As planned, Wu Ting would be the lead surgeon for this operation, with Dr. Qin personally serving as his first assistant.
In the observation room, the doctors were somewhat surprised to see a different person at the operating table.
"What's going on? Isn't Dr. Qin supposed to be demonstrating? Why is that young doctor the lead surgeon now?"
"Don't tell me Dr. Qin is letting the young doctor get some practice. But isn't that a bit too reckless?"
"We came to watch Dr. Qin operate, not to sit around while this young doctor practices."
Several doctors from the Yu State Hospital were grumbling, and Director Duan frowned as well. However, he had great faith in Dr. Qin, so he motioned for his subordinates to be quiet.
"Dr. Qin has his reasons. All of you, watch carefully. Perhaps Dr. Qin is using this young doctor for a live demonstration to give you a more direct learning experience. By pointing out and correcting any shortcomings during the young doctor's procedure, he can also help you avoid the same mistakes."
"It's about learning from strengths and correcting weaknesses. The last surgery was for you to learn from the best. Any problems that arise in this young doctor's demonstration will show you what weaknesses to correct in yourselves."
Hearing Director Duan's explanation, the doctors finally settled down to observe patiently.
Inside the operating room, Dr. Qin kept a close eye on Wu Ting's every move. He wanted to see if his recent, detailed instruction had led to any improvement in Wu Ting's incision, exposure, and other techniques.
The Incision Skill is the most fundamental technique in surgery. It's easy to learn the basics, but mastering it—making the cut just right—requires extensive practice and a deep understanding of the entire surgical procedure.
The purpose of an incision is to fully expose the surgical field and ensure the operation proceeds smoothly.
The length of the incision is determined by the needs of the surgery, and the length, in turn, determines which scalpel grip to use.
Common grips include the violin bow grip, the palmar grip, the pencil grip, the fingertip grip, and the stabbing grip.
Wu Ting's patient had a typical flexor tendon rupture. He chose the palmar grip and, without a moment's hesitation, began the incision.
Qin Donglai was a little surprised as he watched Wu Ting operate.
In the observation room, the doctors from Yu State Hospital were also quite impressed.
To ensure the incision is straight and doesn't deviate, less experienced surgeons usually mark the path first. They might use the back of the scalpel to create a linear indentation, or use tweezers or the tip of a hemostat to make a series of small dots along the intended line.
But Wu Ting, full of confidence, made the cut directly. His self-assurance was plain to see.
On the operating table, Wu Ting cut from superficial to deep, holding the blade perpendicular to the skin and incising in a single, fluid motion.
The edges of the incision were clean, with minimal necrotic tissue and damage. The muscle and aponeurosis were divided along their natural fiber lines, and the surgical field was exposed perfectly.
"What an incredible incision technique. I never expected this young doctor to be so skilled."
"He judged the toughness of the skin and tissue perfectly. The depth was just right, yet forceful, cutting through the subcutaneous tissue in a single pass. His fundamentals are incredibly solid."
An expert's touch is unmistakable.
To see someone as young as Wu Ting possess such a high level of skill with an incision... even Director Duan was impressed.
"It's true what they say: a strong general has no weak soldiers under his command."
"So this is the standard of City First Hospital?"
In an instant, all the doctors in the observation room shed their disdain. They watched Wu Ting's surgery with a newfound, solemn respect.
"When we were Dr. Wu's age, we'd have to make multiple passes, resulting in ragged skin edges and suboptimal exposure. That, in turn, affected the final alignment for suturing. Compared to him, we really paled in comparison."
On the operating table, having completed the incision through the skin and subcutaneous tissue, Wu Ting began to locate the severed ends of the tendon.
"Scrub nurse... two needles... 4-0 PDS absorbable suture..."
Watching Wu Ting's proficient technique, Dr. Qin was inwardly shocked. 'During the last surgery, Wu Ting's incision skill was only about on par with Cheng Feng's. How long has it been? This kid has evolved again.'
'Looks like he went back, watched more surgical videos, and practiced his incisions on pigskin again.'
'This kid... he's really a hard worker.'
Back at the operating table, Wu Ting continued to demonstrate his polished technique.
After locating the severed tendon ends, he first passed a needle transversely through the tendon to temporarily fixate the end. He then performed a Kessler suture on two planes, at a 120-degree angle to the sagittal plane of the flexor tendon.
As they watched Wu Ting's suturing, the doctors in the observation room were once again stunned.
"Such solid suturing fundamentals! His hands are so steady. Look at his stitch intervals and margins—they're perfectly uniform, neat, and aesthetically pleasing."
"Exactly. His suturing is textbook-perfect."
Director Duan also exclaimed in admiration, "All of you, take a good look. Dr. Wu is so young, yet he already has such a solid grasp of tendon Suturing Skill."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Wu Ting quickly finished suturing one plane of the tendon and proceeded to the second.
In the observation room, everyone watched in silence, learning.
"The severed ends are perfectly apposed, the suture tension is uniform across the stump, and the knots are secure and neat. How on earth did this young man learn to do this? It's incredible."
Watching Wu Ting's performance, the doctors from Yu State Hospital were shaken to their core.
They had taken Dr. Qin's surgical skills for granted. After all, he was a senior attending physician in the emergency department of City First Hospital, with more than a decade of experience under his belt.
But how old was Wu Ting?
Many of the doctors made a silent resolution. They had to turn this feeling of inadequacy into motivation, practice more, and strive for an opportunity to pursue advanced studies at City First Hospital.
They wanted to learn from and associate with a young talent like Wu Ting.
Sensing the newly motivated atmosphere among the young doctors in the observation room, Director Duan was very satisfied.
'Looks like I'll have to invite Dr. Wu over for more exchanges in the future. It'll light a fire under these young doctors and get them to compete a little!'
The second surgery concluded with Wu Ting's flawless performance.
In the observation room, all the doctors rose to their feet and applauded.
Director Duan led the applause, showing his respect for Wu Ting.
[Ding! First freelance surgery at Yu State Hospital completed. You have gained the recognition and admiration of the observing doctors. Acquired Entry from the Yu State Hospital doctors: Mediocre Talent (Gray), weak learning ability...]
[Acquired Entry from the Yu State Hospital doctors: Limited Medical Skill (Gray). Can only treat a single and simple variety of diseases. Medication practices are conservative and outdated. For pneumonia, they just cycle through penicillin and cephalosporins. If that doesn't work, add steroids. If the patient gets better, great. If not, quickly transfer them to a higher-level hospital...]
[Acquired Entry from the Yu State Hospital doctors: General Practitioner (Gray). 'General' means a master of none. Slightly complex cases are immediately transferred to a higher-level hospital, lest the patient 'rot on their hands.' The entire department studying a single complex case? Doesn't happen. Difficult patients are immediately passed on...]
[Acquired Entry from the Yu State Hospital doctors: Zen-like Mentality (White). A good mindset. Non-competitive and unwearied.]
...
Looking at these entries, Wu Ting was speechless. This was his first time acquiring gray-colored entries, and they were all useless. He chose to discard them directly.
After a brief rest, Wu Ting immediately began the third surgery.