Qin Feng asked about the root cause of the little girl's illness.
Without a specific reason, it's almost impossible for a child of her age to get liver cancer!
There was no family history of the disease, nor any similar medical history.
Their living environment usually didn't expose them to radiation or other carcinogenic factors.
Qin Feng was a bit puzzled.
"What about her eating habits at home?"
"Since we work out of town, the child is usually alone at home, so her grandmother comes every two or three days to look after her and cook some meals.
She also buys instant noodles, sausages, and other snacks. The girl likes to drink, so there are plenty of sodas like Cola and Sprite at home."
...
Hearing the couple's story, Qin Feng nearly exploded!
"I understand you're working hard to make money, but you can't treat a child like this!"
"She's so young, and things like instant noodles, Cola, and Sprite contain a lot of chemicals that are harmful to the body and can easily cause cancer!"
He was truly helpless, both heartbroken and angry.
The worst part is, every time the grandmother comes, she cooks several dishes, and when the girl can't finish them, she reheats them over and over.
Leftovers can naturally produce nitrite, which is harmful to the human body, and regularly consuming them can lead to signs of poisoning.
And this lifestyle, the little girl has been living it for one or two years!
"You've been parents not for a day or two, do you really not care for your child?"
"Even if you are not at home, someone needs to be taking care of the child's safety and diet."
"Desperate to earn some money, and you end up not even caring for the child's life?"
"She's just started middle school!"
...
After an outburst of anger, Qin Feng shook his head, not knowing what to say.
This kind of thing is simply enraging and heartbreaking!
Life is hard, but this is no solution.
"Please, doctor, don't scold them. My mom and dad are doing it for me...sob sob~"
As she spoke, the little girl beside them couldn't help but tear up, watching her parents cry in grievance, and big tears rolled down her cheeks.
Pain, weakness, and sadness struck his heart like a hammer.
Thud~
The couple knelt straight in front of Qin Feng, kowtowing continuously.
"Doctor, please, you must save my daughter! We won't do it again, never again."
"Daughter, I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"
The father crawled to the bedside, hugging his daughter tightly while crying and pleading.
Their voices reached outside, drawing curious gazes from many people.
What's happening?
Is there another doctor-patient conflict?
Why is someone kneeling to the doctor?
Qin Feng looked at the crying family of three before him, and the anger in his heart instantly turned into helplessness.
"Please stand up."
He helped the couple up, gently wiped the tears from the girl's face, stroked her hair,
"Little girl, you have to be strong. Brother Doctor will definitely cure you, believe me?"
"Mmm~!"
The girl nodded vigorously with a trembling voice.
At this moment, Zhao Yitian and Director Zhou also arrived, and hearing the story, they couldn't help but show anger on their faces.
But seeing the family's situation, they said nothing else.
"Xiaoxin, what do you think?"
Zhou Xianren glanced at the examination report, frowning as he spoke.
"According to the MRI results, it's undoubtedly liver cancer, but it hasn't spread, so it should be benign and at an early stage."
Qin Feng judged based on his experience,
"However, the location is not very good. Let them complete the hospital admission first, and we'll discuss the specific plan."
"I agree."
Director Zhou nodded.
Afterward, he instructed the couple to go complete hospital admission, quickly give the girl IV drips to restore physiological balance.
This situation definitely requires surgery. We have to stabilize all of the patient's indicators to reduce surgical risks.
In the conference room,
Qin Feng sat at the head of the table, with Director Zhou Xianren beside him, along with Zhao Yitian and the attending expert from the internal medicine department.
Across from them were the still-sobbing parents of the little girl.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now reached specific results and a treatment plan for your daughter's condition."
He looked at the two of them and said seriously,
"Currently, there is good news and bad news. The good news is her liver cancer was discovered very early, and it hasn't spread; it is completely treatable."
Upon hearing this, a sparkle of hope appeared in the previously dim eyes of the couple.
"However, there's also bad news. Your daughter's liver cancer is located in the hepatic hilum, very close to the portal vein, which presents considerable surgical risk."
"Portal vein? What does that mean?"
The father asked with a hint of trembling.
"The portal vein is the most important position within the liver organ, containing the left and right hepatic ducts, left and right branches of the hepatic artery, left and right branches of the hepatic vein, including nerves and lymphatics—all pass through the portal vein, and it is the most dangerous place!"
The father didn't entirely understand all that was said, but he grasped the last few words.
The most dangerous place!
"So...can my daughter's illness be cured?"
He couldn't help but tremble slightly, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said in a low voice.
Qin Feng nodded,
"As of now, I can perform this surgery, but there are still risks involved, so let's discuss the surgical plan with you."
