The Enhanced Doctor

(Thanks to "I Love Yangyang" for the monthly ticket encouragement)

Liu Banxia’s skills in debridement are naturally impeccable; for him, debriding this patient is just routine.

Back then, even Grandpa Cao’s foot was in such a terrible state, yet it was still salvaged, largely due to his debridement skills.

However, for Liu Banxia, even debridements of this level no longer provide him with any experience or Glory Points.

Because his skills in this area are just too strong.

As he finished cleaning the patient, the blood test results also came in.

Hemoglobin A1c is 8.5, indicating that his blood sugar has been consistently high recently.

The creatinine level also made Liu Banxia frown a bit — 188.

"Doctor, is it very serious?" the patient asked worriedly, observing Liu Banxia’s expression.

His wife didn’t have the time to reprimand him now; it was evident that something was wrong from the checkup.

"Alas... I really don’t know what to say to you," Liu Banxia sighed.

"During the physical examination, your blood pressure was somewhat elevated — 150/90. It’s not extremely high, but you do need medication to control it."

"Take a look at this Hemoglobin A1c; it’s an average of your recent blood sugar levels. You know exactly what this means."

"What worries me is this creatinine level — 188, which is very dangerous. It shows that your kidney function has already been affected, reaching the level of chronic renal failure compensation."

"When the glomerular filtration rate drops below 50%, that’s when creatinine levels will significantly rise. Although raised creatinine can have other causes, judging by your Hemoglobin A1c, I conclude it’s the impact of diabetes on you."

"If it progresses further, it will become a big deal. By then, you’ll need dialysis and a kidney transplant. If you can’t control your diet, this is the path it will take."

"Also, your vision and liver will be affected too. Think about it, even if you have a mountain of gold at home, what will you do then?"

Listening to Liu Banxia’s words, the patient began to sweat heavily on his forehead.

Because he knew Liu Banxia wasn’t merely trying to scare him, he was very concerned about the potential impacts of diabetes on his body. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to the hospital during the festive season as soon as there was a change in the lesion on his foot.

Because he understood very well, he took these potential situations that Liu Banxia just mentioned seriously.

"Let’s see if you still indulge, the next time you drink, I’ll divorce you," his wife pinched him.

"I won’t drink anymore, definitely won’t dare drink again. I’ll eat whatever is supposed to be eaten," the patient quickly replied.

"You, don’t just make up your mind because you’re scared now. Once you recover a little bit, and you stop controlling your diet again," said Liu Banxia.

"There’s also some electrolyte imbalance, which is part of a series of symptoms. We’ll adjust it with medication shortly. For now, the priority is blood sugar control, otherwise, you can’t expect the wound on your foot to heal well."

"Also, you’ll need to work a bit harder at night — watch over him as he gets infusions and changes bandages. However, this is essential for saving his life, so it’s worth the effort."

This last sentence was directed at the patient’s wife.

The patient’s wife quickly nodded, as it was her husband, she had to take care of him herself.

She also felt fortunate to have come today. If they had delayed for a couple more days, who knows what the situation would be then.

These are all routine treatments, there’s no need to call in urology for a consultation, Liu Banxia just prescribes medicine and arranges infusions.

As he stepped out of the treatment room, the outside started seeing patients as well.

"What’s going on? Kidney stone patients coming in so early today?" Liu Banxia asked.

Seeing most of the patients holding their waists, this symptom was too obvious.

"There are also two gallstone cases," Qi Wentai replied.

"Could be due to the ban on fireworks this year. Everyone’s been pretty quiet, so the episodes occurred a bit earlier. Is your debridement done as well?"

Liu Banxia nodded, "All done, creatinine is over 180. Next, it’s about lowering blood sugar and protecting the kidneys. If unattended, it will be suffering in the future."

"Teacher Liu, I have a cholecystectomy," Liu Yiqing rushed over.

"Take the team, I won’t be following," Liu Banxia said casually.

Liu Yiqing nodded happily and called the interns to head to the operating room.

It must be that the gallstones are quite severe, leading to serious cholecystitis that requires removal.

"My dear Director Liu, you didn’t say anything unusual just now, did you?" Wang Chao also came over.

"Why? I just attended to debriding a diabetic foot," Liu Banxia replied.

"A fracture patient upstairs just showed symptoms of pulmonary embolism, but it’s not too severe. Liang Xiaolin took him for further examination," Wang Chao said.

