Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 73

#73 Breath (4)

‘Why is he suddenly using honorifics?’

I quickly realized what Doctor Ma Dongseop was doing.

What if he spoke to me as if he were teaching me, like usual?

The patient listening next to us would feel uneasy.

So, in front of the patient, he was asking me questions as an equal, doctor to doctor.

‘The best place to insert the chest tube is…….’

I started counting the patient’s ribs from the back with my hands.

Number 12, number 11―

Soon, my finger pointed to the patient’s fifth rib.

“I will insert the chest tube here.”

Ma Dongseop nodded as if that was the correct answer.

A person has 12 ribs on each side.

There’s a story that Adam took one rib to create a woman, but…….

That’s just a myth.

A person has 12 ribs on each side, and there are 11 intercostal spaces [spaces between the ribs] between them.

The space where the chest tube should be inserted is mainly the 4th or 5th intercostal space.

“Then, I’ll begin.”

Swish―

I put on the surgical gown.

Then, I started disinfecting the area around the marked location in a circular motion with povidone [an antiseptic solution].

“It’s going to be a little cold.”

Twitch―

The patient shivers.

Soon, the white skin turns brown.

After disinfecting with a large brown circle, I started covering the disinfected area with sterile drapes [surgical cloths].

Soon, the patient was covered with green cloths, with only the disinfected area exposed.

“Lidocaine, please.”

I said, holding out my hand to the nurse.

, a local anesthetic.

It’s an anesthetic drug that’s always used when using needles or knives on patients.

I disinfected the opening of the lidocaine bottle held by the nurse, then pulled the syringe to draw the drug.

“Okay, I’m going to give you a numbing shot. If you bear with it for a moment, it won’t hurt after that.”

I said, trying to reassure the patient.

Then, patient Song-i asked in an anxious voice.

“Doctor, does the numbing shot hurt a lot? How much does it hurt?”

“It hurts a little, but it’s bearable.”

“Heeing…….”

The patient made a whiny sound.

Why the sudden display of aegyo [acting cute in a childlike way]?

What an interesting patient.

I moved the syringe over the patient’s skin, gradually going deeper.

Then, after feeling the rib with the tip of the needle, I injected enough lidocaine around it.

Thump―

As the syringe entered around the bone, profanity burst from the patient’s mouth, who had been acting cute just a moment ago.

“Ah, sh*t…….”

Did you just swear?

I understand.

I used to have profanity on my lips when I was your age.

And in fact, it’s a situation where swearing is understandable.

This is because the area around the bone is highly developed with nerves, so the pain is felt greatly.

“It’ll be over soon. Just bear with it.”

“Ugh…….”

The patient grits their teeth and groans.

But that doesn’t mean I can do it carelessly.

‘I have to proceed carefully.’

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic, but it’s also used as an antiarrhythmic drug when administered into a blood vessel.

What if it accidentally enters a blood vessel?

That would be a disaster.

In the worst case, if the drug travels through the blood vessels to the brain, the patient may have a seizure.

In fact, there are cases of medical accidents due to lidocaine being accidentally injected into a blood vessel.

Medical staff handling syringes must receive sufficient training to prevent such incidents from happening.

I recalled the words I had heard from Doctor Ma Dongseop before entering the emergency room.

I gradually injected the anesthetic, going deeper and deeper.

Piercing the skin.

Piercing the fat layer.

Piercing the muscle layer further down…….

And, finally, I encountered the tough membrane.

‘This is the pleura!’

I applied a little force.

The tip of my needle penetrated the tough pleura.

At that moment, air suddenly began to fill the syringe.

Whoosh―

As the resistance in the anesthetic syringe disappeared, air was sucked in instantly.

Then, Doctor Ma Dongseop nodded.

We exchanged tacit signals without saying a word.

I pulled out the syringe, placed it on the tray, and asked.

“Patient, the anesthesia is done.”

“Liar.”

“Huh?”

“You said it would only hurt a little, that it was bearable, waaaah…… it hurts so much.”

“Did it hurt that much?”

“I’ll let it slide because you’re handsome, sh…….”

The nurses burst into laughter at the patient’s sobbing.

I couldn’t help but laugh too.

Whenever such cute patients come, the hospital is filled with vitality.

“The anesthesia is usually the most painful part. You endured it well.”

“From now on, it really won’t hurt, right, Doctor?”

“Of course. If it hurts in the middle, tell me anytime. I’ll give you more anesthesia.”

As I answered, I started preparing the scalpel on the tray.

.

The origin is the Dutch word ‘mes,’ which means knife or anatomy.

A surgical scalpel is completed by assembling a blade and a blade holder.

After assembling the scalpel, I said to Ma Dongseop.