After speaking, he took out a piece of paper and quickly sketched the liver, making annotations on it.
Left liver area, portal vein location, cancer complication position...
The couple listened attentively, afraid to miss a single word.
After understanding all the surgical plans, Qin Feng put down his pen.
"The liver has a strong regenerative capacity, and even if most of it is removed, it will slowly grow back and can reach near-normal size in a few years.
We typically only use about 20% of liver function, so necessary removal doesn't have much impact on the body and future life."
He tried to explain post-operative recovery and results to the two in the simplest terms,
"Moreover, your daughter is only 12 years old, so she will recover even better. Currently, our recommendation is to remove the cancerous part of the liver."
"I agree!"
The girl's father agreed immediately without even thinking.
"I agree too, but... how much will this surgery cost?"
The girl's mother looked a bit embarrassed, but still asked in a low voice.
"Here's the situation: given your daughter's condition, if we opt for traditional resection surgery, there will certainly be some difficulties, and we can't guarantee the complete removal of the diseased parts."
"So if I were to choose, I would opt for the 'ex vivo liver tumor resection' surgical treatment plan,
which can maximize the complete removal of the cancerous part and prevent recurrence!"
Hearing this, Qin Feng continued to explain to them,
"Simply put, it involves completely severing the liver, removing it entirely from the body, excising the tumor at a low temperature, and then re-implanting it back inside.
This surgery has high requirements for conditions and techniques, so the cost might be a bit higher.
Roughly around 80,000, including post-surgery recovery and care, the total will be approximately 100,000 to 120,000."
...
After this number was mentioned, the couple's expressions immediately turned stiff.
100,000?
They worked hard for the past two or three years and haven't earned that much money, plus they have a mortgage to pay every month.
The whole family has only about 20,000 to 30,000 in savings!
"Doc...Doctor, can it be cheaper? We only have 30,000 to 40,000."
The woman rubbed her hands, looking at Qin Feng timidly, her voice as quiet as a mosquito buzz.
For a moment, Qin Feng, Director Zhou, and the others exchanged glances, all quietly sighing in their hearts.
From their attire and story, they also knew this family's situation wasn't too good.
These few tens of thousands were hard-earned by the couple working away from home for two years, otherwise, their daughter wouldn't have contracted such an illness due to living conditions.
"How about this, regarding the hospital's later expenses, we will find a way to give you some reductions."
Zhou Xianren was the first to speak,
"As for the surgery cost, try to find a way to borrow a bit. We will also try our best to help, okay?"
With the director speaking, the couple could only nod.
"Thank you, doctors, thank you."
They stood up, bowed deeply to them, and returned to their daughter's side in the ward.
In the conference room,
Qin Feng, Director Zhou, and the others were somewhat silent.
"Sigh, this kind of situation happens often, and we can only help within our means.
Their conditions don't meet the hospital's extremely poor critical illness fund application, ultimately, we can't let the hospital suffer too great a loss."
Zhou Xianren sighed and shook his head as he spoke.
These words left Qin Feng without rebuttal, it was indeed a very realistic issue.
Although the hospital is a place to serve the public and save lives, the operating costs every day, every year, are extremely high.
Additionally, with the diversity of diseases and technological development over the years, the medical industry is very costly.
Even just changing examination equipment is calculated in hundreds of millions!
The economic strength of City Hospital No.1 is quite robust, yet it still can't replace advanced hospital equipment substantially.
That would require tens of billions or even hundreds of billions!
Even top-tier hospitals in first-tier cities would find it hard to bear!
"How about this, if it's really not possible, can we have the publicity department help release a donation call?
Solicit targeted donations from society, just like Waterdrop Fundraising."
Qin Feng thought for a moment and suggested to everyone.
"Then why not have them directly use an outside platform for fundraising?"
Zhao Yitian immediately straightened up and asked curiously.
The next second, Zhou Xianren, Qin Feng, and the internal medicine doctor all stared at him, as though looking at a fool.
"Dr. Zhao, are you really unaware or are you joking?"
Qin Feng forced a bitter smile and lowered his voice intentionally,
"You can buy some stocks when they go public."
"Alright then, let's try it Qin Feng's way first. No matter what, we have to save this little girl!"
Director Zhou Xianren directly made the decision,
"Qin Feng, our hospital meets the conditions for the ex vivo liver tumor resection, are you sure there's no problem?"
"Don't worry, Director Zhou."
Qin Feng nodded and replied with a smile.
'Did this guy start learning medicine while still in the womb?
How does he know everything?'
Zhao Yitian felt a torrent of bewilderment surge through his mind....