The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 794 confirmed

"Ma'am, please wait a moment," Liu Banxia called out to the patient's wife, who was about to follow. "We still need your signature."

"Okay, okay, Dr. Liu. What's wrong with Old Zhou? Didn't he just have a CT scan? Why does he need an enhanced one now? Can't he just have an MRI?" The patient's wife asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

"Please calm down and let me explain," Liu Banxia said. "According to my current assessment, Brother Zhou might have an aortic dissection."

"An aortic dissection means our blood vessel walls have multiple layers. In certain situations, if the inner lining, the intima, ruptures, blood can flow into the middle layer, the media, of the aorta. This can then cause a separation within that middle layer.

"To examine the blood vessels in detail, we need to perform an enhanced CT scan. This involves injecting a contrast agent, which contains iodine, into the bloodstream. Sometimes, this can cause an allergic reaction.

"We'll do an allergy test before we begin. However, because this is considered an interventional procedure, we still require your signature. Please try not to worry. Even if it is an aortic dissection, my assessment is that it's likely in an early stage and treatable with surgical intervention."

"Okay, okay, I'll sign," the patient's wife replied hastily.

She had been thoroughly startled by Xu Yino and the others' reactions earlier, leaving her a bit dazed. Now, hearing Liu Banxia's explanation, she understood a little more. It seemed blood had rushed into the vessel wall, but surgery should be possible.

For her, this was the best news she could have hoped for. If surgery wasn't an option, then it would truly be over.

Once the patient's wife signed the consent form and hurried after Liu Haibing and the others, Liu Banxia also called Xu Yino to inform her.

Even though Xu Yino had wheeled the patient away immediately, she hadn't overlooked the consent process. She knew this patient was brought in by Liu Banxia's friend, and Liu Banxia could handle the consent form.

However, before the enhanced CT could actually be performed, if Liu Banxia hadn't called to inform her, she would have had to call him to confirm anyway.

This was standard procedure. Even familiar patients undergoing surgery required careful verification. Procedures had to be followed.

"Boss, if it's an aortic dissection, you take it," Liu Banxia said, approaching Shi Lei again.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you doing it?" Shi Lei asked.

"One reason is I already did a spleen repair this afternoon, so I'm a bit tired. The other is that this patient is a friend of my friend, and we had a very minor, unpleasant incident once," Liu Banxia said. "I think even if there's a dissection, it probably won't be too severe. The onset time is quite short. It'd be better for you to do it. It's also a good chance to let the kids see your skills."

"I can accept the latter reason. If you just said you were tired, I wouldn't have paid you any mind," Shi Lei nodded.

If it were anyone else, Shi Lei might believe they were genuinely tired. But this guy? He was someone who could perform surgeries back-to-back. Tired, my foot.

However, having had previous contact with the patient, and an unpleasant one at that, was a very important factor. No matter how skilled a surgeon, they couldn't guarantee a 100% success rate without any complications.

If they encountered rational patients and family members, communication might be easier. But what if they encountered irrational ones? This past incident could be twisted into a "motive" for any surgical imperfections or lack of success, giving them grounds to cause trouble.

Liu Banxia rolled his neck. It was just as he'd been thinking earlier; he didn't know if his mouth was jinxed or blessed. Either way, he resolved to be very careful with his words today.

During the initial consultation, he had also considered aortic dissection. It was just that the tear might have been smaller then, so it hadn't yet affected blood flow to the limbs.

After a round of examinations and all the activity, the dissection had likely enlarged, which was why there was now distinct abdominal and back pain. Perhaps the pain had been there from the start, but the patient had drunk so much that his neurological feedback wasn't that clear.

There was nothing else to do now but wait for the results.

"Well then, is it time to start your rotations in pediatrics and the ICU?" Liu Banxia asked, approaching Huang Bo.

"Teacher Liu, I'm ready whenever you say," Huang Bo replied.

"Alright. You all discuss it amongst yourselves and adjust your schedules. You still need to go and experience those departments. Don't just think of it as me torturing you."

"Teacher Liu, don't worry, we're already used to it," Huang Bo said, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Liu Banxia had made it quite clear. While there was certainly a genuine intention for them to learn, the element of 'torture' was definitely there too.

"It's a good thing you handled that patient's admission. If it really is an aortic dissection, I might have delayed his diagnosis," Qi Wentai remarked, walking over.

"This condition is mainly so dangerous because it develops very quickly, and sometimes the symptoms aren't that obvious. Congenital ones are somewhat better; these acquired types, caused by various factors, tend to progress even faster," Liu Banxia said.

"Then again, my judgment could be off," Liu Banxia mused. "Maybe it's just a typical stomach ache, and then there was diffuse pain, causing pain in both the abdomen and back." He then turned to Qi Wentai. "How have you been adapting these past couple of days? Wang Chao is still adjusting. That fellow is worn out. It seems it's also because there have been more surgical patients these last two days, requiring more care."

