Wu Mengchao, a 99-year-old academician, has never used health supplements and is committed to fighting liver cancer.
China is a country with a high incidence of liver disease, and hundreds of thousands of people suffer from liver disease every year, among which liver cancer kills 140,000 people. The liver does not have a "sense of pain", and many patients are diagnosed with liver cancer, which is often at an advanced stage, which is extremely difficult to treat.
However, in the field of hepatobiliary surgery, there is a doctor who is constantly expanding his territory, he used a scalpel to help countless patients cross out their names from the "death list", and set up a monument in the field of hepatobiliary surgery in China and even in the world, he is Wu Mengchao, a hepatobiliary physician and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Although he has been dead for more than a year, his deeds and spirit are still remembered by many people, because he was not only a doctor on the operating table, but also a doctor of conscience.
Wu Mengchao was born in 1922 in Minqing County, Fujian. When he was only 5 years old, he went south to Malaysia with his mother to find his father due to family reasons. Despite his difficult childhood, he tapped rubber on the rubber plantation every morning and rushed to school in the afternoon, living a life of "working and studying".
However, he did not give up his studies because of this, but was admitted to Guanghua Junior High School founded by overseas Chinese in Malaysia with excellent results. With the full-scale outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, he was concerned about the fate of the motherland and decided to return to China to resist Japan and join the Communist Party of China.
His firm determination and patriotism have deeply influenced future generations.
Maintaining a pure heart, 17-year-old Wu Mengchao embarked on a voyage back to China with his classmates in early 1940. However, the blockade of the war made it impossible for Wu Mengchao to go directly to Yan'an, so he set up the ambition of "studying to save the country" and entered the middle school affiliated to Tongji University.
In 1943, Wu Mengchao was successfully admitted to the Medical College of National Tongji University and began his pre-medical studies; The following year, he passed the pre-medical examination and entered the post-medical examination.
After graduating, Wu Mengchao was assigned to work in pediatrics, and although he was passionate about surgery, the head of the hospital's medical department was only 162 meters and considered him unfit to be a surgeon.
However, all this did not discourage Wu Mengchao's determination to become a surgeon like Qiu Fazu. A year later, he met Professor Qiu Fazu in class, and from that moment on, he was determined to pursue his dreams no matter how difficult it was.
With a dream, Wu Mengchao resolutely gave up the assigned job and decided to go to the outer courtyard to find an opportunity to realize his ideals. He began his career as a surgeon at the East China People's Medical College and its Affiliated Hospital, where he devoted his life's passion.
In 1953, Wu Mengchao joined the East China People's Medical College and its Affiliated Hospital and became a member of the First Affiliated Hospital of the Second Military Medical University. Here, he met Professor Qiu Fazu, who was already famous at that time, and Wu Mengchao seized every opportunity to learn medical knowledge from Qiu Fazu.
Wu Mengchao conducted an in-depth study of the unique techniques of Qiu's knife technique, and he found that the operation needs to be extremely precise, whether it is the number of centimeters or the number of stitches to be sutured, to minimize the trauma of the patient.
This principle of "precision" has continued throughout Wu's career and has played an important role in his surgery.
Wu Mengchao experienced the birth of New China from the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to the War of Liberation, so he vowed to join the Communist Party of China and become a soldier. From 1949 to 1956, he persistently submitted 19 applications to join the party, and finally became an honorable Communist Party member as he wished, and was fortunate enough to enlist in the army as a military doctor.
During this period, Qiu Fazu reminded him that China is a big country with liver disease, but liver surgery is still weak, and suggested that he develop in this area.
To a certain extent, liver surgery in China can be said to be quite backward. At that time, there was a lack of specialized hepatobiliary surgery in China, and the liver was regarded as a "forbidden place" for surgery, and the success rate of surgery was almost zero.
If a patient is diagnosed with liver cancer, it is equivalent to receiving a "death notice". In other words, liver surgery is a blank space, not only lacking the theory of liver anatomy, but also has no precedent for successful resection of liver cancer, and even no suitable teaching materials to refer to.
However, Wu Mengchao did not flinch, he was determined to devote himself to this blank field of my country, starting from scratch, and determined to sweep away the title of "liver cancer country" in my country.
Wu Mengchao and his colleague Fang Zhiyang translated the first medical translation book in the field of liver surgery in China, "Introduction to Liver Surgery", and formed a three-person research team of hepatobiliary surgery with Zhang Xiaohua and Hu Hongkai, with him as the team leader.
