Surgeons Episode 17 Recap
> Surgeons Recap
Liu Ling firmly refused to disclose her baby's condition to Qi Dawei. She explained that Qi Dawei’s former partner's son had been diagnosed with leukemia at four, leading him to consider the child useless. Given her new baby’s congenital condition, she believed Qi Dawei would never acknowledge him, leaving her with nothing.
Liu Ling had researched the esophageal atresia online, knowing that even with surgery, potential complications could lead to an "endless abyss" of medical expenses, which Qi Dawei's financial support would not cover. She tearfully stated her decision to give up on treatment. However, Lu Chenxi was determined to save the child. After speaking with Liu Ling, Lu Chenxi informed Zhuang Shu that she intended to resign to ensure the child received treatment.
She reminded him of his previous warning that intervening in patient privacy would require her resignation. Lu Chenxi, a doctor for ten years, emphasized her unwavering belief in saving lives. She declared her willingness to be "rash" and even risk being removed by security rather than giving up on the child. Zhuang Shu, though frustrated by her impulsiveness, seemed to concede to her determination, expressing his unwillingness to indulge her resignation.
Meanwhile, Chen Shaocong had transformed his formerly casual demeanor, now diligently researching his emergency mobile initial diagnosis platform. He was engrossed in organizing files for a detailed report, having realized the importance of understanding local hospital situations in addition to international data, and was planning to survey major hospitals. His efforts caught the attention of Director Zhong, who brought good news: several specialists were interested in Chen Shaocong’s project and wanted to meet with him.
Overjoyed, Chen Shaocong nearly jumped for joy. Director Zhong, aware that Chen Shaocong's newfound ambition was fueled by his desire to court Yang Yu, assured him that career and love were not mutually exclusive, revealing his own similar motivation for pursuing medicine in his youth. Lu Chenxi, determined to prevent Liu Ling from abandoning her child, sat on the floor outside the maternity ward, meticulously working on data tables, to prevent Liu Ling from secretly taking the child away.
Professor Chen, the head of the OB Department, observed Lu Chenxi’s dedication. Professor Chen had earlier reprimanded some young interns for gossiping instead of engaging in discussions about a choriocarcinoma patient, emphasizing the importance of clinical focus.
Lu Chenxi explained that she was guarding the baby because she feared Liu Ling would secretly take the child away, emphasizing her willingness to be reckless again to save a life, even if it meant risking her position, just as she did when she was transferred from Thoracic Surgery. Coincidentally, Zhuang Shu was also researching congenital esophageal atresia cases.
He was shown a case where Lu Chenxi had successfully operated on a child with a grim prognosis, who was now healthy. Zhuang Shu then decided to bring this case to the weekly department conference. A young man pushing a suitcase approached Lu Chenxi. He saw her manually calculating data and couldn't help but criticize her outdated methods. This was Yang Zixuan, Yang Fan's son, an intern in the Research Department at Pioneer Pharmaceuticals.
He was a mathematics graduate who had done extensive research on choriocarcinoma treatment prognoses over the past twenty years, making his paper a reference standard for Professor Chen. Yang Zixuan, recognizing Lu Chenxi's urgency to demonstrate the surgery's prognostic effects, offered to help. He quickly transformed her raw data into clear, visually compelling charts, utilizing his expertise in medical research and data analysis.
Armed with these new charts, Lu Chenxi returned to Liu Ling, explaining the low disability rates and high cure rates for congenital esophageal atresia, especially when surgery is performed within 24 hours of birth. She emphasized that Liu Ling's child was fortunate to be diagnosed early. However, Liu Ling remained terrified by the potential complications listed on the consent form.
She tearfully insisted on her right to decide, preferring the child not to suffer a life with defects, reminding Lu Chenxi of her complicated relationship with Qi Dawei. Lu Chenxi pressed her, reminding her that as a mother, she had already given up on one child, Yu Xi, and that this new baby had no one but her. At that moment, Lu Chenxi received a phone call.
It was Fang Fang's mother, whose child, Fang Fang, had also undergone esophageal atresia surgery performed by Lu Chenxi. Fang Fang’s mother revealed that Dr. Zhuang Shu had contacted her earlier, asking if she could visit the hospital to speak with Liu Ling. Fang Fang’s mother, accompanied by her healthy, lollipop-toting child, shared her own fears and how Lu Chenxi's persistence saved Fang Fang despite many specialists saying the child couldn't be saved.
She encouraged Liu Ling, emphasizing that her son’s condition was less severe than Fang Fang’s and had a high cure rate. Lu Chenxi reiterated the data on cure rates and complications, highlighting how quickly the mortality rate increased with delayed surgery. Witnessing the thriving Fang Fang and hearing his mother's heartfelt encouragement, Liu Ling’s resolve softened. Fang Fang even offered her a lollipop, telling her not to cry. Overcome with emotion, Liu Ling finally agreed to the surgery.
Before the surgery, Lu Chenxi sincerely thanked Zhuang Shu for indulging her determination. Zhuang Shu responded that he would indulge her willfulness but not her resignation, urging her to focus on the upcoming procedure. During the surgery, Liu Ling received a distressing phone call from Qi Dawei's assistant, Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao informed her that Qi Dawei was being investigated by the police due to issues with the nursery, his company was sealed, and he was detained.
Xiao Zhao relayed Qi Dawei’s message to Liu Ling: she should be mentally prepared for potential bankruptcy and should limit her spending, as their future days might be difficult. The news was a devastating blow to Liu Ling. She cried uncontrollably, lamenting that she had just signed the surgery consent form and now faced the daunting task of raising the child amidst impending financial ruin.
Meanwhile, Yang Zixuan, who had returned to China secretly to pursue third-party funding for his research, was agitated when he discovered his friend had revealed his presence. In his frustration, he grabbed Chu Jun as she walked by, startling her into calling for security. Upon realizing it was Yang Zixuan, whom she remembered as "Muscular Yang" from childhood, Chu Jun calmed down and was pleasantly surprised.
They had lunch together, where Yang Zixuan noticed Chu Jun's notebook filled with drawings of the same person. He accurately deduced she had a crush on the person in her drawings, teasing her until she blushed. He explained that his research on the market situation of US drugs in China, funded by NIH, was more engaging than company-directed research, and he was prepared to resign from Pioneer if it became an issue.
Later, Yang Fan received a call from Jiang Ming, the regional director-general of Pioneer Pharmaceuticals, warning him to monitor Yang Zixuan, whose thesis on clinical equipment use was "sharp." Unaware that his son was already in China, Yang Fan then heard familiar voices coming from Chu Jun's office. He walked in and discovered Yang Zixuan. Having been informed of his son’s NIH funding success by Jiang Ming, Yang Fan was proud.
He then took a leave of absence to drive Yang Zixuan home, jokingly referring to him as "the ancestor of the house" who had returned, so his son could adjust to the time difference.
