Zhao Heng steadied himself and firmly grasped the steel rod protruding from the body, saying to Song Siming, "Director, we can start now."
"Alright."
Song Siming nodded, not knowing why, but he felt an inexplicable trust and rapport with Zhao Heng.
Soon, the patient's chest cavity was opened.
Everyone took a look and gasped, even Song Siming showed a serious expression.
When Zhao Heng saw it, his expression changed immediately, and he gripped the steel rod even tighter, afraid of any slight movement.
Song Siming looked at Zhao Heng and said seriously, "Xiao Zhao, the burr on the steel rod is less than 1mm away from the heart artery. In my upcoming procedure, you can't allow any movement."
"Director, I understand."
Zhao Heng nodded as well.
In surgery, although technical skill is crucial, many times it also greatly tests the doctor's physical and mental endurance.
Just like now, Zhao Heng's hands and forearms are suspended in the air, his hands gripping the steel rod without moving, which is a huge test of willpower and physical strength.
It must be known that the burr on the surface of the steel rod is less than 1mm away from the heart artery. As long as Zhao Heng allows his hands to shake even slightly, the burr could puncture the heart artery with unimaginable consequences.
Seeing the determination and confidence in Zhao Heng's eyes, Song Siming breathed a slight sigh of relief. An unexpected situation occurred; the burr of the steel rod was directly close to the heart artery, which means the operation time to extract the steel rod had to be extended.
Initially estimated at half an hour, now it would take at least double the time.
Originally, Song Siming estimated that Zhao Heng could hold steady for half an hour, but with the time now doubled, it was a completely different concept.
Although Zhao Heng now appeared motionless, to maintain this posture, his entire body's muscles had to stay tense in isometric contraction, which could be even more exhausting than intense exercise.
Moreover, keeping the same posture for a long time, just over ten minutes, would soon bring feelings of soreness, numbness, and swelling.
Five minutes
Ten minutes
...
Half an hour.
As the ten-minute mark passed, Zhao Heng felt his hands were already a bit numb; this feeling of swelling, pain, and numbness was incredibly intense.
Now that it had been half an hour, Zhao Heng had never hoped as much as he did at that moment that the procedure would soon end, freeing his hands.
Ordinarily, such an operation could be rotated, but given the current situation, Zhao Heng's hands couldn't leave; no one dared guarantee that the steel rod wouldn't move during a hand-off.
Seeing Zhao Heng holding on firmly, his face slightly flushed and full of sweat, Xu Man Ni picked up a piece of gauze with tweezers and wiped his brow.
"Thank you."
Having someone wipe off sweat at that moment made Zhao Heng feel slightly better, but he didn't dare to turn his head, for fear that turning would distract him and cause his hands to tremble.
By that point, everyone looking at Zhao Heng had a hint of admiration in their eyes.
There's no need for words; the perseverance to remain motionless for half an hour is not something an ordinary person could achieve.
To become an excellent surgeon, exquisite technique is essential, but in many cases, it tests one's willpower even more.
Some surgeries last for several hours or even over ten hours, and performing such a procedure with high concentration for that long is a massive test of one's mind and body.
As time ticked by, Zhao Heng finally managed to hold on for fifty minutes.
"Everyone, attention, we're about to extract the steel rod."
Seeing the tissue and nerves around the steel rod well-separated and handled, Song Siming couldn't help but take a deep breath.
However, the next operation was the hardest.
Although the channel for extracting the steel rod had been cleared, no movement could occur during the process of extraction either.
"Xiao Zhao, can you hold on?"
Seeing Zhao Heng maintaining his stance, Song Siming asked with concern.
"Director, I can keep going, but my hands are completely numb, I can't move them."
Zhao Heng nodded. By then, fifty minutes had passed, and his hands had progressed from numbness to complete lack of feeling; he couldn't even sense the presence of his hands anymore.
"Xiao Xu, you and Xiao Zhao fix that end together; I'll handle this side. Let's extract the steel rod in one go."
Song Siming nodded to Xu Man Ni.
"Alright."
Xu Man Ni replied.
Then, Xu Man Ni walked to Zhao Heng's side and placed her hands close to his.
At that time, Zhao Heng's hands were numb, and of course, he felt nothing.
But when Xu Man Ni's hands touched Zhao Heng's, she couldn't help but feel a slight stir in her heart.
Finally, it was time to extract the steel rod.
"Shift it up bit by bit, in one go; do not stop the motion."
Song Siming commanded and operated simultaneously.
With his rich experience, he knew that during the extraction from the chest cavity, not a momentary pause could occur. Once stopped, the previously accurate spatial orientation of the object would be lost, and if movements were continued afterward, hesitations would arise.
So it had to be done in one uninterrupted motion, extracted in one go.
Upon hearing Song Siming's command, everyone held their breath, not daring to take a deep breath.
Watching as the steel rod, deeply embedded in the chest cavity, was pulled out bit by bit, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
After all, the places where this steel rod rubbed against were the body's most crucial areas: the heart artery, the aorta, and the thoracic nerve.
Touching any of these areas could have extremely serious consequences.
Ten minutes later.
Seeing the last tip of the sharp steel rod leave the chest cavity, Zhao Heng let out a long breath.
This hour had been incredibly torturous for him.
Working together, Zhao Heng and Xu Man Ni carefully placed the extracted, blood-stained steel rod onto a nearby tray.
"Xiao Zhao, well done, take a break."
Seeing the most dangerous part, the extraction, completed, Song Siming let out a sigh of relief and praised Zhao Heng appreciatively.
This young man is reliable at critical moments, not dropping the ball, impressive!
This was the most genuine thought in Song Siming's mind.
"Alright."
Zhao Heng, undeterred by appearances, plopped down on a chair by the operating table and swung his completely numb hands a few times.
"Everyone, take a ten-minute break. Next, we'll proceed with the closing."
Song Siming said.
This hour of high concentration required some rest before continuing with the next procedures.
Luckily, the most challenging step of extracting the steel rod had been accomplished.
Next was repairing the injuries in the chest cavity caused by the steel rod, then it would be done.
Sitting beside Zhao Heng, Xu Man Ni glanced at his swinging hands and suddenly said, "Let me massage them for you, relax a bit, or you might not be able to perform any further operations."
"Thank you."
Upon hearing Xu Man Ni's offer, Zhao Heng felt somewhat flattered.
This Xu Man Ni, who always seemed aloof and indifferent in the operating room, was suddenly so warm?