Chapter 271: Chapter 272: Establishing a School!

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Compared to those large vessels within the abdominal cavity, the blood vessels in the hand are truly… sensual!

The 50% increase in visual acuity was becoming increasingly important at this moment.

Chen Cang picked up the needle holder, and began to prepare for the suture carefully because the vessels were so delicate.

Vessels were one thing, but nerves required even more precise suturing.

That’s why hand surgery is also commonly referred to as microsurgery.

Generally speaking, a magnification of 6-10x is sufficient; Chen Cang was accustomed to using an 8x microscope.

This level of magnification was just right for operating within the field of view.

At this moment, the feeling under the microscope became extremely important; as Chen Cang held the needle holder, he suddenly experienced a sensation quite different from before.

This feeling was indescribable, but… magical. He felt that the ability to discern vascular walls had greatly improved!

What was… going on?

Chen Cang was momentarily stunned. He had never felt like this before, but… but just after he had put on the microscope, he suddenly noticed that this sensation was becoming clearer.

Could it be…

The effect of a 50% boost in visual strength?

Upon this realization, Chen Cang suddenly understood that the original effects of the eye drops were a +5 in vision, which encompassed many things.

Benefits brought by the 50% increase in vision also included contrast, resolution, pixels… and so much more.

Chen Cang couldn’t help but feel excited!

This skill might not be very useful for others, but for doctors, it was nothing short of miraculous!

The more advanced the surgery, the more refined the operations required.

Neurosurgery, especially cranial surgeries, required precision and continuous improvement!

At this moment, Chen Cang felt that vascular suturing, which was previously challenging, had become much easier!

Moreover, Chen Cang’s operations became more exquisite and more sophisticated.

This gave Tan Zhonglin and An Yanjun, who were watching the surgery, a chilling sensation down their spines.

The ease with which Chen Cang worked made it seem like lifting weights was effortless!

The sensation of suturing around tiny blood vessels and suturing a large artery felt similar; this was somewhat impressive…

Having completed the radial artery suture, he moved on to the ulnar artery… as well as the surrounding small vessels, like the dorsal interosseous artery, and so on.

This left the two onlookers somewhat dumbfounded.

Were they really suturing peripheral vessels?

It wasn’t long before the vascular suture was complete.

Tan Zhonglin released the tied artery and hurriedly tested the blood flow!

Observing the condition of the blood flow in the fingers, the two exchanged a glance—perfect!

Chen Cang began the nerve suturing!

This suture was significantly more challenging.

Generally speaking, the sooner the nerve damage in the hand is repaired, the better the functional recovery.

That’s why when Tan Zhonglin was at the Provincial People’s Hospital’s hand surgery department, he was so eager to have Guo Zhiyong sent over; he worried that the longer the delay, the worse the nerve recovery for the patient.

The primary method for repairing hand nerves is nerve suturing.

This includes epineural suturing and fascicular suturing.

Generally, when there is damage to the nerve trunk, epineural suturing alone is adequate.

However, when it is possible to separate the sensory and motor branches of the nerve, fascicular suturing should be used.

What does this mean?

It means that the nerve is not just a single bundle; for example, in the case of dorsal ulnar nerve damage at the wrist, the deep and superficial branches of the ulnar nerve can be separated and each fascicularly sutured.

It’s like… connecting electrical wires, with the neutral and live wires being connected separately (I realize I’m a genius, this example is so vivid).

However, since the nerve was abraded, Chen Cang felt a tension while pulling the nerve for suturing—the length wasn’t sufficient!

Seeing this, Tan Zhonglin frowned and asked, “Chen, is it too short? Do we need a nerve graft?”

Chen Cang shook his head: “Let me try. The tension is quite high right now, but if we can loosen the joint a bit… it might improve somewhat.”

An Yanjun looked at the severed nerve, somewhat worried: “Even if we loosen it, I’m afraid it might not be enough…”

But if they opted for a nerve graft, it certainly wouldn’t recover as well as a direct suture, and it would also result in a sensory deficit due to nerve harvesting at the donor site.

Taking from Peter to pay Paul is only done out of necessity, and not something one would do if they had any money.

With nerve suturing the same principle applies; Chen Cang was reluctant to destroy the existing nerve networks if he could connect them.

Chen Cang began meticulously freeing the ends of the nerves, changing the position of the joint, and making nerve transfers.

After a slight adjustment, he had gained less than 1mm!

The length suddenly became very awkward!

To graft? Unnecessary!

Not to graft? The suturing difficulty would be immense!

Caught in a state where it might be possible to suture, but also might not.

This put Chen Cang in a difficult position!

Tan Zhonglin fell silent, not sure of the best approach to take.

Such an annoying feeling.

Stuck here, neither here nor there!

