The next day, when Wu Ting arrived at the department, he noticed a change in this batch of resident doctors; every single one of them was fired up.
While some had been slacking off before, today they were all trying to outdo one another in arriving early.
Clearly, the news that the hospital would be selecting the best residents for permanent positions was now common knowledge. The few with good family backgrounds and strong connections, in particular, were all well-prepared.
In the Emergency Department's surgical group, Cheng Feng was naturally the top candidate. In the internal medicine group, a master's graduate with an SCI-indexed paper to his name was also considered a shoo-in.
As for someone with Wu Ting's background, few paid him any mind. They had already written him off as a token participant, just there to fill a spot.
Things were always tense and hectic at City First Hospital.
Before Wu Ting had even settled in, a patient was admitted.
Luo Ming went over immediately, calling for Wu Ting to join him.
The patient was a 27-year-old woman who had been brought in six hours after being struck by a hard object. The blow had caused a laceration on her forehead, and she was experiencing a headache.
The physical exam and preoperative tests showed a soft tissue laceration on the patient's forehead. The wound was deep, reaching the muscle layer. It was irregular in shape, covered by a blood scab, and lightly contaminated, with no obvious signs of active bleeding...
This should have been a routine debridement and suture procedure. However, the wound was in a sensitive location on the patient's forehead, and her job placed a high value on her appearance.
Therefore, the patient's primary request was to minimize any potential scarring.
Luo Ming frowned slightly at the patient's request. His initial thought had been to perform a standard emergency suture—using a large needle and thick thread to pull the edges of the skin together in a full-thickness closure.
However, that method often results in poor alignment of the wound edges, leading to tissue displacement during healing. This forms an ugly scar, causing the patient both physical and psychological distress.
But meeting the patient's request would require a more refined suturing technique. A cosmetic suture would be ideal, but Luo Ming lacked the confidence to perform one.
To achieve a cosmetic-grade result, he would have to either call in a doctor from the plastic surgery department or ask a senior physician for help.
Without hesitation, Luo Ming contacted the second-line attending physician, Qin Donglai. Dr. Qin was a senior attending and one of Huo Yun's most capable subordinates, with unique expertise in surgical and tendon sutures.
A short while later, Qin Donglai, a man in his forties, hurried over. He was on the shorter side, standing around five-foot-five, with slightly thinning hair. But his small frame was brimming with energy, and he was a core member of the ER's surgical team.
Qin Donglai quickly assessed the patient, and a plan began to form in his mind. He immediately laid out his proposed course of treatment:
"...Time is tight in the ER, and the preoperative assessment was done promptly... Given the patient's request, we'll abandon the standard emergency suture and perform a cosmetic suture. This requires adhering to several principles: thorough debridement, complete hemostasis, moderate trimming of the wound edges, layered closure, eversion of the skin margins, subcutaneous tension reduction, and precise alignment of the tissue structures..."
It had to be said, Dr. Qin's instructions gave everyone a renewed sense of confidence.
Once the surgical plan was set, it was time to assemble the team. Since they had been the ones to receive the patient, Luo Ming and Wu Ting should have been the ones to assist Dr. Qin.
However, with this particular patient, Dr. Qin had something else in mind.
"Luo Ming, go get Cheng Feng. I want him to take part in this surgery."
Dr. Qin then glanced at the inconspicuous Wu Ting. "Xiao Wu, you'll be on the team as well. Assist Cheng Feng..."
Wu Ting immediately understood the reasoning behind Dr. Qin's arrangement. This surgical case was unique and had significant teaching value, so Dr. Qin had given the first assistant role to Cheng Feng, the resident he was grooming.
He, on the other hand, was just an extra, tasked with handling the remaining support work.
Wu Ting naturally didn't dare object to Dr. Qin's decision. What right did a mere resident have to bargain with an attending physician?
After the pre-op consultation and consent forms were signed, Wu Ting changed into sterilized shoes at the entrance, then went into the locker room to change into scrubs and put on a surgical cap and mask.
Cheng Feng, meanwhile, arrived at a leisurely pace.
Cheng Feng naturally understood that his sudden addition to the team meant he had essentially taken Wu Ting's spot. He was quite frank about it, saying:
"Wu Ting, if this were just a routine emergency suture, the opportunity would be yours. But Dr. Qin is attempting a more delicate cosmetic suture this time. The required wound edge trimming, layered closure, and subcutaneous tension reduction are all highly demanding, especially the precise alignment of tissue... So, you get it."
"I'll treat you to a big meal when this is over."
Standing at six feet tall, Cheng Feng had a composed demeanor and a direct way of speaking.
After all, in his eyes, the permanent position in the emergency surgical group being offered to a resident this time was tailor-made for him.
It was only natural that an opportunity like this would be given to him first. And frankly, whether it was research potential or surgical talent, he was superior to Wu Ting in every way.
It was only logical for him to be the first assistant. The fact that he was willing to have this heart-to-heart with Wu Ting was, in his mind, already showing him a great deal of respect.
"Of course. I understand."
Wu Ting was currently in a phase of keeping a low profile, and with his placid nature, he didn't take it to heart. Still, it would be a lie to say his hands didn't itch at the mention of a cosmetic suture.
He was curious to see how a senior attending like Dr. Qin would perform the procedure. It would be a chance to gauge his own skills by comparison.
Cheng Feng was quite satisfied with Wu Ting's humble and sensible response.
"In a moment, I'll leave the debridement and hemostasis to you. Everything but the suturing."
Cheng Feng magnanimously delegated some of the support tasks to Wu Ting. After all, he would need this tireless workhorse for his future research projects, so it was best to keep the relationship amicable.
'It's a shame Wu Ting will have to leave once his residency is over,' Cheng Feng thought. 'Otherwise, he'd make a decent subordinate.'
Soon, the two of them entered the operating room together.
Before the operation, the patient had undergone a tetanus antitoxin skin test. After it came back negative, she was given a 1500 IU intramuscular injection.
The anesthesiologist was also prepared to administer the local anesthetic.
Dr. Qin took charge and issued the command:
"We will now proceed with debridement of the patient's forehead soft tissue laceration, followed by a buried vertical mattress cosmetic suture..."
Cheng Feng was thrilled to hear Dr. Qin's announcement. He had long been eager to learn the buried vertical mattress cosmetic suture. After all, mastering this skill could earn him a pretty penny moonlighting at plastic surgery clinics. Plus, the clients willing to pay top dollar for cosmetic work were rich and influential—it was the perfect way to expand his network.
'With my tall, strong physique, if the right opportunity with a wealthy older woman came along, I wouldn't mind saying, "Auntie, I don't want to struggle anymore!"'
While Cheng Feng was lost in his brief daydream, Wu Ting was observing the patient's wound. Guided by his Cosmetic-Grade Suturing Skill (Yellow), a comprehensive plan began to form in his mind.
He completely agreed with Dr. Qin's proposal to use a buried vertical mattress cosmetic suture. However, in his view, there was still room for improvement.