A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 279

Chapter 53: Master and Disciple (4)

“Jun-hoo.”

Jae-hyun called Jun-hoo in a deep voice.

“Yes, Professor.”

“The hematoma removal surgery. It was excellent. Even considering your exceptional skills, it was beyond my expectations.”

“No, I am nothing compared to you, Professor…”

Jun-hoo didn’t know how to react to Jae-hyun’s praise.

He still had a long way to go.

The hematoma removal surgery was of moderate difficulty among neurosurgical procedures.

He couldn’t be satisfied with this level.

Nor did he feel he deserved such high praise for it.

“You seem to be forgetting something very important from time to time.”

“Do you mean me?”

“Yes. You’re only a second-year resident. But I feel like you’re already comparing yourself to me and other professors.”

“…”

“Having high standards is good, but I hope you don’t let those standards crush you.”

Jae-hyun saw through Jun-hoo’s thoughts, just as Chun Tae-ryong, the leader of the Murim Alliance [a fictional martial arts alliance], had done.

It seemed to be the air of authority that a leader who had achieved unparalleled success in their field could possess.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Jun-hoo bowed politely, and Seo-hyun, who had been silent, also praised Jun-hoo.

“I see why the chief likes Dr. Seo so much. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Seo-hyun’s voice was excited.

“Dr. Seo’s surgery looked just like the chief’s, the way you follow the chief’s signature incision and hemostasis [stopping blood flow] techniques.”

“But Nurse Shin is no ordinary person either, right?”

Jun-hoo’s eyes curved into crescents as he changed the subject.

“Oh? Are you suddenly praising me?”

“I could feel that you completely grasped the surgical process, the way you handed over the surgical tools perfectly.”

Jun-hoo now understood why Jae-hyun trusted Seo-hyun.

If someone were to ask him who was the most perceptive scrub nurse he had ever met,

Jun-hoo would pick Seo-hyun without hesitation.

Like reading his mind, she handed over the surgical tools preemptively.

And she assisted with procedures such as suction or irrigation depending on the situation.

Seo-hyun’s assistance was active and full of life, unlike other scrub nurses.

Perhaps that’s why.

Jun-hoo had, for the first time, desired to have a dedicated staff member to work with.

He wanted a scrub nurse like Seo-hyun.

Battles in the Murim world were often fought alone.

Even if multiple people carried out an operation, they often fought one-on-one in the battle phase.

But surgical operations were different.

Attending physician, assistant physician, nurse, anesthesiologist.

At least four people had to form a team to perform surgery.

If so,

Wouldn’t it be as important to have skilled staff around you as it is to improve your own skills?

Meeting Seo-hyun started to open Jun-hoo’s mind to a new perspective.

“Okay, that’s enough chatter. We need to finish the surgery.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Jae-hyun refreshed the atmosphere.

Seo-hyun, who was next to Jun-hoo, returned to Jae-hyun’s side, and Jun-hoo stared intently at the surgical site.

In the midst of the right cerebral blood vessels branching out like tree branches from the middle cerebral artery,

There was a particularly noticeable artery.

Unlike other arteries, that artery was rounded in the shape of tangled threads.

That blood vessel was the problem….

It was an ‘arteriovenous malformation [an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins].’

Judging by Jun-hoo’s accurate estimation, it was like measuring with a ruler.

The size of the malformed artery was 6.5cm.

It was a formidable one, belonging to the large size among arteriovenous malformations.

In short, he had met his match.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Each time the malformed artery pulsated, the surrounding blood vessels shook together.

No, they flinched.

Perhaps that’s why.

It seemed as if the malformed artery was intimidating the surrounding blood vessels like a bully.

Artery → Capillary → Vein.

Normally, blood flow moves through these three stages.

If a congenital problem occurs in the brain and capillaries do not form, and the artery takes the place of the capillaries, the current structure is formed.

In other words, only that artery becomes abnormally large.

If blood flows directly into the vein from the swollen artery without passing through the capillaries, cerebral hemorrhage occurs due to the pressure difference.

Yuri was such a case.