They worked in the hospital during the day and got together at night to discuss the development of liver surgery and do experiments. Their first challenge was how to make a breakthrough in liver research.
After discussion, they agreed that liver surgery could only be performed if the anatomy of the liver was fully understood, so they decided to start their research from the theoretical basis of liver anatomy.
To conduct an in-depth study, it is necessary to first have a cast model of the liver duct. But this hurdle stumped them, and the trio team conducted countless experiments, but failed to make such a model.
It wasn't until Wu Mengchao got inspiration from table tennis balls that he dissolved them with acetone, then dyed them into different colors, sorted them into the liver, and then meticulously polished them.
After more than 4 months of hard work, they finally succeeded in producing China's first structurally complete human liver vascular model. Subsequently, the three-person team produced more than 100 liver specimens, and in the process, Wu Mengchao gained a clear understanding of the internal structure of the liver, which not only enriched his theoretical knowledge, but also laid a solid foundation for his future surgeries.
At the 7th National Surgical Academic Conference, Wu Mengchao put forward a subversive theory after detailed analysis, comparison and observation. He found that the liver of a normal person can be divided into five lobes and six segments according to the direction of blood vessels, and clinically, it is most practical to divide the liver into five lobes and four segments.
This theory not only laid the foundation of liver surgery, but has also been used to this day and has become the cornerstone of liver surgery in China.
In 1960, Wu Mengchao successfully removed liver cancer for a middle-aged woman, opening a new chapter in liver surgery in the hospital. During his medical career, he not only invented innovative surgical methods, but also discovered the metabolic regularity and correction strategies of the liver after cirrhosis surgery, which significantly reduced the surgical mortality rate.
What's even more amazing is that he constantly challenged himself and successfully increased the success rate of liver cancer surgery from less than 50% to an astonishing 90% with his Wu knife technique, which shocked the entire international medical community.
In 1979, the 28th International Surgical Conference in San Francisco shocked the international medical community, and two foreign experts shared their 18 liver cancer surgeries, which were warmly praised by their international peers.
Then, Dr. Wu Mengchao took the stage, and he proudly announced that he had completed 181 liver cancer surgeries, a number that immediately shocked the audience. The capabilities of liver surgeons in this Far East are beyond the imagination of their international counterparts.
Wu Mengchao has performed many miracles in the field of liver surgery, such as the successful removal of a tumor the size of her head for a 4-month-old baby. The operation lasted 5 hours and was a great success.
What's even more surprising is that this baby grew up to become a ** in Wu Mengchao's hospital, and like him, he contributed to the health of the Chinese people.
1.Wu Mengchao had the courage to challenge the "forbidden area" of liver surgery and successfully performed middle lobectomy surgery, achieving the pinnacle of liver surgery. When foreign media reported on his surgery, they all used the words "breaking through the forbidden area of surgery".
Even at the age of 82, he successfully removed a tumor weighing 9 pounds for Wang Tiantian, a girl from Beijing Foreign Studies, and the operation lasted for 10 hours. For Wu Mengchao, all this is just part of his "job".
He believes that neither the first breakthrough created by his Wu knife technique nor the difficult surgery he performed can be called a "take-off" in his career. He once said that his career has taken off four times, the first of which was in 1978, when Changhai Hospital set up an independent hepatobiliary surgery, which was the first truly independent hepatobiliary surgery in the country, and he was very proud of it.
2.Wu Mengchao bravely entered the "forbidden area" of liver surgery and successfully performed middle lobectomy surgery, reaching the pinnacle of liver surgery. When foreign media reported on his surgery, they all used the words "breaking through the forbidden area of surgery".
Even at the age of 82, he successfully removed a tumor weighing 9 pounds for Wang Tiantian, a girl from Beijing Foreign Language, and the operation lasted 10 hours. However, for Wu Mengchao, all this is just his "own job".
He believes that neither the first breakthrough created by his Wu knife technique nor the difficult surgery he performed can be called a "take-off" in his career. He once said that his career has taken off four times, the first of which was in 1978, when Changhai Hospital set up an independent hepatobiliary surgery, which was the first truly independent hepatobiliary surgery in the country, and he was very proud of it.
1.Wu Mengchao's four leaps in medical career: in 1993, the Oriental Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital and Research Institute moved into the new building to create a clinical and scientific research platform for hepatobiliary disciplines; Oriental Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital became the Third Affiliated Hospital of the Second Military Medical University; The National Liver Cancer Science Center was established; Even in his advanced age, Wu Mengchao still works hard for the cause of liver medicine in China.
