The Surgeon’s Studio

“Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, also known as Self-disfigurement Syndrome, is a congenital purine metabolic defect inherited from a chain of recessive X-linked genes.
It originates from the deficiency of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphate ribotransferase (HGPRT),” Zheng Ren explained to the emergency physician.

Upon hearing the words purine… xanthine… guanine… RNA, the emergency physician felt as if she had returned to university, when she was taking biochemistry classes.

Standing before her was not the young Chief Zheng, but a white-haired old scholar.

“The deficiency of this enzyme will prevent hypoxanthine and guanine from being converted into IMP and GMP, which will then degrade pathologically into uric acid.
Therefore, the child’s blood uric acid level should be on the high side.
When the test results come back later, we’ll be able to make a preliminary diagnosis.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Zheng Ren nodded.
“If we want to do a dual renal ureteral ultrasound, it’s possible to find kidney stones.
However, the patient’s family is not wealthy, so we should save as much as we can.”

“Uh… ” the emergency physician concluded.

“The child has low intelligence and has typical compulsive self-destructive behavior.
The diagnosis of this disease shouldn’t be a problem.”

Zheng Ren was too convincing.

The emergency physician almost believed him.

“If the diagnosis is clear, then why are you sighing?” The emergency physician asked.

“Diagnosis isn’t the same as treatment,” Zheng Ren said.
“This disease is incurable with the current medical means.”

The emergency physician was speechless.

“Most importantly, these cases rarely live past 20 years old.”

Zheng Ren did not want to say that, but that was the fact.
It would not change because of his own subjective wishes.

That was something that all doctors were unwilling to face.

It was one thing to understand the illness.

It was another thing to be able to treat the illness.

Regardless, most doctors would hope that the patient could walk out of the hospital healthy.

Incurable diseases, like cancer, were common occurrences for doctors.

This time, however, was a little different.

The emergency physicians still had doubts, but they were already inclined to believe Zheng Ren’s words.

Untreatable…

That outcome was too cruel.

However…

Nobody could do anything about it.

They could only look forward to the advancement of medical technology.

Life was originally a reverse journey.

It would be better to have more time.
The child was still so young.
It should not turn out that way!

The emergency physician sighed and lowered his head.
The indignant expression on his face disappeared.
He walked into the internal medicine department with an indifferent expression.

Zheng Ren knew that this was a form of self-preservation for doctors.

If one was too emotional, one would go crazy after working in the hospital for one or two years.

There were too many ups and downs, and things beyond their control.

He walked out of the side door and took out the Purple Cloud from his pocket.
He took out the remaining half of the cigarette from last time and lit it up.

The pungent smoke surrounded him and was immediately blown away by the north wind.

It would be great if the System’s diagnosis was wrong.

It would be great if his diagnosis was wrong as well.

Unfortunately, Zheng Ren could instantly find similar cases in his mind.
There were at least a dozen of them.

What a pity.

A few minutes later, Zheng Ren finished smoking and walked in.

He did not enter the internal medicine consultation room.
Instead, he sat outside on a hard red plastic chair and waited for the results.

It was very cold.
The hard plastic chair was also very cold.

…