Qi Wentai nodded with a smile. "That's true. It's quite common for patients to have some adverse reactions post-surgery. Especially those with low pain tolerance who can't stand the incisional pain."

"Not everyone gets a pain pump. They still complain of pain even after taking painkillers, and you don't dare give too much. Wang Chao had to run over three times for one patient last night; it left him quite exasperated."

"Pain tolerance really does vary from person to person," Liu Banxia remarked. "For patients who need dressing changes, a higher pain tolerance is somewhat beneficial. But during diagnosis, if their pain tolerance is too high, it can be misleading."

"Shouldn't the official announcement regarding the selection for Deputy Director be out in a few days?" Qi Wentai asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "It should be soon. It's already been delayed for quite some time. The selection will probably happen about half a month after the announcement."

"Good luck. I'm really hoping you become Deputy Director. Then my job as chief resident will be a bit easier," Qi Wentai said.

"Then I'll give it my all, my very all," Liu Banxia joked.

Overall, the atmosphere in the emergency center was quite harmonious at the moment. He and Qi Wentai had cleared the air. The only one with whom there was still a slight awkwardness was Xu Qixin from plastic surgery, but on the surface, things were manageable.

After waiting a while longer, Liu Banxia's phone rang.

"What's the situation?" Liu Banxia asked after answering.

"Teacher Liu, it's an abdominal aortic dissection, about seven centimeters long, and it's already affecting blood flow to the lower limbs," Xu Yino reported quickly.

"Wheel him out and straight to the OR. Shi Lei will operate. I'll contact the operating room. You explain the surgical situation to the patient's family again and get them to sign the consent form," Liu Banxia instructed.

DING! Consultation task complete.

Experience points +200.

Hanging up the phone, Liu Banxia grimaced slightly. The system was too damn stingy.

"Boss!" Liu Banxia called out before contacting the operating room. "Get ready for surgery! The scans will be sent over in a moment. Abdominal aortic dissection, about seven centimeters."

A seven-centimeter aortic dissection was not short at all; this was much more severe than the other critical patient he had encountered today.

This was one of the hidden dangers of hypertension. Even though it's a common underlying condition, it can spin off many related conditions because excessive blood pressure naturally impacts the integrity of the blood vessels.

Old Zhou was in for a rough time. Still, he was fortunate that Liu Haibing and the others were worried enough to bring him to the hospital.

If he had tried to tough it out at the bathhouse for another half hour, he might be undergoing an emergency laparotomy right now. Or perhaps, his body temperature would have already plummeted.

"Banxia, Old Zhou has been taken to the operating room. How do you think it will go? Is it dangerous?" Liu Haibing asked, rushing back in.

"There's definitely a risk, but since we discovered it in time, we can nip that danger in the bud. Did Little Xu give you a brief explanation, and now you're a bit scared?" Liu Banxia replied.

Liu Haibing nodded with a wry smile. "I'm doing okay, I can still function. Those other guys are terrified. Will the surgery be successful? And why aren't you the one operating?"

"Isn't it because I had that previous interaction with Old Zhou? So, it's better for me to step aside," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "Shi Lei is also very skilled. I learned many of my surgical techniques from him, so performing this surgery is absolutely no problem for him. In the future, you guys should be more careful with these kinds of drinking gatherings. It's not about someone trying to freeload, nor is it about money.

"If something like this really happens to someone, how suffocating would that feel? Besides, alcohol is meant for moderate enjoyment, not for binge drinking.

"Because it has a numbing effect on the nerves. When you think you've just hit the sweet spot, you're actually already quite drunk. If someone eggs you on for a couple more rounds, and you drink again, you'll either end up dead drunk or completely unconscious."

Liu Haibing could only nod vigorously. "From now on, we definitely won't dare to drink like that. At most, one drink each and that's it. People like us, with so many social engagements, more or less all have some health problems."

"I was truly terrified today. It's a damn good thing we brought him here to you. If we'd gone somewhere else and they hadn't detected it, wouldn't it have been game over? In no time, all the blood would have flowed into his abdomen."

"I'm going outside for a smoke to calm my nerves. By the way, does a deposit need to be paid? I'll advance it. Old Zhou and I go back so many years, and his family aren't that kind of people."

"That's for you to consider. After all, his family is here, and we also have to follow procedures. If you can advance it, that's fine too. That's a matter of your friendship," Liu Banxia replied.

Liu Haibing nodded and hurried off to pay the deposit.

Liu Banxia wouldn't interfere in such matters. Some people are afraid of being taken advantage of, while others genuinely have strong relationships. Liu Haibing and his group clearly belonged to the latter. A friendship of over ten years should be able to withstand this kind of test.