Chapter 264 - The First Cut (1/2)
The female bovine moaned as the doctors approached. Vishnu took the liberty of translating common speak to cow tongue for her. The mother of the unborn calf calmed down a little and Hua Tuo instructed Zero to start sterilising the tools while he started to help the cow get into a surgery 'dress' made out of faded cloth.
The fat cow licked her tail twice and allowed Hua Tuo to feel around her rump. Hua Tuo was marking out the places where he would be making the incision when Zero returned with conjured water in a bucket and sterilised tools.
”Start the anaesthesia procedure, remember to insert the needles deeper just past the skin and into the blood vessels. Watch for ruptures.”
Zero nodded and let out a huge sigh to calm his nerves. He steadied his hand and felt around the cow's thick hide and fur to find a pulse. According to Hua Tuo, the cow's skin was about four to five centimetres thick, unlike human's skin which ranged anywhere from half a millimetre to four millimetres. Zero also had to manoeuvre away from the tricky areas that had organs. It was surprisingly compact inside of such a big animal. Zero was told that cows had multiple stomachs unlike humans and wondered if anyone else in the village had multiple stomachs.
The acupuncture needles were thin and looked fragile so Zero worried for a moment that they would break under the thick hide before they reached any blood vessel but Hua Tuo reassured him otherwise.
”If it were any normal needle, they would have broken by now. The needles you are using belong to me and they have been reinforced with magic.”
Zero nodded and swallowed a little nervously as he inserted the first needle. Other than a harsh tail-flick once from the cow, Zero received no other bad reaction. The needle pierced through the thick hide easily like a knife through tofu and Zero wondered if this was also because of the special properties of Hua Tuo's needle.
Although both Hua Tuo and Zero's faces were covered with masks, their hair under bandanas, and their hands covered with gloves, nobody could mistake that observant look in the Sage God's eyes. Zero moved in a slightly unsure manner the first time but Hua Tuo chose to say nothing and continued to observe what course of action his student would take next.
At the three centimetre mark, Zero realised that something was wrong. He'd penetrated the skin with the wrong angle earlier due to his lack of knowledge about the muscle structure underneath the skin. Quickly, he removed the needles and apologised to the mother before correcting his penetration angle and attempting it again.
This time, Zero successfully administered the first needle and flicked it like what Hua Tuo taught him. Here lies his second dilemma. The needle didn't rock as much as he thought it would. Unsure if it would be sufficient, Zero turned to give his teacher a pleading look.
Hua Tuo nodded. ”You can flick it if rocking isn't enough. You just need the needle to sit in deeper into the point to stop any interference of flow to the area we are operating on afterwards.”
The teen nodded and did as instructed before moving on to the second point more confidently this time. Hua Tuo watched his disciple like a hawk, not daring to take his eyes off Zero at all. While his student was bright, Hua Tuo wouldn't put it past the teen to try strange things from time to time.
Thankfully, Zero seemed mature enough and quickly inserted the needle with good accuracy before moving to the next point. It didn't take too long for the brunet to completely numb the area and Hua Tuo tested the cow's reflexes.
”Good work, she's numb to the area. Ready some sterile water. Once the calf is out, I need you to clean the mother up while I cut the umbilical cord. Remember to clean her thoroughly before the suturing otherwise there will be a high chance she gets infected.”
Zero beamed at the praise from beneath his mask and nodded. The boy quickly got to work and Hua Tuo used a short razor blade to get rid of the hair covering the patch of skin where he was going to make the incision.
Zero watched carefully and Hua Tuo explained that they were going to perform the simplest form of surgery.
”As the calf has been developed in the posterior position upside down in the cow's womb, we cannot deliver it with the normal birthing methods safely. The easiest way to approach this without adding further complications is to operate from the left side of the body. We will make an incision about ten centimetres wide, just enough to get through to the womb and bring the calf out safely. The cow is healthy and has no issues standing throughout the surgery while the calf is normal sized which makes this method of surgery possible.”
Hua Tuo made the first cut and Zero held his breath with his eyes trained on the gloved hands holding that sharp scalpel. Hua Tuo rambled on explaining about the types of other surgery methods and the circumstances that required them. Zero didn't think that there would be so many different methods of delivering a baby in a cow but as Hua Tuo explained the pros and cons of each type of surgery, Zero came to understand one thing.
”Is there no fixed method of delivery?” he asked.
Hua Tuo widened the cut and dragged his blade down. Blood gushed but the mother cow didn't seem to be in any pain. Zero noticed how little blood there was. The acupuncture must be doing a good job of restraining blood flow into the area and Zero could tell that the blood was stale.
”There are many ways to do the same thing. The method of surgery depends on the surgeon's confidence, skills and assessment. Sometimes, surgical methods have to be changed during the operation due to complications. As a surgeon, you must be well-prepared for unforeseen circumstances and react quickly to it. I've had at least two assistants in the room with me whenever I performed an operation. Back then, healing magic wasn't a thing and every surgery was a risk. Doctors often avoided surgery and used it as a last resort when the patient was guaranteed to die either way.”
Zero cringed. That sounded awful.
”However, I didn't think that surgery should be the last resort. Many doctors waited until it was too late before they attempted surgery. It was absurd. No patient would survive anything if they have already lost all their energy to fight and their will to live. I always believed that as long as the body was still energetic enough to recover and the mind strong enough to live, surgery should be the option after medicine. It's fast, effective and the risks can be controlled during the early stages. Zero, hold this cut open for me.”
The apprentice obeyed and was holding the huge gash open while Hua Tuo stuck his hands into the cow. The physician fumbled around without hesitation that made Zero feel a little queasy thinking about having someone playing around with his organs while he was awake. The physician then made a hum of approval after finding what he wanted.