Chapter 124 - 123: Desperate Measures

Chapter 124: Chapter 123: Desperate Measures

There are two main approaches for percutaneous coronary intervention: via the femoral artery or the radial artery.

The femoral artery in the thigh is large, leading to a high success rate for punctures.

However, the downsides include a long period of post-operative bed rest and a higher incidence of puncture-related complications, such as hemorrhaging, hematomas, pseudoaneurysms, arteriovenous fistulas, and retroperitoneal hematomas.

Currently, the preferred approach for coronary intervention is through the radial artery in the arm, which has relatively fewer side effects.

As for interventional treatment for bile duct stone removal, it requires a small incision in the waist and abdomen, using laparoscopic vision to puncture the bile duct...

When Yu Zhiming held the guidewire, slowly navigating it through the radial artery and the bile duct, he had a distinct sensation.

The guidewire was an extension of his limbs and his senses.

Yu Zhiming could clearly perceive the situation the guidewire’s tip encountered within the narrow passages.

This perception was so vivid that he didn’t need guidance from medical imaging equipment. He could maneuver the guidewire like a swimming fish, choosing the right direction to break through and push upstream.

This immersive perception and control allowed Yu Zhiming to complete the coronary artery stenosis dilation for one patient and the common bile duct stone removal for another with little effort.

As the supervising physicians, Wang Chunyuan and Han Shuo watched Yu Zhiming’s masterful and effortless performance, and they both came to the same conclusion.

Yu Zhiming was a natural-born fit for interventional therapy...

After finishing all his work for the afternoon, well past quitting time, Yu Zhiming had just returned to the main office to pack up and go home when he was summoned to the director’s office.

"Zhiming, your diagnosis of the young man, Yu Qiao, was correct. I’ve monitored him, and his brain’s blood supply accounts for 28% of his entire body’s."

Qi Yue handed a set of test data to Yu Zhiming.

"And that’s not even when he’s going all out. I did a simple test. When he’s thinking at full capacity, his brain’s instantaneous blood demand can spike to as high as 32 percent."

Qi Yue added with a sigh, "The psychological consultation also confirmed your judgment. That boy is under immense psychological pressure."

"The boy revealed that one day, a few years ago, he happened to overhear his parents talking."

"He learned that his parents thought he was stupid and resented him for bringing shame on the family. They even said they wished a trafficker would just kidnap him."

’It must have been those incredibly hurtful words,’ Yu Zhiming thought, ’that had deeply traumatized the boy and awakened his "buff."’

Teacher Qi continued, "From that day on, the boy started studying desperately, not daring to slack off for even a single moment."

Yu Zhiming placed the test reports he had been looking at on the desk and said slowly, "The achievements this boy has made at least prove one thing to all the students out there..."

"That diligence really can make up for a lack of talent. And that persistent effort can truly compensate for a lack of innate gifts."

Qi Yue scoffed lightly.

"The price is stunted development and a shortened lifespan."

"’Pouring your heart and soul into something until the oil runs out and the lamp is dry,’ ’Zhuge Liang working himself to death at Wuzhangyuan’—these sayings and historical accounts actually have some scientific basis. It can really happen."

Yu Zhiming gave a wry chuckle and asked, "Teacher, now that we have a diagnosis, how should we treat and manage the boy’s condition?"

Qi Yue said thoughtfully, "The boy’s diligence and hard work have become second nature by now. Getting him to stop and resign himself to mediocrity... that’s probably not going to happen."

"The first priority is psychological counseling to ease his obsession and relieve him of such immense psychological pressure."

"This heavy psychological burden is also one of the key factors affecting his physical development."

"Also, the boy’s parents need to receive counseling as well, to learn how to communicate with their child."

"Furthermore, it seems that absorbing daily nutrients from ordinary food is no longer sufficient for his body’s developmental needs."

"He’ll need to supplement his diet with things like high-energy nutrient solutions."

"Finally, appropriate physical exercise is also a must."

Qi Yue said with a hint of regret in his voice, "It’s just that none of these measures can be accomplished overnight."

