already fully prepared in the operating room.
"Is everything ready?"
Xu Man Ni asked Zhao Heng.
The preparation she mentioned refers to the surgical instruments. Since Zhao Heng previously worked as a surgical assistant, she gladly let him prepare the instruments.
"Yes, the instruments for thoracentesis and exploratory thoracotomy are all prepared."
Replied Zhao Heng.
"Good."
Xu Man Ni nodded with satisfaction, looking at Zhao Heng.
"This is a big job."
The anesthesiologist Gao Jun sighed.
The patient must first be brought to the operating room for anesthesia, and only after a successful anesthesia can the surgery proceed.
Moreover, anesthesia is quite risky, it requires precision, neither more nor less in dosage.
If the dosage is too high, the patient might not wake up after surgery; if it’s too low, waking up too early is even worse.
"A fall from height combined with thoracoabdominal puncture wounds is indeed a very complex surgery."
Xu Man Ni nodded in agreement.
"Such a big task, why don’t they assign you an assistant? Can you handle it alone?"
After a pause, Xu Man Ni added.
"Assistant? You know how scarce anesthesiologists are. Throughout Eastern Hospital, nearly ten thousand surgeries are done annually, but there are less than twenty anesthesiologists, it’s exhausting me."
Gao Jun responded helplessly.
Although being an anesthesiologist seems simple, it requires a high level of expertise, needing mastery across dozens of disciplines. Anesthesia is crucial, leaving no room for error, as incorrect anesthesia due to lack of experience or improper methods can lead to serious consequences.
In the operating room, if an anesthesiologist sits in the corner playing with his phone, everyone feels at ease. But if he puts down his phone and stands up, it signals big trouble.
"Xiao Zhao, you have such great learning abilities, why not learn anesthesia from me? Although it’s tiring, I guarantee the income won’t be less than that of a chief surgeon."
Gao Jun looked at Zhao Heng and suddenly suggested.
Although anesthesia is a specialized discipline, all areas of medicine are interrelated, and clinical professionals can transition to anesthesia without issue.
Zhao Heng’s performance yesterday was noticed by him. That calm demeanor is seemingly tailored for anesthesia.
"Uh..."
Zhao Heng was a bit at a loss for words.
In the operating room, the status of an anesthesiologist is quite high.
The feasibility of a surgery relies not only on the chief surgeon but also on the anesthesiologist.
If the anesthesiologist says no, who dares proceed?!
"Alright, let him focus on surgery; it holds great prospects."
Xu Man Ni chuckled, helping Zhao Heng out of the awkward situation.
Soon, the operating room doors opened and the patient was brought in.
As soon as they saw the patient, everyone was somewhat taken aback.
It was a middle-aged uncle around forty from a construction site, looking pale and breathing weakly, with a steel rod glaringly inserted diagonally into his chest.
The strong visual impact left Zhao Heng momentarily speechless.
Along with the patient, the emergency resident doctor Xia Xiaoyu entered, sweating profusely, urgently addressing Gao Jun, "Professor, I’m counting on you, the director is still working on the surgical plan and will be here shortly."
"Okay."
Gao Jun nodded, but his expression turned grim. This injury was due to the patient being directly pierced through the chest by the steel rod, causing massive lung damage, further raising anesthetic requirements. For such severe trauma, a higher anesthesia dose is necessary, but with the patient’s severely injured lungs impairing respiratory function, the dosage of muscle relaxants must be carefully controlled.
Thinking of this, Gao Jun told Xu Man Ni, "Prepare for paravertebral block puncture."
"Alright."
Upon hearing Gao Jun’s words, Xu Man Ni visibly froze for a moment, then responded.
This paravertebral block puncture, formally known as paravertebral block puncture technique, differs from ordinary spinal block anesthesia. The advantage of this block is its minimal impact on paravertebral nerves, yet it significantly elevates the level of difficulty.
Soon, with the instruments ready, Gao Jun was set to proceed with the paravertebral puncture. Judging by his serious demeanor, it was clear this procedure was not at all simple.
