Chapter 2117: Chapter 1782: Brotherhood Across Borders
Gao Yuan brought this mindset back to his department. He started implementing Yang Ping’s surgical methods with more precise targeting, focusing more on the protection of soft tissues and emphasizing early postoperative rehabilitation. He reformed the surgical process, optimized the rehabilitation plan, and introduced the overall concept of sports medicine. The surgical quality of the department significantly improved, and the proportion of patients returning to sports after surgery increased dramatically.
While Gao Yuan was learning from Yang Ping, a foreigner came to the institute.
Robert, the director of the Sports Medicine Department at the New York Special Surgery Hospital, chairman of the North American Arthroscopy Association, and one of the most influential figures in the global sports medicine field. In his early forties, with blonde hair and blue eyes, he had the typical demeanor of an American elite.
The Special Surgery Hospital, HSS—what kind of place is it? It’s a global orthopedic mecca, ranked number one in the United States for eleven consecutive years, with an annual volume of over ten thousand arthroscopic surgeries. It has the best equipment in the world, ample funding, and the most comprehensive training system. Yet the department director of such a hospital actually came to China to learn arthroscopy.
This news caused quite a stir in the hospital.
But Robert was serious. After seeing one of Yang Ping’s surgeries, he was amazed by the precision, fluency, and almost artistic execution. HSS has the best equipment in the world, but Yang Ping’s skill—the kind of "feel" developed under relatively crude conditions—is something that cannot be learned at HSS. So, he brought a suitcase and moved into the dormitory of Sanbo Hospital, staying there for three months.
One day, as usual, Gao Yuan came to see Yang Ping, opened the door to the training room, and saw a foreigner practicing arthroscopic operations in the corner, his movements awkward but determined. Yang Ping introduced, "This is Robert, the director of HSS, here to learn our techniques. This is Gao Yuan, the director of the Sports Medicine Department."
Robert looked up, extending his hand, "Gao, I’ve heard Yang Professor mention you, saying you work hard to learn the techniques."
Gao Yuan shook his hand, "Aren’t you doing the same? The director of HSS, staying in a dormitory in China."
They exchanged a smile.
At that moment, they both knew they were kindred spirits—people who would give up everything for the sake of technique.
For those three months, Gao Yuan and Robert became "classmates." They stood next to Yang Ping watching surgeries, practiced in the training room late into the night, discussed cases, and were scolded by Yang Ping for having "clumsy hands." Yang Ping treated them equally, not being more polite to Robert for being a foreigner, nor lenient to Gao Yuan for being a director.
"Robert, you got it wrong here," Yang Ping pointed at an anatomical specimen, "The current mainstream methods do not adequately expose the posterior horn of the medial meniscus, you need to use my new method."
"Director Gao, your tension control is still not good," Yang Ping turned to Gao Yuan, "if the suture is too tight, the cartilage will necrotize; too loose, and it won’t heal well. This measurement depends on feel, it depends on practice."
The two directors, being trained like interns, yet they took it all gladly.
In the evenings, they often went out for late-night snacks together. At a skewer stand in a small alley near the hospital, two men in their forties talked about surgeries, talked about techniques, talked about their understanding of medicine, and drank beer.
"Gao, why did you study sports medicine?" Robert asked.
"Because I like it," Gao Yuan replied.
"Same!" Robert raised his beer glass, "But not only that, I really enjoy the thrill of getting people back on the field. When you see someone standing on the field again because of your surgery, that sense of achievement... it’s like participating in another person’s life."
Gao Yuan smiled, "Enjoy?"
Robert earnestly replied, "Yes, enjoy!"
The three months passed quickly, and on the day Robert was leaving, Gao Yuan took him to the airport.
"Gao, in these three months, I’ve learned more than I did in the past ten years," Robert said, "It’s not just the techniques, it’s the attitude. Professor Yang taught me that real techniques are honed under crude conditions and involve an extreme pursuit of every detail."
"I feel the same way," Gao Yuan said.
"Let’s become sworn brothers," Robert suddenly proposed, "In your Chinese way, fellow disciples, for life."
Gao Yuan was momentarily stunned, then gave Robert’s shoulder a firm pat, "Alright, brother."
"Brother!" Robert repeated fluently in Chinese.
