132: Chapter 132 What era are we living in? Still doing peeling procedures? Who doesn't get laser treatments or radiofrequency ablation these days?
Lu Chen turned around and went back into the Operating Room.
When he walked in, a few doctors who happened to be passing by the Emergency Operating Room were standing at the door, chatting.
One of them was a young Attending Physician from the General Surgery Department, Dr. Ma Xu.
"I heard Lu Chen performed a Great Saphenous Vein Stripping today?"
Another doctor chimed in.
"Yeah, High Ligation and Segmental Stripping—traditional surgery."
Dr. Ma Xu scoffed.
"What era is this? Still doing stripping surgery? Who doesn't do laser or Radiofrequency these days? What's the point of doing such an antiquated surgery?"
A young Resident Physician nearby also chimed in.
"Exactly, this kind of surgery is about to be deleted from the textbooks, isn't it?"
"I think he's just doing it to pad his surgery numbers, taking on any surgery he can get his hands on."
While they were talking, Zhao Yaqin walked over from the other end of the corridor.
She overheard the last few sentences.
"What are you all discussing?"
Dr. Ma Xu didn't really want to deal with Zhao Yaqin, but he couldn't be too rude.
"Attending Physician Zhao, we were just talking about the stripping surgery Lu Chen did today. We don't think it has much technical merit."
Zhao Yaqin glanced at him.
"Do you know the patient's situation?"
"I don't, but no matter the situation, Laser Closure Surgery is better than traditional stripping surgery."
"It is better, but it costs eighteen thousand yuan. That family couldn't afford it."
Dr. Ma Xu was stunned for a moment.
"Couldn't afford it?"
"Right. A family of three from the countryside. The daughter and mother work odd jobs in town, earning over two thousand yuan a month. If you tell them to do an eighteen-thousand-yuan surgery, how do you think they'll react?"
Dr. Ma Xu opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.
Zhao Yaqin's tone was flat, but every word was crystal clear.
"Lu Chen chose a plan that could solve the problem for six hundred yuan. The effect is the same; it's just that the incision is slightly larger and the recovery period is longer."
"What do you call this? This is called choosing the most appropriate treatment plan based on the patient's actual situation. This is content written in the first chapter of the textbook. You've studied it."
Dr. Ma Xu's face stiffened with embarrassment.
The young Resident Physician next to him had already gone silent.
Zhao Yaqin didn't look at them again and turned to leave.
Dr. Ma Xu stood in place, his lips twitching, but in the end, he said nothing.
The Resident Physician beside him muttered softly.
"Eighteen thousand versus six hundred... such a big difference?"
"Stop talking."
Dr. Ma Xu turned and walked away.
After a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back toward the Emergency Operating Room.
Six hundred yuan.
He wouldn't have made that choice.
It wasn't that he didn't know how; it was that he didn't dare.
Because making that choice meant giving up on the Hospital's revenue contribution, giving up on the technical prestige of the surgery, and giving up on the recognition of his peers.
But Lu Chen did it.
And he did it with a clear conscience.
Dr. Ma Xu shook his head and hurried away.
...
Once the news spread, the reaction in the Emergency Department was quite consistent.
Sun Ji sighed after hearing the whole story at the Nurse Station.
"A six-hundred-yuan surgery... how did he think of that?"
Wu Fan was writing a medical record and didn't even look up.
"Because he looks at the person first, and then the disease."
Sun Ji was silent for a few seconds.
"Brother Wu, how come you're suddenly speaking like a human today?"
Wu Fan's pen paused for a moment.
"Say that again?"
"I said you're being particularly profound today."
"Scram."
Meng Yan came out of the Resuscitation Room and happened to overhear this dialogue.
"Can you two be quiet for a while?"
"Sister Yan, we are discussing academic issues."
"Academic issues? What can the two of you discuss with your combined academic level?"
Sun Ji was hurt, but he chose to remain silent.
Because what Meng Yan said was the truth.
Shen Xiaoning returned from the direction of the Operating Room.
"Dr. Lu's surgery is finished, it went very smoothly!"
Her eyes were bright, and her tone carried a very obvious sense of pride.
Sun Ji looked at her.
"Nurse Shen, your expression is happier than if you'd finished the surgery yourself."
"Of course! Dr. Lu saved them over ten thousand yuan. Isn't that great?"
"It is great, but can you exercise a little restraint in your facial expressions? You look exactly like a fan club president releasing the annual support report."
Shen Xiaoning's face turned red.
"I do not! I just think Dr. Lu did the right thing. What's wrong with looking out for the patient?"
"Nothing's wrong. You're right about everything. Lu Chen is the best, okay?"
"Dr. Sun, what you're saying doesn't match your facial expression at all!"
"This is called saying one thing and meaning another—the mark of a mature man."
"It's called being a brat."
Sun Ji wisely shut his mouth.
...
Inside the Operating Room.
