Surgery Godfather-Chapter 689 - 614: Group Formation

After performing the surgery, Yang Ping took a rest in the changing room.

For surgeons, the changing room is a temporary haven. Sitting quietly for a while can dispel the fatigue of surgery and provide a chance to reflect on the successes and failures of the operation.

For hobbyists like Fatty, finding a secluded space with some like-minded friends, smoking a Soft Zhonghua cigarette, can make one feel entirely relaxed, with a euphoric sensation akin to transcendence.

Yang Ping, Song Zimo, and Xu Zhiliang, all clad in their surgical scrubs, rested, leaning against the bench in a line. Robert followed the three smokers to their secret base to enjoy the ’soft Zhonghua.’ The junior doctors have already changed and escorted the patient back to their ward.

August had taken a week off while Takahashi had gone on a two-week short-term intensive training course, having mastered the spinal fixation technology, was now back in Japan.

The phase 2 clinical trials at Xiehe Hospital, 301, Mo Sixth, and Nandu Affiliated Hospital One were underway. The phase 3 clinical trials in the U.S., Europe, and Japan were progressing at a swift pace and would soon be fully launched.

Given the current situation, as long as the spinal fixation technique does not fail during clinical trials, its rapid global spread is inevitable.

Furthermore, this technology has opened up a new area of study in the treatment of spinal deformities. It’s a brand-new technique with no alternatives. Once fully deployed, there would be no reason for anyone anywhere to object to using this new technology unless the local medical infrastructure is relatively undeveloped and doctors haven’t kept up with technological advances.

At Ruixing company, production of the external spinal fixator, from the mold to processes, assembly line, and worker training, is all complete. They are ready to operate at full capacity and start mass production.

Regarding the new project - cultivating muscle using stem cells, Yang Ping has already started the experiment at the system lab and achieved some breakthroughs. Everything in reality is also adequately prepared to get started.

"All equipment, save for the cryogenic electron microscope that we’re borrowing from Nandu Medical University, are in place."

Song Zimo had been coordinating and preparing all aspects. Both Dean Xia and Director Han had also been helping in the background.

Song Zimo was not just Yang Ping’s assistant in clinical work he was also his trusted aid in research.

Now that Xu Zhiliang had shared the workload, the burden on Song Zimo was significantly lighter.

A cryogenic electron microscope is an essential high-end instrument for structural biology. The new project that Yang Ping was about to undertake involved structural analysis of inducer proteins and required a cryogenic electron microscope.

This high-end equipment is currently monopolized by the U.S. and Japan. There is no corresponding product domestically, nor even counterfeit ones. It can only be imported from abroad at substantial costs.

The cryogenic electron microscope is costly, ranging from tens of millions to billions. Currently, there are 27 of these microscopes in the country. Southern University of Science and Technology in Pengcheng, Nandu Province, owns a cryogenic electron microscopy center, which plans to install six microscopes. Two are currently operational, and once all six are installed, the center will become one of the three largest cryogenic electron microscopy centers worldwide.

If they borrowed the microscope from Southern University of Science and Technology, there would need to make appointments and spend a significant amount of time commuting.

Luckily, Nandu Medical University also has a cryo-electron microscope, and their laboratory fully supports Yang Ping’s project by prioritizing their team members in terms of usage.

Now that this big plan has found its footing, the entire project’s apparatus can be considered complete, and the project can be started in reality.

"Everyone, keep an eye out for suitable talents in stem cell research who may join us as the director of our lab, or we could openly recruit?"

Having someone dedicated to managing the lab would lighten the workload significantly for everyone.

Furthermore, with the initiation of the new project, research staff specializing in stem cells are needed. So, bringing in talent in this regard is very important now.

Yang Ping discussed this with Su Nanchen and asked Lin Lan to help scout for talent, but they couldn’t find a suitable candidate in a short time. Well-qualified professionals were either overseas and didn’t want to return, or they were affiliated with top-tier universities. Why would they be willing to join a hospital laboratory? The platform was too small.

"Do you remember our Chinese translator when we were in Japan, Tang Shun?"

Song Zimo still remembered this man.

"I remember. What about him?" Yang Ping also had a deep impression of him as he used to be Takahashi’s Chinese tutor.

Song Zimo said, "He is involved in stem cell research. His mentor at Tokyo University came from the frontier medical research institute’s stem cell biology department at Kyoto University. Currently, in the field of stem cell research, this Japanese professor and another professor from the University of California, San Francisco, are ranked first in the world."

Hearing this, Yang Ping immediately said, "In that case, find a way to contact him. Could we get him to join us?"

