Eye doctor, Tao Yong, who was brutally stabbed by a patient, has made a triumphant return to his surgical practice. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo
BEIJING: An eye doctor in China has made a remarkable recovery and resumed surgeries four years after suffering severe hand injuries during an attack by a patient.
Before the incident, ophthalmologist Tao Yong was a prominent talent at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, one of the top medical facilities in China.
In January 2020, a 36-year-old patient named Cui Zhengou stabbed Tao multiple times with a vegetable knife, inflicting traumatic injuries to the doctor’s skull, back, left hand, and right arm.
The attack shattered the muscles and bones in his left hand, making it impossible for him to perform his job, especially since eye surgeries require an extraordinary level of delicate hand movements.
“It was the darkest time of my life,” Tao recalled.
In September, Tao appeared on China’s state broadcaster CCTV, picking up his scalpel once again after a long recovery journey to perform eye surgery on a young girl.
Tao became a household name during his rehabilitation, as many people sympathised with him and praised his courageous and positive attitude that helped him overcome adversity.
While unable to operate, he continued to serve patients through research and mass media.
He used one hand to document his clinical experiences and formed a small team to promote new technology for intraocular fluid detection to over 700 hospitals across China.
The team also delved into artificial intelligence (AI), and in 2022, Tao became the first Chinese medical expert to have an AI avatar created by the Chinese company Dao Ying.
The computer-generated Tao provided people with eye protection knowledge in multiple languages and dialects.
Tao remarked that his experiences over the past four years allowed him to explore cutting-edge possibilities in medicine.
“We can also save people’s lives outside the operating room,” he stated.
His return as a surgeon has been warmly embraced on mainland social media.
“Seeing Doctor Tao operating again gives me hope for the world,” remarked one user on Weibo.
Another added: “Doctor Tao must have worked incredibly hard during his rehabilitation. A good doctor’s return is a blessing for patients.”
However, Tao, now an influencer with 2.4 million followers on Weibo, encountered some backlash.
Last year, he stated on the platform that he encouraged his daughter to serve food to relatives and wash dishes on her twelfth birthday to become a “fair lady”, a comment that drew criticism for being “conservative” and “patriarchal.”
Tao later issued an apology, expressing his intent to improve his parenting methods. - South China Morning Post