Due to the patient’s chest being impaled by the steel rod, no one can be sure if the rod has affected the paravertebral nerve, adding another level of difficulty to this already challenging procedure.
Just then, Zhao Heng noticed a white light sphere appearing in front of Gao Jun.
Did he just gain experience?
Zhao Heng effortlessly focused his thoughts on the white light sphere, which transformed into a stream of light and entered his mind.
A familiar prompt echoed in Zhao Heng’s mind.
"Ding, you picked up [Paravertebral Block Puncture Technique (mastered)]..."
Did he just acquire a skill?
After assimilating the [Paravertebral Block Puncture Technique (mastered)], Zhao Heng realized he had completely mastered this challenging technique, reaching the same proficiency as Gao Jun.
It was as though he had undergone extensive training; all procedural nuances and practical experience had been absorbed by Zhao Heng.
"Professor, let me assist you."
Having internalized the technical expertise, Zhao Heng felt eager to jump in. Seeing Gao Jun’s serious demeanor, Zhao Heng couldn’t help but offer his assistance.
"You? You’ve only practiced spinal puncture, right?"
Hearing Zhao Heng’s proposal, Gao Jun glanced up at him, somewhat puzzled.
Typically, clinical undergraduates only practice basic spinal puncture, while paravertebral block puncture is an advanced technique, generally requiring specialized practice by anesthesiologists.
"I’ve practiced paravertebral puncture too; I can assist."
Zhao Heng replied confidently.
With skills at his disposal, confidence came naturally!
"Alright, you’re on."
After a moment of thought, Gao Jun nodded.
Indeed, having extra help makes a big difference.
As a senior anesthesiologist, he technically should have an assistant, but skilled personnel in this field are extremely scarce.
Zhao Heng positioned himself next to Gao Jun to begin assisting with the paravertebral puncture.
Surprisingly, with Zhao Heng’s assistance, the intricate paravertebral puncture process flowed smoothly.
This seamless sensation was one Gao Jun had never experienced despite performing countless punctures.
With Zhao Heng as his assistant, Gao Jun’s procedural fluidity improved greatly, the whole process felt effortlessly natural.
"Xiao Zhao, this isn’t the result of practicing just once or twice; and you say you’re not interested in anesthesia?"
Holding the spinal needle and gradually injecting the anesthetic into the spinal canal, Gao Jun remarked.
"I was interested in school, practiced once or twice."
Zhao Heng replied humbly.
"This proficiency isn’t achieved in just a few practices. I believe that with a bit more familiarity, you could perform this on your own."
Gao Jun said thoughtfully.
Given Zhao Heng’s adept cooperation, mastering the technique further is almost a guarantee for independent practice.
What a find!
Gao Jun couldn’t help but think.
Zhao Heng not only excelled as a surgical assistant but also had impressive skills in anesthesia.
Is he the legendary ultimate support?
"I don’t want to steal your job, professor."
Seeing the successful puncture, Zhao Heng cracked a rare joke.
"I’d be more than happy if others mastered this too."
Gao Jun replied nonchalantly.
Pausing, he suggested again, "Xiao Zhao, how about becoming my assistant? Don’t worry; you’ll be compensated. I’ll split my surgical fees with you fifty-fifty."
In recent years, Eastern Hospital’s surgical load has been overwhelming. Gao Jun felt like he was on the brink of collapse in the operating room.
Having Zhao Heng as an efficient assistant to share his workload would be worth giving up half of his surgical fees.
After all, earning money requires living to spend it.
"Professor, I’ll consider it."
Originally intending to refuse, Zhao Heng reconsidered. Eastern Hospital is a top-tier hospital in the nation, and anesthesia fees are at the highest rate. Gao Jun’s fee for a single operation amounts to four hundred dollars.
On average, Gao Jun works on at least five or six surgeries a day, sometimes even ten when working in shifts, which converts to three or four thousand dollars, with Zhao Heng’s share being over a thousand at the least, easily exceeding ten thousand dollars in a month.
Meanwhile, Zhao Heng’s current salary is less than five thousand.