But the real problem was elsewhere….

Jun-hoo glanced at Jae-hyun.

Jae-hyun was talking to Seo-hyun, discussing the necessary surgical tools.

“Professor, I have a question.”

“Tell me.”

“If we’ve done a hematoma removal surgery, shouldn’t we close the surgical site? That’s what it says in the paper you sent me.”

“…”

“Along with the explanation that gamma knife surgery [a type of radiation therapy] is more effective because arteriovenous malformation surgery has a high risk.”

Jun-hoo finally asked the question he had been holding back.

He revealed the discomfort he was feeling without hiding it.

“That was the case in the past, but not anymore.”

“What do you mean by that…”

“I’ve come to the conclusion that if the malformed artery is over 6cm, it’s better to remove it surgically. Just recently.”

“…”

“And this patient has already had her head opened because of the hematoma removal. Adding gamma knife surgery here would be rather cumbersome.”

Jae-hyun’s explanation was clear.

Jun-hoo thought it was a style worthy of his teacher.

But there was still one thing bothering him.

“Wouldn’t the difficulty of the surgery increase too much? I’m also worried about cerebral blood flow after the surgery. In the first place, you recommended gamma knife surgery because the surgery was dangerous…”

“Jun-hoo.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“You’re making one mistake. You’re not the only one whose skills are growing.”

Jae-hyun’s eyes smiled.

“I’ll show you from now on, how much I’ve leveled up.”

* * *

Whirr.

The door to operating room number 3 opened.

The red letters that said ‘In Surgery’ at the top of the door went out with a pop.

Jae-hyun, who came out of the operating room first, took off his surgical gown, surgical cap, and gloves as if he were shedding his skin.

The medical waste collection box was filling up quickly.

Jun-hoo also followed Jae-hyun and took off his surgical attire.

Looking up at his teacher with admiring eyes,

Jun-hoo was able to see firsthand why Jae-hyun was praised as the best neurosurgeon in Korea.

Jae-hyun was a monster who was constantly growing.

Because he was now able to perfectly handle surgeries that he had previously been reluctant to do.

“You both worked hard. Thanks to you, the surgery went smoothly.”

“The chief and Nurse Seo did all the hard work.”

“I only helped the chief a little bit.”

“How modest…”

A bright smile appeared on Jae-hyun’s face.

Seo-hyun stayed in the operating room because she had the next surgery scheduled, and Jun-hoo left the operating room with Jae-hyun.

Jae-hyun told the patient’s guardian, who was anxiously awaiting Yuri’s recovery, that the surgery went well and that they just had to wait for her to recover slowly.

The guardian, who had cried before the surgery, cried again after the surgery was over.

But the two tears meant different things.

Like the guardian, Jun-hoo’s heart fluttered twice before and after the surgery, and those two flutters also had different meanings.

“Did you eat?”

“Yes.”

Jun-hoo lied.

He hadn’t eaten lunch, but he said he had.

Strangely, he wasn’t hungry.

Strangely, he was feeling hunger in his head, not in his stomach.

“Then let’s have a simple cup of coffee in the chief’s office.”

The neurosurgery chief’s office, which he arrived at following Jae-hyun, was simple, reflecting Jae-hyun’s personality.

If the chief’s office at Shinwon University Hospital displayed various works of art, golf clubs, and luxury furniture as if to show off,

In Jae-hyun’s office, a bookshelf filled with major books lined the wall.

Only three sofas to welcome guests and a small tea table were placed in front of the work desk.

Jun-hoo stared intently at Jae-hyun, who was putting water in the coffee pot.

He recalled the arteriovenous malformation removal surgery that had just ended, which was like a work of art, in his head.

“Turn the patient to the prone position. Let’s lower the operating room temperature to 20 degrees Celsius. And increase the Co2 concentration by 1.5 times more than now.”

It was the order Jae-hyun gave before the full-scale surgery.

The meaning of the order was simple.

It was to put the patient in a hypotensive state [low blood pressure].

It was to prevent bleeding as much as possible in advance while removing the malformed artery.

