Chapter 268: Chapter 267: It’s a Trap

A craniopharyngioma, common in children, is a congenital benign tumor that grows in the pituitary fossa at the base of the skull.

It grows slowly, but it can compress and invade the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, impairing their function and causing abnormal hormone secretion.

Because of its proximity to the optic nerve, it also frequently causes vision problems.

However, what caught Yan Feifan’s attention most about this type of tumor was its significant hardness and propensity for calcification.

The incidence of calcification in childhood craniopharyngiomas can be as high as 93%, and nearly all craniopharyngiomas have calcified lesions.

A tumor with these properties is not very suitable for shrinking via absolute ethanol injection, which works by dehydrating and denaturing the tumor’s proteins.

Qiu Ge could see Yan Feifan’s concern and said softly, “If the tumor were that easy to remove, the patient’s family wouldn’t be offering a hefty ten-million incentive.”

“The good news is that we’ve only found a few calcified lesions in the child’s tumor. The main mass is still quite soft.”

Yan Feifan said slowly, “Dr. Qiu, this ’softness’ you speak of is only relative, isn’t it?”

He added worriedly, “The shrinkage from the ethanol injection might not be as effective as we hope.”

“Even if it’s less than we hope for, it will still have some effect, won’t it!”

Qiu Ge continued to persuade him, “Given the child’s current condition, a collaboration between you and me is the only way we might be able to remove the tumor without damaging the optic nerve and save the child’s sight.”

“Mr. Yan, are you up for the challenge?”

Meeting Dr. Qiu’s expectant gaze, Yan Feifan thought for a moment and said, “Let me review the patient’s tumor data first.”

“And if possible, it would be best to perform a biopsy.”

Qiu Ge nodded. “I’ll send all the medical files to your email shortly.”

“As for the biopsy…”

She said, musing, “I’ll talk to the child’s parents and try to get their consent.”

Qiu Ge’s spirits lifted when she saw that Yan Feifan was considering it.

“Oh, by the way, the patient from Friday night now has stable vital signs, and their brainwaves show a stable comatose pattern.”

“We can be hopeful about their recovery…”

After Qiu Ge left, Yu Suye couldn’t help but say excitedly, “That’s another five million.”

“Feifan, if you seize either of these two opportunities, you’ll be a bona fide multimillionaire.”

Yan Feifan shook his head and sighed. “That ’lifeline’ surgery and this craniopharyngioma are both huge challenges. These two five-million payouts won’t be easy to earn.”

He suddenly remembered something and asked, “Su Ye, what about Mrs. Su’s friend’s daughter? They said they would reschedule.”

“It’s been a whole week.”

Yu Suye chuckled. “I’m surprised you’re still thinking about that.”

“I never got a call from them.”

“I guess they were angry. Besides, cosmetic surgery isn’t a necessity. They probably just contacted another clinic so you wouldn’t get their money.”

Yan Feifan just said, “Oh,” and added nonchalantly, “That’s for the best. After all, it’s impossible for plastic surgery to keep a patient satisfied forever.”

“You give them a 90 out of 100, and they’ll want a 95, or even a perfect 100.”

Yan Feifan added with a sigh, “Even the Four Great Beauties of ancient China had their flaws. There’s no such thing as a one-hundred-percent perfect woman.”

Yu Suye suddenly lowered her voice. “Feifan, did you give your sister a lower dose of painkillers on purpose? To make her a little afraid of surgery and avoid developing a plastic surgery addiction?”

Yan Feifan shot her a glare and said in a serious tone, “What are you talking about? I didn’t give my sister a smaller dose of painkillers.”

“I prescribed her the standard dosage, I just chose a value on the lower end of the range.”

“My sister has rarely taken painkillers before, so she has no tolerance. That dose was more than enough to have the intended pain-relieving effect.”

Yu Suye chuckled slyly. “Her own little brother is an incredible plastic surgeon. One operation was all it took to make her so beautiful.”

“But after a while, she’ll notice some new ’flaw’ in her appearance and will definitely want to fix it with more surgery!”

After a pause, Yu Suye continued, “I know a statistic. Excluding reconstructive surgery for defects, the percentage of women who get plastic surgery for aesthetic reasons and then go on to have another procedure is as high as sixty to seventy percent.”

“It’s not uncommon to see women who go on to have a dozen, or even dozens, of procedures.”

She looked Yan Feifan in the eye and continued, “If I were in your shoes, I’d also take some precautions ahead of time.”

Yan Feifan glared at her again and huffed, “Some things are better left unsaid. Are you just saying it to show off how smart you are?”

Yu Suye giggled. “Feifan, I’m not trying to show off how smart I am, just giving you a little reminder.”

“When it comes to beauty, women can be cruel to themselves, sometimes in ways that most people can’t even imagine.”

“So, if your sister really wants to get more plastic surgery, a little bit of pain isn’t going to stop her.”

Seeing Yan Feifan’s expression grow serious, Yu Suye quickly added, “But, in my opinion, your sister has strong self-control and is a very rational person.”

“The chances of her developing that kind of addiction are very small.”

“Feifan, I’ll keep an eye on your sister for any signs of it in the future and nip it in the bud.”

Yan Feifan nodded, satisfied. “Thanks for being so considerate.”

He sighed softly. “The whole reason I agreed to do this surgery for my sister was so she could become a little prettier, find a boyfriend quickly, and get married.”

Yan Feifan said, worried, “She’s already twenty-seven.”

“Even if she finds a boyfriend she’s happy with right now, by the time they date for a while and get ready for marriage, another year or two will have passed.”

“Once a woman passes thirty, things get complicated.”

Yu Suye did not like the sound of that.

She huffed. “Yan Feifan, what century are we in? I can’t believe your thinking is still so old-fashioned.”

“So what if a woman is over thirty and not married? Does that make her inferior to everyone else?”

Yan Feifan quickly tried to defend himself. “Su Ye, I never said a woman is inferior if she’s not married by thirty.”

“I was talking from a biological standpoint. You know as well as I do that a woman’s prime childbearing years are generally from age 23 to 30.”

Yu Suye huffed a couple more times.

“You can’t expect your sister to just marry any random person for the sake of having kids. That would be incredibly irresponsible.”

Yan Feifan’s expression grew solemn. “I never said she should marry just anyone.”

“It has to be a guy with good character, someone trustworthy, someone my sister likes, and someone I approve of.”

He sighed. “If I hadn’t wasted two of the best years of her life, she might be married by now.”

Hearing this, Yu Suye’s heart ached for him.

“Feifan, it was an accident. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Besides, as your reputation and status improve, so will her social circle. She’ll get to meet more and more exceptional young men.”

“That might not be such a bad thing, you know.”

Then Yu Suye’s eyes lit up. “Feifan, June is graduation season! The hospital will be getting some new young doctors.”

“How about we get a head start and pick out a few suitable candidates for your sister?”

Yan Feifan shook his head furiously.

“I’ve said it before. My sister can’t date a doctor.”

“An ambitious doctor is a disaster; they can’t take care of their family. And I wouldn’t approve of one who isn’t ambitious.”

These words left Yu Suye speechless and frustrated.

’So you’re saying that by falling for you, I’ve jumped into a pit of fire?’

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