Lu Chen was cleaning the instrument table; Zhao Ming had already sent the patient out.
The system notification sounded in his mind.
[System Task: The Doctor's Original Heart, Completed]
[Task Evaluation: S-grade (Zero errors during surgery, perfect post-op results, treatment plan precisely tailored to the patient's actual situation)]
[Experience point rewards being issued...]
[Extra Reward: As the host demonstrated outstanding medical benevolence in the choice of treatment plan, an additional 200 gratitude points are awarded]
[Current gratitude points total: 1194 points]
[Available draws: 1]
Lu Chen glanced at the gratitude points.
It had broken a thousand.
He could draw a prize now.
However, he wasn't in a hurry to draw.
He would wrap up today's affairs first.
He walked out of the Operating Room to check on the patient's post-op condition.
The Middle-aged man had been pushed back to a bed in the Observation Area, with pressure bandages properly applied and vital signs stable.
The Middle-aged woman and The girl were guarding the bedside. The girl was holding a receipt.
When Lu Chen walked over, he saw the numbers on the receipt.
Surgery fees plus anesthesia fees plus consumables plus the ward bed fee totaled six hundred and thirty-seven yuan.
When The girl saw Lu Chen approaching, she immediately stood up.
"Doctor, we've already paid the fees."
"Good. I'll go over the post-operative precautions with you again."
Lu Chen explained the post-operative precautions in great detail.
The pressure bandages needed to remain for forty-eight hours. After forty-eight hours, he could get out of bed for light activity but shouldn't stand for long. The ulcerated area needed daily dressing changes until healed, and heavy physical labor should be avoided for a month after returning home.
The girl listened while carefully noting everything down on her phone.
"Doctor, I've noted it all down."
"If there are any problems, feel free to come find me at any time."
"Okay... Doctor, thank you."
Lu Chen nodded and turned to leave.
When he returned to the Nurse Station, Zhao Yaqin was there.
"How is the post-op situation?"
"Very good. Vital signs are stable, distal blood supply is normal, and the pressure bandaging is in place."
"Mm, you chose a good plan today."
"Sister Zhao, you don't need to praise me. I just made the most reasonable choice."
"I'm not praising you; I'm stating a fact."
Lu Chen smiled.
Zhao Yaqin looked at him, hesitated for a moment, but spoke anyway.
"There's something I should tell you in advance."
"What is it?"
"There's a Provincial Emergency Skills Assessment in three days. The Medical Affairs Department issued a notice today, and the slot for the Resident Physician has been decided."
Lu Chen was slightly taken aback.
"Who?"
"You."
Lu Chen was silent for two seconds.
"Who decided on this slot?"
"The notice was issued by the Medical Affairs Department, but Director Li said he didn't know about this beforehand."
Lu Chen understood.
No need to guess: the Medical Affairs Department, Section Chief He Zhongfeng, and Vice President Peng.
"What level is the Provincial Emergency Skills Assessment?"
"It's provincial-level, held once a year. All Grade 3A Hospitals in the province will send people to participate. The judges are all Emergency Department directors and academic leaders from major Grade 3A Hospitals in the province. The assessment includes a theoretical written exam and a live practical session. The practical part involves randomly drawn topics."
"And the difficulty?"
"Not low. In previous years, the Resident Physicians who participated had generally worked in the Emergency Department for at least three years; some were even veteran Resident Physicians with five or six years of experience. Your seniority is far behind theirs."
Lu Chen didn't say anything after listening.
Zhao Yaqin looked at his expression and added another sentence.
"You should be clear about what Vice President Peng and the others are planning. They're betting that you won't be able to perform on such a grand stage."
"Mm."
"What do you think?"
Lu Chen thought for a moment.
"I'll go. It's not like I'm going to my death."
Zhao Yaqin stared at him for a few seconds.
"I'm truly impressed by your mindset."
"Sister Zhao, is there a cash prize for the provincial assessment?"
Zhao Yaqin was silent for a moment.
"Your focus is always so peculiar."
"Making money is a normal need."
"There is a prize, but don't worry about the money for now. How do you plan to prepare for the assessment in three days?"
"Normal performance should be enough."
Zhao Yaqin wanted to say more, but seeing Lu Chen's incredibly calm face, she eventually shook her head.
"Fine, I won't worry about it. Worrying is useless anyway. Once you've decided on something, no one can talk you out of it."
Lu Chen smiled and didn't reply.
He was thinking about something else.
Provincial assessment.
Randomly drawn practical topics.
If he was lucky and drew an area he was good at, it would be a freebie.
If he was unlucky and drew an area he wasn't good at...
Then he'd have to see if the foundation of those skills on the system panel was solid enough.
However, he wasn't too worried.
The twelve skills currently on his panel covered a fairly wide range; common Emergency Department operations were basically all included.
What really concerned him was another question.
Exactly how much was the prize money?