Upon returning from the stem cell culture room to the ward, Zhao Heng approached the bed of the "Shuren" patient.

"Doctor."

Seeing Zhao Heng approaching, the middle-aged man sitting on the bed with his legs dangling over the side quickly spoke up.

"How are you feeling today?"

Zhao Heng asked routinely.

"Feeling okay, doctor, can I still undergo surgery?"

The middle-aged man couldn't help but ask.

Since being hospitalized, he clearly felt that this place was different from the hospital he had been in before.

The doctors and nurses here were much friendlier towards him, unlike the previous hospital where people were treated like objects being manipulated.

Even though he had undergone so many surgeries, looking at himself now, the middle-aged man still wanted surgery.

Despite all the torment, he hadn't given up hope. If it were someone else, they might have given up long ago.

In fact, when undergoing the seventh surgery, his attending doctor had already suggested a complete amputation, so he wouldn't have to endure repeated recurrences.

But no matter how painful and torturous, he didn't want to become a disabled person. This was his long-standing insistence.

"In your case, you've already had seven surgeries, and more surgery would only treat symptoms, not the root cause."

Zhao Heng shook his head slightly and said.

"Doctor, does this mean there's no cure for me?"

Hearing Zhao Heng say this, the middle-aged man's expression dimmed. However, this was something doctors at other hospitals had also told him.

"If it's just a simple excision of the lesions, they will recur. Now, we're considering epithelial stem cell transplantation. After the excision, we'll transplant epithelial stem cells, which will greatly reduce the chances of recurrence."

Zhao Heng said slowly.

"Doctor, how is this different from a skin graft?"

Hearing Zhao Heng mention epithelial stem cell transplantation, the middle-aged man asked with some confusion.

As the saying goes, long illness makes the patient a doctor, and after being ill for so long, the middle-aged man had learned some medical knowledge, especially regarding his own condition.

Previously, each time after excision surgery, the doctor would tell him that after excision, a skin graft was needed.

Skin grafting, or skin transplantation, was easy to understand.

But after each skin graft, it wouldn't be long before recurrence happened yet again.

"Simply put, with a regular skin graft, it's like replacing the tree's outermost layer of bark. Epithelial stem cell transplantation, on the other hand, replaces the entire bark from the inside out."

Zhao Heng thought for a moment and offered a somewhat straightforward analogy.

"Doctor, after this stem cell transplant, will it really not recur?"

Upon hearing Zhao Heng's explanation, hope reignited in the middle-aged man's heart. Maybe this time, it really wouldn't recur.

"With current medical technology, epithelial stem cell transplantation has the lowest relapse rate."

Zhao Heng replied honestly. When speaking to patients, he's always pragmatic, never exaggerating the effects nor deliberately exaggerating the severity of the condition.

For those who are ill, their psyche is extremely sensitive and fragile. In such states, it's important to give patients hope, but not too much or too absolute. Adjusting to this balance takes long-term experience.

To be a good doctor requires not only excellent skills but also an understanding of psychology.

"Doctor, what about the cost?"

Learning that there's hope for his condition, the middle-aged man was overjoyed, yet still concerned about the costs.

"Don't worry about that. Epithelial stem cell culture is the most affordable part of stem cell treatment, and since you have medical insurance, you can get some cost reductions."

Zhao Heng said.

This patient was fortunate to have medical insurance. Though he had been ill for many years, his original employer continued to pay for his insurance, which was a good thing.

However, typically only state-owned enterprises and government sectors can achieve this.

This patient is an employee of a state-owned enterprise.

"Thank you, doctor, thank you."

The middle-aged man nodded. He could feel that this doctor in front of him was different from any other doctor he had encountered before.

Moreover, since being hospitalized yesterday, he had asked around about Zhao Heng, and everyone said Zhao Heng was the best doctor in the hospital.

Therefore, he felt fortunate to have met such a good doctor as Zhao Heng.

Having explained the condition and treatment plan to the middle-aged man, Zhao Heng moved on to Sun Xinxin's bedside.

At that moment, Sun Xinxin was sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing a game on her phone. Upon seeing Zhao Heng, she immediately put her phone down and eagerly asked, "Dr. Zhao, can I have the second surgery now?"

Recently, Sun Xinxin had almost fully recovered. As a top athlete, she had spent her early life in intense training, and suddenly having free time was something she wasn't accustomed to.

In her own words, she was so bored it felt like her bones were rusting away.

"How are you feeling today?"

Seeing Sun Xinxin's eagerness, Zhao Heng smiled and asked.

"I feel completely recovered, Dr. Zhao, can I undergo surgery now?"

Sun Xinxin asked impatiently.

She was eager to have the surgery and recover quickly, so she could return to training.

After all, the next Winter Olympics was only two years away. If she could resume training this year, maybe she could quickly regain her peak form and participate in the next Winter Olympics.

For every skier, participating in the Winter Olympics is the most important event.

Moreover, the athletic career of top athletes is very short. Generally, due to physical exertion and injuries, skiers have to retire by the age of thirty at the latest.

So, as a skier, with the Winter Olympics held every four years, one can basically only participate twice.

"Your recovery is excellent. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, so get a good rest today."

Zhao Heng said.

He had made arrangements for Sun Xinxin's second surgery long in advance, and he had already coordinated with Liu Ziang beforehand. The surgery plan had been prepared several days ago.

However, he only told Sun Xinxin today to prevent her from getting too excited over the past few days, as her mood could affect her rest and thus her surgery.

"Really?"

Hearing that the surgery could be done the next day, Sun Xinxin was ecstatic, and even Sun Xinxin's mother, sitting by her bed, seemed a bit excited.

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