At Qin Donglai's signal, Wu Ting began the preliminary work.
"...Scrub nurse... Povidone-iodine, hydrogen peroxide, normal saline..."
Thanks to Dr. Luo Ming's conscientious, workhorse-like example, Wu Ting's own methods were also quite adept.
Repeatedly irrigating the wound...
Debriding the necrotic tissue...
While protecting the nerves and blood vessels...
His series of movements was as smooth as flowing water, leaving Qin Donglai and Cheng Feng, who were watching from the side, momentarily stunned.
'Since when were Wu Ting's foundational surgical skills so solid?'
Qin Donglai was far too shrewd; a thought suddenly struck him. 'Could it be that the competition for the residency retention spot spurred this usually unassuming kid on?'
'No wonder seasoned leaders learn to dangle a carrot—you can always find pleasant surprises in your employees.'
Soon, Wu Ting began to trim the irregular edges of the wound.
This was the step Qin Donglai had planned to use as a key teaching demonstration, but seeing Wu Ting's fluid movements, he couldn't even stop him in time...
"Wait, hold on..."
Cheng Feng's expression flickered. He reacted instantly, realizing that this type of wound edge trimming was different from the usual rough suturing done in the ER. The technique required great finesse.
'Even I wouldn't dare attempt it. Wu Ting is being too reckless!'
However, before Qin Donglai could call a halt, Wu Ting had already finished trimming the first wound and dissecting the subcutaneous tissue.
"Wu Ting, stop! That's not how you trim this kind of wound. Let Physician Qin demonstrate!"
Cheng Feng took the initiative and tried to stop Wu Ting.
"That's not necessary. Wu Ting, you continue."
Qin Donglai overruled Cheng Feng's suggestion, motioning for Wu Ting to continue.
Cheng Feng gave Dr. Qin a puzzled look and was met with a serious gaze.
"Huh?"
Cheng Feng turned his attention back to Wu Ting's work.
He saw Wu Ting cleanly and neatly trim both edges of the incision into a wedge shape, preserving a greater amount of dermis. Every cut was perfect.
"Wu Ting, have you studied the buried vertical mattress cosmetic suturing technique before?"
"Yes, I observed it a few times at a cosmetic clinic owned by a friend of my dad's."
Wu Ting casually lied.
"This really is cosmetic-clinic-level technique..."
Qin Donglai couldn't help but marvel. At the same time, another thought occurred to him—he wanted to see what this kid was really made of.
"In that case, you do the suturing. If there's a problem, I'll tell you to stop. Go on, don't worry."
Naturally, Qin Donglai didn't believe Wu Ting could actually complete the surgery flawlessly. This would be a perfect opportunity to use Wu Ting's suturing as a teaching moment for Cheng Feng. He could point out Wu Ting's mistakes and then perform a demonstration himself.
"Cheng Feng, you watch carefully from the side. Learn from his strengths to make up for your own weaknesses."
Cheng Feng understood Qin Donglai's good intentions, but he was a little disappointed to have lost the opportunity to do the suturing himself.
'Looks like I need to work even harder from now on,' he thought. 'I need to grind more, to ensure I'm absolutely foolproof.'
"Scrub nurse... 5-0 absorbable suture..."
Hearing Wu Ting's order, a chill ran down Cheng Feng's spine. Absorbable sutures were a newer type of material implanted into human tissue during surgery. They could be broken down and absorbed by the body, eliminating the need—and the pain—of suture removal.
The benefits of this material were self-evident, but using it increased the difficulty of the suturing procedure by a whole level.
Watching Wu Ting, Cheng Feng was breaking out in a cold sweat for him. "Wu Ting, if you can't do it, just step down. Let Dr. Qin demonstrate for us."
Wu Ting ignored him, already completely engrossed in the surgery. Thanks to the thoroughness of the prior dissection, the anatomical layers were clear, making his suturing exceptionally clean and precise.
He performed appositional suturing between similar tissues, and when it came to the dermis and subcutaneous layers, Wu Ting skillfully demonstrated the buried vertical mattress cosmetic suturing technique.
"Wait, that's not right. This isn't the conventional buried vertical mattress cosmetic suturing technique..."
Cheng Feng was confused, but Qin Donglai had spotted the difference, his surprise mounting.
"Wu Ting, are you using a modified buried vertical mattress cosmetic suturing technique?"
"Yes. It's the latest suturing technique from my dad's friend's cosmetic clinic."
Hearing Wu Ting's answer, Qin Donglai grew curious. 'Which renowned cosmetic institution in the city is this? The chief surgeon there must be incredible!' This was turning into a learning experience even for him.
"Explain it in more detail..."
Qin Donglai was a pillar of the City Hospital's emergency department precisely because he was obsessed with medical techniques. In that moment, he completely shed the airs of an attending physician and began asking questions with genuine humility.
Naturally, Wu Ting wasn't one to hoard his knowledge, so he generously explained the key points and secrets of the technique.
"...The specific procedure is as follows: trim both edges of the incision into a wedge shape, preserving more of the dermis. Begin suturing from the deep subcutaneous layer. The needle should travel as far as possible within the dermal layer before exiting at the dermal-subcutaneous junction. Then, enter the needle on the opposite wound edge at the same junction, again catching as much dermal tissue as possible. Tying the suture this way achieves better eversion..."
The operating room was filled only with Wu Ting's explanation and Qin Donglai's murmurs of agreement.
"...A drainage tube can be placed in wounds with a higher risk of bleeding to facilitate drainage. Finally, use a 6-0 monofilament nylon suture to close the epidermis..."
"...And that completes this step. All that's left is to clean the surgical area, apply erythromycin ointment, cover it with a sterile gauze dressing, and apply a suitable pressure bandage..."
Wu Ting performed the entire procedure in one smooth, uninterrupted flow.
Qin Donglai found it a delight to watch.
"Brilliant!"
Physician Qin Donglai sighed in admiration. He had learned something new himself. Then, he looked at Cheng Feng.
"Cheng Feng. Clean the surgical area, apply the erythromycin ointment, dress and bandage the wound. You do it..."
Seeing the dazed look on Cheng Feng's face, Qin Donglai assigned him the task with a sigh of exasperation.
"Oh, right!"
"Did you take in everything Wu Ting just said? That was the debridement of a forehead soft tissue laceration plus the modified buried vertical mattress cosmetic suturing technique..."
Cheng Feng broke out in a cold sweat. 'How could I possibly remember so many steps after seeing them just once?' But he could only bite the bullet and say:
"Got it, got it. After the surgery, I'll be sure to ask Brother Ting for more guidance. I'll do my best to master this Surgical Technique as soon as possible."
What else could Cheng Feng do but concede?
'He'd come in as the first assistant. How did one surgery turn him into the other guy's subordinate?'
[Ding! Host has completed a suturing operation with Qin Donglai and Cheng Feng.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the following entry from Cheng Feng: Director Huo's Favor (White). Possessing Director Huo's favor will grant you unexpected opportunities and resources.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the following entry from Qin Donglai: Director Huo's Esteem (White). As a core member of the department deeply esteemed by Director Huo, you will be able to obtain greater surgical privileges and opportunities for important operations.]
[Recommended Entry Synthesis Path: Director Huo's Favor (White) + Director Huo's Esteem (White) = Director Huo's Successor (Yellow). [Director Huo's Successor (Yellow): You will be personally mentored by Director Huo, who will teach you everything he knows, and you will be cultivated as the future head of the department.]]
[Host, do you wish to synthesize?]