When the Doctor Uses A Hack - Chapter 251: Deep Thoughts Aroused by Sewing Clothes

Dongyang Province, as an old central province, has geographical characteristics that are quite typical of Banyang City.

Heavy industry had been in increasingly decline, with no new growth to take its place, while although light industry was also encouraged to develop, the speed of its development was genuinely worrying. As for tourism and high-tech industries, progress had been relatively lagging.

In recent years, in order to improve the environment, those enterprises that greatly pollute were relocated outside of the city.

…

The two patients Chen Cang received were both women, around fifty years old.

They sat there quietly, without the chaotic screaming and baring of teeth or the unending sighs of anguish, as if they were accustomed to significant events, instead appearing quite unflustered.

However, being calm is one thing, but after all, being hospitalized with such big wounds still came with some worries.

Both women had worry on their faces, and their already uneven foreheads were furrowed, seemingly deep in thought.

When Chen Cang prepared to treat the first lady, who was slightly taller, he could not curb his curiosity and asked, “Big sister, doesn’t it hurt?”

The big sister, Fan Yunxia, paused when she heard Chen Cang’s question and suddenly laughed, “How could it not hurt!”

Qin Yue, lending a hand at the side, chimed in, “Big sister, you’re really brave! If it were me, I’d have been crying my eyes out.”

Fan Yunxia laughed again, glanced at the deep wound on her hand, sighed, and then looked at Qin Yue before speaking, “It’s much better now. I remember when I was about your age, back in the nineties. That’s when the factory still used old machinery, and it was common to hear about people getting injured every other day, with lost fingers being a regular occurrence. Now, with technology advancing, safety has improved!”

“As for my fingers, this isn’t the first time they’ve been injured. I’ve had two nerve repairs and one tendon repair on my left hand, but it’s the first time for the right.”

At this point, Fan Yunxia sighed, “As hurt as it might be, the main concern is the sequelae after it heals.”

“My left hand already lacks strength, and the tips of two fingers are always numb. When cooking, my left hand can only stabilize the pot; I can’t even lift it. I don’t have the strength to toss the pan, and I dare not do heavy labor. It’s been several years, and it’s still the same. I’m mainly worried that my right hand will end up the same.”

At that moment, the woman held out her left hand and said, “Look at this finger, I can’t straighten it now, and it hurts a little when I try. I had it checked, and they said it’s adhered, also tendinosis. It’s an old problem now. I’m just waiting to retire and then it’ll be fine.”

“I mustn’t get injured these next few years, otherwise, when the time comes to look after my grandchildren, I won’t have any strength in my hands. Just thinking about it worries me…”

Nerve and tendon repairs often come with sequela, with many people experiencing numbness frequently after nerve damage, as recovery doesn’t go so well.

Tendon repairs are similar. If adhesions occur during the recovery period after a tendon repair, the discomfort can be worse than tendinitis, with reduced flexibility, limited movement, and even the sensation of weakness—all too common.

Although Chen Cang and Qin Yue often performed sutures and knew about the adverse reactions to diseases, they had never experienced them themselves and ultimately did not know what the symptoms truly felt like.

There’s a saying that protracted illness turns patients into good doctors, and there’s certainly some truth in it; after all, they come to understand a lot about various illnesses.

Chen Cang couldn’t help sighing. Some diseases are like that, not severe if spoken of, but quite bothersome in reality.

Moreover, with limited expertise initially and insufficient understanding of tendon repairs back in the nineties, six-strand suture techniques were rarely seen even in the whole country, let alone in Banyang.

Just then, Fan Yunxia suddenly asked, “Doctor, tendon injuries are common at our factory. I have a colleague who happened to encounter a specialist from the capital when she went to the hospital, and she received a high-level surgery using something called ‘Tang’ method for suturing, which they said had a really good effect. She’s recovered quite well now. Doctor, do you know how to perform the ‘Tang’ method?”

With the internet being so widespread now, information spreads quickly, and the general public is more knowledgeable about many things.

Upon hearing this, Chen Cang smiled, “Big sister, you’re quite knowledgeable, aren’t you.”

Fan Yunxia gave an embarrassed smile, “Oh my, big sister is just fussing and bustling around. It’s a professional hazard for us to know slightly more.”

“But doctor, don’t let me influence you, huh. Coming to the hospital certainly means having faith in the doctor. My daughter is a nurse, so I understand you all.”

Fan Yunxia was like most middle-aged women, a bit plump, with thick lips, a high nose bridge, and extremely warm and generous—a typical northern woman.

The surgery hadn’t started yet, so Chen Cang and Fan Yunxia also chatted a bit more.

Suddenly, Feng Caixia said, “You all are educated folks, unlike our generation. My whole life, I’ve only known how to sew clothes, but sewing up people and sewing up clothes are not the same thing, the technical content is much higher!”

Chen Cang and Qin Yue couldn’t help but laugh. This big sister was truly optimistic. With such a deep wound on her hand, she could still manage to laugh. Her mindset was really great.

However, Fan Yunxia’s words suddenly enlightened Chen Cang, giving him a lot to think about.

Right!

What’s the difference between stitching tendons and stitching clothes?

There is a connection!

Like sewing clothes, there are many kinds of stitches and sewing methods, and the same applies to tendon suturing.

Fan Yunxia asked, “Doctor, is this Tang technique really that amazing?”

Chen Cang explained, “Big sister, you’re not wrong at all. In fact, sewing tendons is just like sewing clothes.”

“When there’s a tear in the clothes, you have many different stitching techniques to mend it. It’s the same for tendons; the Tang method is just one of those stitching techniques.”

“When machines make clothes, the more densely packed the thread ends become, the stronger the clothes are. Tendon suturing is similar. In the past, people used to do two-strand sutures, with classic techniques like Kessler and Tsuge methods.”

“Later on, people developed four-strand suturing with methods like LAhey and Becker. And now, there are six-strand intratendinous suture methods, like Savage. These were all invented by foreigners, but eventually, our country’s Professor Tang created a six-strand intratendinous suture method called Tang method.”

Upon hearing this, Fan Yunxia immediately understood!

“So that means, this Tang method is very impressive? With six threads for suturing, the repair must be good!”

Chen Cang smiled and shook his head. People have this misconception that the more advanced the surgery, the better the results, which isn’t the case.

“It’s not quite like that. Indeed, the Tang method, which uses six-strand intratendinous suturing, can improve the tendon’s repair capabilities and resistance to gapping and tension. However, because it uses too many sutures, their presence undoubtedly impacts the tendon’s healing, and the exposed ends of the sutures, as their number increases, will surely increase the chances of tendon adhesion.”

“So, the Tang method does have certain advantages for tendon surgery, but it’s not suitable for all tendon repair cases, and likewise, its shortcomings are quite pronounced.”

“When choosing a tendon suturing technique, the most important thing is to base it on the location of your tendon and its function, selecting a suture method that is more suitable for you.”

With this explanation, Fan Yunxia finally understood!

Laughing, she said, “Doctor Chen, you are truly enthusiastic. Having a doctor like you makes a patient feel secure.”

At the same time, she felt her perception of Chen Cang change, with a new sense of trust.

Actually, the relationship between doctors and patients is improved through communication with each other.