He looked up at Chen Cang, only to find… Chen Cang seemed quite satisfied?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Tan Zhonglin took another look at Chen Cang: Can you really suture this?

Chen Cang didn’t look at him; his eyes were only on the nerve.

“`

He switched to a neural suture, picked up the needle holder, and began suturing.

Stitch by stitch…

Tan Zhonglin fell silent…

For a long time.

He couldn’t help but think to himself: Tch… A grown man fussing over needlework!

Meanwhile, An Yanjun saw envy written all over Tan Zhonglin’s face, his eyes nearly glued to the procedure.

Neural suturing was much more difficult than vascular suturing, but for Chen Cang, it was no trouble at all.

Now it was time for tendon suturing.

At this moment, An Yanjun perked up.

He had recently become obsessed with the Chen method, his eyes seeing nothing else but it.

Seeing Chen Cang preparing to suture, he subtly signaled Tan Zhonglin, then moved to a different spot to start assisting Chen Cang.

Extensor tendon injuries are somewhat easier to suture than flexor tendon injuries, especially on the back of the hand.

Because comparatively, the possibility of serious adhesions is lower.

But that doesn’t mean adhesions won’t occur.

This is because the skin on the back of the hand is thin and elastic, with a layer of loose connective tissue between it and the extensor tendons, which lack tendon sheaths but have peritendinous tissue.

Even so, the difficulty is still there!

Tendon suturing was Chen Cang’s forte, a fact Tan Zhonglin knew well. He was eager to see which method Chen Cang would choose this time!

Chen Cang glanced at the assisting An Yanjun, nodded, and An Yanjun skillfully began to help.

Chen Cang then started the suturing.

An Yanjun’s eyes were focused, unwilling to miss any detail.

Meanwhile, Tan Zhonglin was curious: What suturing method is this?

How come I’ve never heard of it?

Did Chen Cang learn some new suturing techniques?

No, that’s not right!

This… I have never seen this suturing method before!

However, at that moment, Tan Zhonglin’s eyes narrowed as he suddenly realized that Chen Cang’s suturing was miraculous!

This spurred old Tan to pay closer attention.

Luckily, there were several extensor tendons to be sutured, and Chen Cang performed multiple repetitions. However, the more Tan Zhonglin watched, the more bewildered and flabbergasted he became, until he was completely baffled!

Although he did not understand the suturing method, it was genuinely impressive!

The more he watched, the more profound and subtle it seemed.

Yet this feeling was indescribable.

Because… he realized that this time the suturing was different from the last time Chen Cang performed it on Xing Yu!

Chen Cang had changed again.

And he had become… even more skilled.

So skilled that Tan Zhonglin was at a loss for words, even feeling unable to critique!

Last time, at least he could understand, but now… he was utterly clueless.

Thinking of this, Tan Zhonglin furrowed his brow in thought.

If last time, when treating Xing Yu, Chen Cang’s tendon suturing gave off a vibe of natural mastery, as though every basic move conveyed deep significance, using two methods for one tendon, four methods for three tendons—it felt like he had complete command over every suturing technique!

This time, it was as if he had hardly used any techniques at all!

None of the methods Tan Zhonglin could think of were used, yet the feeling was as if they all were!

The key was that without using them, the suturing was still so good!

That was the most, most, most crucial realization!

It suddenly occurred to Tan Zhonglin, recalling a martial arts realm described in the wuxia novels of his youth:

No technique surpasses the technique!

At this thought, Tan Zhonglin’s expression changed, almost in disbelief.

More precisely, he had observed Chen Cang performing tendon suturing four times!

The first time, if it was the peerless sword drawing all challengers.

Then the second was the masterful deception of a blunt greatsword with no edge!

The last time, saving Xing Yu felt like casually breaking off a twig to use as a sword.

And this time, damn it, you’re not even using a sword, reaching the point where everything in the world is a sword, where the absence of a sword surpasses its presence!

At this thought, Tan Zhonglin couldn’t help but mutter to himself: Damn… How merciless!

This is too terrifying!

Others say you should revise your opinion after three days’ absence, yet how do you manage to astonish every single time?

Improving skills isn’t supposed to happen like this; you’re simply defying the laws of nature.

With that in mind, Tan Zhonglin couldn’t help but cautiously ask, “Little Chen, your… this suturing technique…”

Portraying depth, An Yanjun solemnly let out, “Director Tan, this is called the Chen method!”

Tan Zhonglin was startled: “The Chen method? What Chen method?”

With a solemn expression and taking a deep breath, An Yanjun said, “This is a tendon suturing technique that Little Chen developed himself, called the Chen method!”

Upon hearing this, Tan Zhonglin was stunned.

His eyes wide open, breath held: You… you’ve founded your own school of thought???