Song Zimo smiled and said, "I want to discuss this with you. Tang Shun is about to graduate from his PhD. Attracting such talent may not be easy, he has many opportunities. Not only does the stem cell lab at Tokyo University want to keep him, but the lab at the University of California, San Francisco, has also offered him an olive branch. These are all world-leading labs. To tell the truth, compared to them, our hospital’s lab is just a small platform."

While Song Zimo was right, it seemed unlikely that such a person would condescend to a tiny lab in a hospital.

However, to establish the new project team, it was essential to bring in professionals from the biology field. Those like Song Zimo and Xu Zhiliang, for example, could carry out structural protein analysis since they are definitely more proficient.

"Not necessarily. It is best --- Professor --- if you contact him personally. There is still a chance."

Xu Zhiliang had stayed silent, before suddenly speaking.

Little Five introduced him to a girlfriend. When he first saw that the girl was beautiful and had good family conditions and a job, Xu Zhiliang thought he had no chance. But to his surprise, they fell in love at first sight.

So, some things are not definite! The key is whether they catch each other’s eye.

Hearing Xu Zhiliang say this, Song Zimo felt he should also try: "But things are not absolute, even though our laboratory is currently a college laboratory, the funds we are able to mobilize are unthought of by ordinary laboratories."

"We will keep this person in mind for now, and try to contact him through Takahashi. I will find an opportunity to communicate with him face to face."

Yang Ping decided to give it a try. If it doesn’t work, then so be it.

Anyway, having a face-to-face chat doesn’t cause any harm.

"I almost forgot, Xiao Guoqiang is getting a check-up in the rehabilitation department this afternoon. I have arranged to meet him there, shall we go together?"

Song Zimo remembered that he had scheduled to see Xiao Guoqiang after the surgery in the rehabilitation department today. He was so engrossed in the conversation that he forgot about it.

Xiao Guoqiang is the firefighting hero Qiangzi, a patient from Yang Ping’s previous five-segment replantation case. He has been regularly checking back in the rehabilitation department, now with check-ups every three months.

Yang Ping hadn’t seen him in a long time and planned to see how his recovery was going.

The three of them had rested enough and changed their clothes to go to the rehabilitation department.

Qiangzi was waiting for Song Zimo in the rehabilitation room of the rehabilitation outpatient clinic with his wife.

His wife is a primary school teacher, now with a slightly protruding belly.

When Qiangzi was hospitalized, this beautiful primary school teacher would bring flowers to Qiangzi every day to express her admiration for the hero. Gradually, they naturally fell in love. When Qiangzi got married, he even invited the doctors and nurses from his ward to the wedding banquet.

Seeing that Yang Ping had also come, Qiangzi was very happy and quickly shook hands with him.

Xiao Guoqiang must have waited for a long time, Yang Ping did not waste any time and immediately checked on him. Xiao Guoqiang’s injured upper limb was shortened compared to the other limb, and the function of the fingers was not as good as normal ones. However, the thumb could complete the palm function, which is the most important and core function for the hand. Many hand movements are based on the palm function of the thumb.

The flexion and extension activities of each finger are very good, the adduction and abduction are also good, indicating that the flexor and extensor muscles of the forearm have recovered well. The muscles of the hand, including the thenar muscles, hypothenar muscles, interosseous muscles, and lumbricalis, have all recovered well.

The feeling of the fingers, especially the fingertips, has recovered, but it is not as sensitive as normal fingers.

Through these checks, the three nerves of Xiao Guoqiang: the median nerve, the ulnar nerve, and the radial nerve, have all recovered well.

The most difficult recovery after limb replantation is the nerves. It is already very good to have recovered to this extent.

Not to mention multi-segment replantation, even simple replantation cannot demand complete functional recovery. It is good enough if it passes, and Qiangzi is obviously higher than the passing line in many regards. The basic function of the upper limb is completely preserved.

"I can write, hold things, and play with my phone with this hand."

Xiao Guoqiang was very satisfied with this hand of his.

"Hmm, the recovery is very good, how about your work now, is it still going smoothly?"

Yang Ping ended the check-up.

"I was transferred from the frontline to work in logistics."

Qiangzi was somewhat disappointed about being transferred. However, having been so severely injured, he could not possibly still work on the front line. It would be neither physically nor emotionally suitable.

"His X-ray for his check-up showed that the fracture healed well with good shape. I suggest that he remove the steel plate and steel nail later." Song Zimo had seen his follow-up X-ray.

Yang Ping also agreed: "Multi-segment fractures, removing them too early can easily cause re-fracture. Let’s remove them two years after the surgery. The steel plate and steel nails currently inside do not affect movement."

After seeing Xiao Guoqiang, Yang Ping planned to finish work but received a call from Professor Zhang, inviting him to the trauma orthopedics department to see a patient. This patient was under discussion by the whole hospital.

The patient’s limbs were necrotic, seriously facing amputation, but the cause had not been found for several days.