After Robert returned home, Gao Yuan maintained contact with him without interruption.
They had weekly video calls to discuss cases and share new techniques. Gao Yuan sent Robert Chinese case videos, including elbow injuries of ping pong players, rotator cuff tears of badminton players, and spinal stress fractures of gymnasts. Robert presented these cases on HSS’s stage, telling the world: Chinese doctors handle these injuries uniquely in the whole world.
"Gao, you should come to HSS," Robert said in a video call, "Not to study, but to exchange. Let them see what Chinese techniques are."
"I will," said Gao Yuan, "once I get my department up to speed."
Soon after, Gao Yuan officially submitted a cooperation application to HSS, not for further study, but to establish a sibling department relationship.
The process was unexpectedly smooth. Robert, as the director of the HSS Sports Medicine Department, had absolute authority. He directly stated in the board meeting, "Gao Yuan from Sanbo Hospital is my brother, and a student of Professor Yang. I have seen his skills with my own eyes. We don’t need assessments, no need for tests, let’s cooperate directly."
The board asked, "Why?"
"Because I trust him," Robert said, "just like I trust myself."
From then on, the Sanbo Hospital Sports Medicine Department and HSS became sibling departments. They visited each other annually, fighting side by side in each other’s operating rooms. When Robert came to Sanbo, Gao Yuan showed him Chinese-specific cases; when Gao Yuan went to HSS, Robert handed over the most complex surgeries to him. They co-authored articles, set international standards together, and spoke at global sports medicine conferences.
Once, after finishing a conference in San Francisco, the two sat in a seaside bar drinking beer. Robert suddenly said, "Gao, do you know what I’m most grateful for?"
"What?"
"That year I went to China," Robert said, "If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met Professor Yang, wouldn’t have met you, and wouldn’t have had today’s cooperation. HSS and Sanbo, two world-leading sports medicine centers, linked together because of one person’s decision."
"That person is you," Gao Yuan said, "You put aside your role as HSS Director to come to China as a student, something not everyone can do."
"You did it as well," Robert said, "You are a director, also a student of Professor Yang. We are the same."
Gao Yuan raised his glass, "To Professor Yang."
"To Professor Yang!" Robert clinked glasses, "Also to our brotherhood! A hero appreciates another hero!"
Now, Gao Yuan stands at the window of the Sanbo Hospital Sports Medicine Center, watching the bustling patients below.
This place is already a top domestic and internationally renowned sports medicine center, on par with Imperial Medical University Third Hospital, and ranked alongside HSS as sibling departments. Each year, more than a hundred doctors from home and abroad come here for further training. The students he trained are spread across the entire country. Some have become department directors in other hospitals, some are serving ordinary sports injury patients in grassroots hospitals, and some have gone to national teams as team doctors. Every one of them carries what Gao Yuan taught them—not just the skills, but also the attitude.
The phone rings; it’s a video call from Robert.
"Gao, I’ll be in Nandu next week, bringing a new project," Robert’s face appeared on the screen.
"What project?" Gao Yuan asked.
"The global sports medicine training center jointly established by HSS and Sanbo, approved by the board," Robert said, "You’ll be the director."
Gao Yuan paused, "Me?"
"Of course you," Robert laughed, "Who else is more suitable? You are both a top surgeon and the best teacher. You understand Professor Yang’s skills the best. This center, which will merge the techniques of Sanbo and HSS to cultivate the world’s best sports medicine talents, no one but you can do it."
Gao Yuan was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."
"Also," Robert put away his smile, "next month, I have a complex knee surgery to do. The patient had three previous surgeries; this will be the fourth. The joint is full of scar tissue, and the normal anatomical layers are completely indistinguishable. I want to invite you to New York as my consultant."
"Consultant?"
"Yes, your experience in complex revisions is richer than mine. On the operating table, I need you by my side, to tell me: how to proceed here, how to handle things there."
Gao Yuan laughed, "I’ll definitely come, but you have to teach me first. The new knee cartilage replacement technique you mentioned last time, I haven’t learned it yet."
"Come to New York, I’ll teach you hand-to-hand," Robert said, "just like Professor Yang taught us back then."
After hanging up the phone, Gao Yuan returned to the simulator. On the screen, the virtual knee was still waiting, as he held the control handle, gently rotating his wrist.