"Besides, he’s already seventeen. Even if these measures are highly effective and he gets a chance for a compensatory growth spurt, gaining another six inches in height over the next two or three years would be the absolute most he could hope for."

Yu Zhiming pictured what Yu Qiao might look like in the future and said with a smile, "Five-foot-five, plus some two-inch shoe lifts, and he’d be five-foot-seven."

"If he dresses to look taller and gets a spiky hairstyle for some extra height, he’d look like he’s five-foot-nine."

"Five-foot-nine is decent enough for a guy."

Qi Yue burst out laughing. "Hahaha, the way you’re padding his height is a little too ridiculous."

"Fake is fake."

"Actually, for a man, height and looks aren’t the most important things. What matters is what’s on the inside, his abilities, and his wealth."

"If you own a castle, even if you’re a beast, a beauty will fall in love with you."

After a pause, Qi Yue changed the subject and asked, "You went to the Medical Department at noon. Did that new Director Yang say anything?"

"Teacher, he’s making me write a self-criticism letter..."

Yu Zhiming gave a brief and clear account of his experience at the Medical Department.

Qi Yue’s brow furrowed slightly.

"This guy... his intentions aren’t clear!"

"Is he trying to make an example of you to establish his authority?"

Qi Yue shook his head and said, "This punishment he decided on, while reasonable and well-founded, is so minor it’s barely better than nothing. It wouldn’t be enough to establish his authority."

"But it doesn’t seem like a friendly gesture, either."

"He could have easily just treated it as something that happened under his predecessor’s watch and let it slide."

Yu Zhiming had a casual, "come what may" attitude, saying, "Teacher, if he wants me to write this self-criticism, I’ll write it."

"That incident caused quite a stir, and I was indeed in the wrong. It wouldn’t look good for the hospital to just ignore it and let it go."

"For me, this self-criticism letter is like the hospital’s official stance, and it puts an end to the whole affair."

Qi Yue nodded lightly. "It’s good that you can think of it that way."

He let out a soft breath. "Well... let’s just wait and see how this Director Yang conducts himself from now on."

"Given your importance now, Zhiming, a mere director of the Medical Department can’t touch you."

After finishing their discussion about work, Qi Yue gave Yu Zhiming some good news.

His paper on extracorporeal bypass surgery had been officially accepted by the Chinese Journal of Surgery and would be published in the November issue.

This news made Yu Zhiming incredibly happy.

He recalled back when he was at the county hospital, trying to get a paper published in a provincial journal for his promotion to attending physician. It had taken a lot of effort—pulling strings, giving money, and treating people to meals.

It was nothing like how easy it was now. He had given the paper to his teacher for review on Sunday, and by Tuesday, he already had confirmation that it was accepted by a national core medical journal.

"Teacher, did you pull some strings?"

Qi Yue chuckled. "I just sent the paper to an editor on the board I’m acquainted with. After reading it, he felt it had considerable reference and inspirational value, so it was accepted."

"Ultimately, it all comes down to the quality of the paper itself."

Yu Zhiming heard the words, but he wasn’t naive enough to actually believe them.

Just imagine: an unknown junior doctor and a long-renowned medical expert. Even if the junior doctor’s paper was of higher quality, if it came down to choosing one, the one that got rejected would definitely be the junior doctor’s.

That was the reality of the situation in their country.

When Yu Zhiming left the director’s office, he took a thick medical file with him.

It belonged to a new young patient Teacher Qi had just taken on.

He was only nine years old and had been frail and sickly since childhood.

Over the years, the young patient had been treated by no fewer than ten medical experts and veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors, but his frail body had not improved. In fact, his condition was worsening.

Nowadays, the young patient spent more than half of every month either resting in bed or getting around in a wheelchair.

Teacher Qi also told Yu Zhiming that the young patient’s family was from the Capital City, and coming to him was something of a last-ditch effort.

They would be arriving in Binhai around Thursday or Friday, so Yu Zhiming was to spend the next couple of days familiarizing himself with the young patient’s medical information...