Jun-hoo carried out the order smoothly.

Meanwhile, Jae-hyun locked the top and bottom of the malformed artery with a hemostat (vascular clamp) [a surgical tool used to stop blood flow].

Click! Click!

The blood flow into the artery was temporarily blocked.

“Number 11 blade.”

A sharp blade, more precise than the number 10 blade, often used in plastic surgery, was in Jae-hyun’s hand.

The scalpel sparkled like a jewel in the light of the surgical light.

Jae-hyun’s hand moved without hesitation.

He fearlessly cut off the uppermost part of the malformed artery with the scalpel.

By moving his wrist only once.

Thud.

The artery was cut off cleanly.

Blood flowed out incessantly from the cut.

A red flood burst in the middle cerebral artery.

The blood was overflowing.

Jun-hoo sucked up the blood with a suction device as if he had been waiting for it.

Indeed, delicate hand movements worthy of a teacher!

While resecting the malformed artery, he did not touch the surrounding microvessels and nerves, not even by a fingernail.

But!

Nevertheless!

Looking at the process so far, the teacher’s surgery was no different from other arteriovenous malformation surgeries.

That’s why he was more curious.

What secret method did the teacher learn?

Jae-hyun rode the momentum.

He cut off the bottom of the malformed artery in the same way.

A second flood of blood occurred.

However, thanks to the good preparation for bleeding in advance, the cerebral pressure maintained a normal level.

The vitals were the same.

The hypotensive state became a normal blood pressure state, and the rough pulse returned to a normal pulse.

Jae-hyun’s magic unfolded next.

Originally, the surgery would end when the malformed artery was removed, but Jae-hyun had his own unique follow-up measures.

Jae-hyun trimmed even the normal capillaries around the malformed artery.

“The key to this surgery is to clean up the capillaries close to the malformed artery in advance.”

“…”

“Otherwise, the remaining capillaries can become predatory arteries like malformed arteries. That’s not all.”

“…”

“There’s also a chance that the arteries close to the malformed artery will bleed when blood flow is opened later.”

Jae-hyun explained as if he had read Jun-hoo’s mind.

And he resected or cauterized [burned] the capillaries near the malformed artery.

Sizzle.

White smoke rose from the cautery. The sweet smell of burning tissue tickled the tip of his nose.

How much would Jae-hyun have suffered to gain that seemingly trivial realization?

Jun-hoo could tell without looking.

Trying various attempts on the patient.

Worrying while checking the progress.

And having to bear the risk of damaging his reputation if a problem occurred with the patient.

Jae-hyun was already the best, but he was still struggling to provide the best treatment for the patient.

He was waging a tearful and lonely battle.

A truly respectable person.

Jun-hoo was proud that Jae-hyun was his teacher.

About 30 minutes later.

Jae-hyun’s new arteriovenous malformation surgery also came to a grand finale.

Click!

Click!

The vascular clamp that had been blocking cerebral blood flow was released.

The entrance of the arterial blood vessel gushed out blood. As blood flow opened, the blood vessels wriggled like earthworms.

Jun-hoo swallowed hard, very nervous.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the venous blood vessels.

If the surgery went well, the venous blood vessels should have a blue tint.

Because….

Artery → Capillary → Vein.

According to the above blood flow, the artery must supply oxygen to the capillaries to have a blue color.

“Ah…”

A sigh that burst out of his mouth after a while.

It was a sigh of joy.

The venous blood vessels had a bluish light.

The surgery was a great success.

Jae-hyun once again proved his overwhelming skills in front of Jun-hoo.

And he succeeded in saving Yuri again.

Jun-hoo felt overwhelmed, as if today was his birthday.

Clunk!

Jae-hyun put a coffee cup in front of Jun-hoo, breaking Jun-hoo’s reverie.

Jae-hyun sat on the sofa opposite Jun-hoo.

“Jun-hoo.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Tell me what you felt after seeing the new arteriovenous malformation surgery that just ended. You must have realized something, right?”

Jae-hyun demanded Jun-hoo’s answer.