That "I can do it," while blurted out on impulse when Yan Feifan saw a rare opportunity, was no arrogant boast.
As an assistant, Yan Feifan had shadowed Chen Yu through entire procedures, learning total thumb and index finger reconstruction, as well as index and middle finger replantation.
He had also studied every live surgical video of finger replantations fild by Mrs. Qin, along with her instructional videos.
Recently, in the world of his own mind, he had simulated various severed finger replantations no fewer than a hundred tis.
Furthermore, Mrs. Qin’s guidance had helped him master the technique of suturing milliter-level blood vessels and nerve bundles.
This was more than enough to replant an adult’s finger.
Yan Feifan was confident he could take over for Mrs. Chen and successfully complete the thumb replantation surgery.
"Yan Feifan, are you sure you can do this?"
Facing Mrs. Chen’s question, Yan Feifan stood up straight. "Mrs. Chen, as a doctor, I know full well not to make empty promises or guarantees beyond my abilities."
"That would be irresponsible toward the patient’s health and life."
"As for this specific operation, Mrs. Chen, I am confident that I can take your place and see it through to a successful completion."
Yeu Quan said anxiously, "Teacher, I can do it, too."
"You know my skill level better than anyone, Teacher."
As if afraid Chen Yu had forgotten, he added, "Yan Feifan may have a reputation as a genius, but he’s just a resident. He’s only been back at the hospital for a little over a month."
Just then, a gurgling sound rumbled from Chen Yu’s stomach.
Yan Feifan and Yeu Quan noticed her forehead was beaded with sweat. It was clear she couldn’t hold on much longer.
Chen Yu pressed her legs together, hunched over slightly, and said in a rushed tone, "Yeu Quan, I’m leaving this surgery to you..."
"If you make any mistakes..."
Chen Yu suddenly raised her voice and bood, "I’ll disown you as my student, and you can forget about ever working in trauma surgery again."
"Yeu Quan, do you still want to lead this surgery?"
"Teacher, I..."
Yeu Quan hesitated.
He knew his teacher was a woman of her word, especially in a situation like this with Yan Feifan vying for the sa position.
’If I really do make a mistake...’
The mont Yeu Quan hesitated, Chen Yu’s disappointnt was palpable.
"Yan Feifan, the surgery is yours."
After giving the hurried order, Chen Yu turned, still clenching her legs together, and scurried out of the operating room...
"Change of lead surgeon!"
Yan Feifan announced, moving from his previous spot to the other side of the operating table.
Now in the lead surgeon’s position, Yan Feifan turned his head toward the three young doctors in the observation gallery.
As their gazes t, Yan Feifan felt the eyes of the shortest man burning with the most intensity.
He imdiately pointed at him. "You. Scrub in, get into your surgical gown. You’re the second assistant!"
"Yes, Mr. Yan!"
The shorter man answered excitedly and hurried out...
"Adjust the microscope..."
At Yan Feifan’s command, a nurse readjusted the position and height of the surgical microscope.
Once the microscope was in place, Yan Feifan, who had been entrusted with the procedure in a crisis, took a deep breath and held out his right hand.
A small pair of microsurgical forceps was placed firmly in his hand by the scrub nurse.
The surgery, which had been on hold for over ten minutes, resud...
However, not five or six minutes after the operation had restarted, Yan Feifan stopped once again.
He said in a grave tone, "Dr. Yeu, please leave the operating room!"
In the past few minutes, Yeu Quan, who had taken over Yan Feifan’s forr position, had been acting extrely unprofessionally.
Yeu Quan was performing at the level of an attending surgeon, but he was not adopting the mindset of an assistant to support Yan Feifan.
He failed to present the two ends of the blood vessel at the optimal angle for surgery, making it incredibly awkward for Yan Feifan to suture.
For the first two minutes, Yan Feifan could have chalked it up to them being unfamiliar with each other, as it was their first ti working together.
But for the next three minutes, he continued to do the sa.
Yeu Quan seed oblivious to the awkwardness of Yan Feifan’s suturing motions and even failed to understand the clear, non-verbal cues Yan Feifan was giving him.
Yan Feifan imdiately understood. The man was being defiant.
Yan Feifan could understand having a difference of opinion or feeling dissatisfied, but this deliberate, spiteful non-cooperation thoroughly infuriated him.
It was both extrely unprofessional and exceedingly irresponsible.
Yan Feifan decisively ordered Yeu Quan to leave the operating room.
And though he had used the word "please," it was no different from being expelled from the OR.
For a surgeon, this was a major incident, one he would rember for the rest of his life.
Yeu Quan instantly flew into a rage.
"You’re telling to leave the operating room?"
"You, a re resident, are telling , an attending physician, to leave the operating room?"
"Yan Feifan, where did you get this audacity? Did a pop star give it to you?"
Yan Feifan said coldly, "Dr. Yeu, please leave the operating room."
"I’m the lead surgeon now."
"In here, I’m in charge."
In an operating room, the lead surgeon possesses absolute authority. This was a universally accepted principle in the dical field, and it was codified in hospital regulations.
Of course, with that absolute authority ca absolute responsibility.
But Yeu Quan wasn’t buying it.
He said nacingly, "Yan Feifan, don’t abuse your temporary authority. Open your eyes and look around..."
"If I leave, this entire Grade 1 finger replantation will be perford by a single resident leading a few dical interns."
"If word gets out, our hospital will beco a laughingstock."
Yan Feifan raised his voice slightly. "Dr. Yeu, please leave the operating room."
He then added a warning, "Dr. Yeu, this is the third ti I’m telling you."
The implication was obvious.
If Yeu Quan continued to defy the lead surgeon’s orders, he would be reported to the hospital’s disciplinary committee.
And what awaited him then would be far more serious than a simple reprimand.
In a serious case, it could even lead to his dismissal from the hospital.
Still not giving up, Yeu Quan yelled, "Mr. Liao! Dr. Teng! Aren’t you going to say sothing?"
Mr. Liao, the scrub nurse, was forty-five years old.
He was the longest-serving mber of Mrs. Chen’s team and was highly respected by the departnt’s surgeons and nurses.
Dr. Teng, the deputy chief anesthesiologist, was now arguably the highest-ranking physician in the operating room.
Having been called out, Dr. Teng was the first to state his position. "Mr. Yan is the lead surgeon."
Mr. Liao also spoke up slowly. "Mrs. Chen personally told Mr. Yan to take over for her and continue this surgery."
Though they said different things, their aning was identical: they acknowledged Yan Feifan’s authority as lead surgeon.
Seeing this, Yeu Quan stord out indignantly.
At that exact mont, the shorter man returned to the operating room.
He was lucky enough to be promoted from second assistant to first.
Yan Feifan had no choice but to point to another dical intern and tell him to scrub in and get gowned for the table.
He scanned the room and announced in a heavy tone, "Let’s continue the surgery..."
Mrs. Chen had suffered a terrible stomachache and left mid-operation, only to have a resident take over a Grade 1 finger replantation.
And that sa resident had then kicked out the highest-ranking attending surgeon present.
Yan Feifan didn’t need to think to know what would happen next.
This surgery was destined to beco gossip fodder for the Affiliated Hospital, and perhaps even the entire Binhai dical Community.
As for whether that talk would be a source of schadenfreude and ridicule or the stuff of an astonishing, legendary turnaround, the difference ca down to one thing...
...whether or not he could successfully complete this surgery!
P.S.
There will be an extra Chapter tonight!
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