Each leap symbolizes the progress of China's hepatobiliary surgery, rather than Wu Mengchao's personal achievements, which shows Wu Mengchao's spirit of wholeheartedly devoting himself to the cause of hepatobiliary surgery, regardless of personal gains and losses.
Wu Mengchao is a leader in the field of surgery in China, and he has won wide respect and praise for his rigorous and meticulous surgical skills and selfless teaching spirit. On the operating table, he never shirks his responsibilities and always bravely takes on heavy responsibilities.
He knew very well that reputation was not important to him, he was just Wu Mengchao, a doctor. In addition to being rigorous and meticulous on the operating table, Wu Mengchao is also an excellent teacher.
He is not afraid of his skills being learned, because he believes that the more students he has, the more people he can serve and the more people he can save. As a result, many of his students have achieved extraordinary results, and today 80% of the backbone of Chinese surgery are his students.
Although Wu Mengchao is 97 years old, he still insists on being on the operating table, and his students have volunteered to follow him, because they are not willing to retire while the teacher is still operating.
This spirit is deeply admirable, and it also shows Wu Mengchao's influence and charm. His students have all reached retirement age, but they still insist on being on the operating table, because they know that only in this way can they truly inherit the spirit of Wu Mengchao, serve more patients, and save more lives.
Overall, Wu Mengchao is a very great doctor, and his spirit and philosophy will always inspire us. His story tells us that the duty of a doctor is not only to treat diseases and save people, but also to have a sense of responsibility, selflessness, and unremitting pursuit.
This is exactly what Wu Mengchao embodies, and he is undoubtedly a role model for all our doctors.
Wu Mengchao is not only a pioneer of hepatobiliary surgery in China, but also shows his warmth and loveliness under the operating table. When he examines patients, he always uses a warm stethoscope and warm hands first, and after the examination, he will tuck the corners of the quilt for them, which is touching.
What's even more memorable is that once at the end of the ward round, the patient suddenly took his hand, lowered his head and kissed gratefully, although Wu Mengchao was a little surprised, he immediately smiled like a child, and kissed the patient's cheek back, this tenderness is moving.
Doctors are often seen as representatives of indifference, as they have faced many scenes of life and death. However, Dr. Wu Mengchao is a clear stream, and he still maintains a gentle heart after experiencing the vicissitudes of the world.
He not only warmed the patient's pain, but also warmed their hearts. Cheng Yue'e**, Dr. Wu Mengchao's partner for many years, has witnessed Dr. Wu's rigor and gentleness.
But in addition to these, she also saw another side of Dr. Wu - cuteness. In Cheng Yue'e's eyes, others often want to retire as soon as possible, but Wu Mengchao, who is in his 90s, is still chasing ** in the hospital, asking for surgery for himself.
*They advised him to rest more, but he always insisted, "Go find me one!".”
Wu Mengchao was always busy with work, and even if there was no surgery to arrange, he would wander the corridor, and when he saw a doctor napping, he would reprimand the other party for "putting on a big doctor's shelf".
In the hospital, everyone was afraid of him because he was their "junior". He believes that it is important to keep his hands flexible in order to perform the surgery better, so he finds time to do some hand exercises, and even in his 90s, his hands are still stable.
For diet, he never eats health products or supplements, he believes that three kinds of food, millet porridge, tofu and fish, are enough, as long as they are fresh and clean, do not require complicated cooking methods, add a little oil and salt.
He believes that too many supplements may increase the burden on the body, and a simple diet can provide enough nutrients.
In Wu Mengchao's life, he has always fought to the death with the "king of cancer". For this battle, he lived his life very simply, and he was extremely frugal with his expenses; However, also for this fight, he generously used his prize money for scientific research and talent training.
The 99-year-old Wu Mengchao passed away of illness on May 22, 2021, and China's hepatobiliary surgery lost its bright star. However, even a year after he left us, he still inspires us with his voice and smile.
At his alma mater, the Third Affiliated Hospital of the Naval Medical University, a memorial service was held to recall his moments, and everyone deeply felt his influence.
Many said they would continue to uphold the spirit of Mr. Wu and live up to his expectations. They are the first generation of people, and they are responsible for pushing China's hepatobiliary surgery to a new peak.
Wu Mengchao's spirit will always live in our hearts and inspire us to keep moving forward.