"That’s quite normal. We had so many long bone fracture patients come in today. As long as we keep a close watch, there shouldn’t be any major problems," Liu Banxia replied.

"Aren’t you going to assist in surgery? Liu Yiqing is preparing for a gallbladder removal right now. You can join as a first assistant and get some practice," Wang Chao added.

"I’ll take a break. The second half of the night is when it really gets busy. Should we set up a dedicated back-pain station like last year? It feels like this year we won’t have any fewer patients," Liu Banxia said.

"Haha, well, I won’t interfere. You have the authority to assign tasks. After all, you’re the chief resident," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Alright, it’s settled. I’ll find an intern to do it," Wang Chao said and then wandered off.

"Tonight, ultrasound and lithotripsy will likely be busy nonstop. Find some time to rest, I’ll supervise things," Liu Banxia offered.

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Qi Wentai asked.

"Tomorrow night I can comfortably sleep at home. During the day, you’ll still be the main team for patient admissions," Liu Banxia said.

"Sometimes pulling an all-nighter can actually be a workout. Otherwise... you know, one needs to exercise regularly," Liu Banxia joked.

Qi Wentai chuckled, nodding in agreement.

No need to be overly modest; since Liu Banxia said it, just follow through without hesitation.

It’s like a standard routine during New Year’s Eve peak, just starting a bit earlier than last year.

Another gallstone patient doesn’t need surgery; the stones in the kidney aren’t numerous, and the inflammation isn’t severe. Conservative treatment will do.

"We already have five kidney stone patients. I wonder how many more we’ll get tonight," Wang Chao mused as he came over.

"At least ten, there’s still a long way to go. If there are too many patients, we can distribute some to the lithotripsy center," Liu Banxia suggested.

"I’ve already informed them. Some patients with large stones really suffer. Helping them resolve it sooner is also protective for the kidneys," Wang Chao agreed.

"I just ran into President Qi. He mentioned you’re actually covering tonight’s shift. Can you handle it? Tomorrow during the day is crucial too, so don’t push too hard," Wang Chao advised.

"It’s no big deal; it just means not sleeping soundly," Liu Banxia said.

"It’s just a few hours; I can handle the late hours," Liu Banxia reassured.

"During residency training, this was the norm. Even when the ER didn’t have this much patient load, we were still busy at times," Liu Banxia recalled.

"You should think it over. When you’re no longer the chief resident, see if there’s a chance to go to Jinshui District Hospital. We can’t rely solely on ’The Six Smalls’," Liu Banxia proposed.

"I’m really concerned about this," Wang Chao sighed.

"It’s a privilege you brought to us. I have to seize this opportunity. But I’m worried I won’t do as well or efficiently as ’The Six Smalls’," Wang Chao confessed.

"That’s up to you, and it relates to your future career direction," Liu Banxia advised.

"I’ve always told you; you need to make a decision eventually. Our emergency center will surely expand, and focusing on administration might be beneficial," Liu Banxia suggested.

"Someone has to handle it, right? These miscellaneous tasks really are a headache. I’m eager for this responsibility," Liu Banxia admitted.

"So you’re saying my future medical skills will fall short," Wang Chao said somewhat gloomily.

"It depends on what you think. But I think it’s time you seriously considered it," Liu Banxia advised.

"Our emergency center will keep developing, and the hospital always supports us. I think the sooner you decide, the better," Liu Banxia said.

"Dragging things will only delay both options. That’s just my experience. I’ve been out of orthopedic surgeries for so long, and it’s worrisome," Liu Banxia expressed.

Hearing this, Wang Chao felt even more somber.

Though they both had concerns, their worries were at different stages. Wang Chao’s concerns were still at a basic stage, while Liu Banxia’s had advanced.

As they chatted, a few people entered the door, with the lead patient taking small steps and holding his right side.

No need to deliberate, it’s time for the "package deal"—the symptoms are clear.

It’s a classic case of "holiday illness." Kidney stones can’t be ignored. If the stones are too large and you delay it, it not only causes suffering but also severely damages the kidneys.

Liu Banxia looked around, satisfied.

Especially the interns, bouncing around with patients, occasionally offering encouragement—this is excellent.

If the kidney stones aren’t too big, such conservative treatments work well.

After all, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy carries some risks, especially for patients with hypertension—it requires caution.