62 - Politics

"Hello Mr. Ping, I'm Doctor Li," Li Yun introduced himself and reached out his hand.

The elderly man was slow to respond, but glanced up at Li Yun and gave his hand to him rather than shake it. The man's hand was warm and heavy.

At that moment, Li Yun could already see the potential complications, but he sat down and pretended to check the pulse.

The TCM doctor, Doctor Xu, was surprised when Li Yun checked the pulse without a stethoscope. Some newer generations of TCM doctors were embracing stethoscopes to assist with diagnosis. It created a sense of legitimacy when TCM doctors used stethoscopes.

"I heard that Doctor Li has the ability to read pulse, but I was imaging someone a lot older," Doctor Xu commented. "May I ask if you have a teacher?"

"Currently no one, but I am seeking guidance from Doctor Yi Bao," Li Yun replied.

Doctor Xu nodded. "Our hospital had tried to recruit Doctor Yi Bao before, but he declined saying that he was not capable enough to teach a class."

Li Yun was surprised to hear that Lao Yi Bao was known. TCM may be a relatively small field compared to Western medicine, but there were quite a few practitioners. Li Yun wasn't too familiar with the world of TCM, and it was likely that people who were in it for a long time knew who to trust.

Looking back at the elderly man sitting on the bed, Li Yun removed his hand.

"Doctor Li, what do you think?" Asked Professor Shao Shan.

"It will depend, he'll also need a cerebral angioplasty," Li Yun stated. "There's an area that will become an issue whether we perform the TAVR or not."

Everyone was surprised by the finding, even Professor Shao Shan. Could Li Yun really find a potential site for a stroke?

Cerebral angioplasty was technically a minimally invasive procedure, but it was also classified as a major surgery like TAVR. The doctor would typically only recommend cerebral angiography when there were symptoms.

"Can you perform the procedure together?"

Li Yun nodded. "But instead of local anesthesia, can Doctor Xu use acupuncture along the femoral artery?"

Doctor Xu was surprised by Li Yun's suggestion. "It is possible, but I've only performed acupuncture assisted anesthesia. Are you concerned about the local anesthesia?"

"A bit."

Li Yun also didn't want the local anesthesia to affect his reading of the cardiovascular system. Although minor, in elderly patients, it was best to find the body's natural rhythm without the influence of anesthesia.

"I would also like to invite Doctor Yi Bao to assist," Li Yun suggested.

"If Doctor Yi Bao points out the locations, it might work," Doctor Xu turned to look at Mr. Ping. "Mr. Ping, are you comfortable with that idea?"

Mr. Ping nodded.

"Father, are you sure? It may be painful?" Governor Ping asked in a worried state.

"I trust Doctor Xu," Mr. Ping declared. "And I trust that my body will hold better without any type of medication."

Mr. Ping had an old school mindset about medicine. The less medicine, the better.

"Even without the operation, you can still live another few years, but you will also need assistance from your nurse," Li Yun warned. "With the operation, it will improve your quality of life and maybe extend your life, but it's not by much."

"I understand, but I still wish to have the operation."

With Mr. Ping's approval, Professor Shao Shan quickly explained the procedure and scheduled it for Friday, three days later. Li Yun will lead the procedure with the Magic City's TAVR specialist. After the surgery, they will perform a CT in place of an angiogram. Professor Shao Shan will be in charge of the post operative care.

As for the cost, the valve was the most expensive, but 250,000 yuan for a valve was nothing for Governor Ping.

The only hitch in the plan was the hospital politics. The director and almost all the professors were opposed to listing Li Yun as the lead surgeon. It was unheard of to place a resident in charge of the operation, not to mention an outsider. The hospital would be the laughing stock throughout the country.

"It's already problematic that we are even allowing this type surgery to happen, how can we even put this on paper?"

"Governor Ping has promised to support the next round of funding to the hospital whether the operation fails or not."

"Even so, our reputation is at stake."

"I agree, even though Doctor Li is performing, Doctor Fulao is supervising. Therefore, Doctor Fulao should be listed first."

Everyone liked the sound of that. After several rounds of discussions, Li Yun was placed as assistant.

Li Yun didn't quite care either way. The night before the surgery, Li Yun researched different real estate properties in Yide.

"You're looking for a property without consulting a real estate expert?" Rouxi asked as she returned from work and placed her head on top of his head to see what he was doing.

"How's work?"

"Made a few deals," Rouxi looked at Li Yun's tablet screen filled with listings of retail spaces. "Are you planning to open a clinic?"

Li Yun nodded.

"There's a property near the center that also happens to be on Caoben Street."

Caoben Street was a famous street known for herbs and traditional medicine. Rouxi worked mainly in Yide, so it wasn't odd for her to know.

"Are you originally from Yide?" Li Yun wondered. He had met her there, but he originally thought she was there on business. He hadn't considered that she may be a local.

"No, I moved there three years ago. I didn't want to stay with my stepparents, and Xuxu was the only friend I made when I came over from the States." Rouxi opened up the web page to a property in Yide. "This was originally an herbal shop, but they ran an illegal organ harvesting operation in the back. Their property was confiscated almost two years ago. I have looked at the property, and it looks decent. Someone else bought the property, but their business haven't been able to start, so it's on the market again. The only problem is all the rumors circulating the area about bad karma and feng shui."

Li Yun scrolled through the pictures and information listed on the property. For most people, it wasn't the ideal situation, but he didn't care about feng shui. There was still a six-years lease on the building, and seemed reasonably priced.

He wanted a space where he could practice medicine without any restrictions.