“Incision going in.”

Nod.

Ma Dongseop nods in agreement.

Finally, I get to hold a knife in front of a patient!

This is my first experience.

Doo-geun, doo-geun [sound of a heart beating rapidly].

For me, who had dreamed of becoming a surgeon since I was young, this moment will remain in my memory for a long time.

‘Between the 4th and 5th ribs. So that the chest tube can go up diagonally, with a size of 1.5cm…….’

I focused on my fingertips.

But then, something strange happened.

The moment I held the scalpel and tried to put the knife on the patient’s body―

“……?!”

The surroundings become quiet.

Time seems to slow down to 0.1x speed.

Could it be another precognitive dream?

……No.

This is a phenomenon I’m experiencing for the first time. At least, I’m not suddenly moving to another place.

Soon, something passed before my eyes.

‘What is this screen?’

I focused on the scenes unfolding before my eyes.

But…….

It’s too fast!

Unless I concentrate incredibly hard, I can’t even tell what the scene is.

It’s like watching a video while skipping through it. Or like quickly flipping through slides.

‘It’s like…… showing me the procedure I have to do in advance?’

Incising.

Creating a path inside the body.

Inserting the chest tube.

Sewing.

Tying.

All these processes pass by in an instant.

In the meantime, the last scene came clearly into view.

As she said that, patient Song-i’s smiling face flashed before my eyes.

And the next moment.

Flash―

All the scenery returned to normal.

I was frozen in the same position, with the knife on the patient’s body, just blinking my eyes.

“Did something get in your eye?”

“……No. It’s nothing.”

I mumbled at Ma Dongseop’s whisper and thought.

‘What did I just see?’

Could this also be a type of precognition?

I don’t know.

It’s only happened once, so I can’t easily judge.

But what’s certain is…….

The moment I held the scalpel, a new phenomenon that I had never experienced before began.

‘Maybe my ability isn’t complete yet!’

Doo-geun, doo-geun.

My heart was pounding.

Is my precognitive ability evolving?

Well, I’ll find out soon enough whether my guess is correct or not.

Anyway, now is the time to focus on the procedure in front of me!

I can’t be careless just because I saw the future.

I refocused and started the incision again.

* * *

Meanwhile.

Ma Dongseop was carefully observing Shin Seon-han.

Usually, residents start holding the scalpel from their first year.

Even then, everyone fumbles and gets nervous at first.

However, Shin Seon-han, an intern, doesn’t look like a beginner and is full of confidence.

It’s as if…….

He knows in advance that he can succeed.

‘What a strange guy. He says he’s nervous, but his hands don’t tremble or falter at all.’

Ma Dongseop smiled.

He always thought that ‘there are types of people who are particularly well-suited to be surgeons.’

How should I put it?

Talent?

Nature?

Constitution?

Those are the only words that can describe it.

His colleague, Song Yu-ju, was also that type.

‘I’ll soon find out. Whether he’s a talented guy or not.’

Soon, Seon-han’s blade moved.

Swish―

The sharp blade smoothly cuts the patient’s anesthetized skin.

1. 5cm.

He’s cutting exactly according to the location and length I told him.

‘Oh……!’

Ma Dongseop was impressed.

Just one cut, isn’t it all the same?

No, it’s different.

There were details that only Ma Dongseop, who had numerous chest tube insertion experiences, could see.

‘Not bad? Incising at that appropriate angle makes it easier to insert the chest tube. After all, it has to go up along the upper surface of the rib where there are no nerves or blood vessels…….’

In short, the incision’s location selection is excellent.

Just a few millimeters of difference.

However, as you go up to advanced skills, the difference in these details increases.

‘How did a beginner know such know-how?’

Is it a coincidence?

Or did he perhaps intentionally design it?

Of course, I don’t know whether Shin Seon-han intended it or not.

But if he did intend it…….

That’s quite a good sense.

It’s too early to get ahead of myself, but I even had the thought that I might be able to raise him into a big shot like Song Yu-ju.

Thinking that, Ma Dongseop’s heart pounded.

‘I knew I saw the right person. I’m going to drag you to the thoracic surgery department, even if I have to grab you by the collar!’

Ma Dongseop smiled slyly and once again burned his fighting spirit.

* * *

‘What is this eerie gaze?’

It feels like Doctor Ma Dongseop has been looking at me with sticky and hot eyes since a while ago.

Is it just my imagination?

It must be just my imagination.

I thought so and continued the incision.

Drip―

Blood flows.

The blood slightly rises from the tip of the blade along the blade, then succumbs to gravity and flows down the path where the knife passed.

“……!”

Since it was the first incision on a living patient, I was surprised by the amount of blood flowing down more than I thought.

Then, Ma Dongseop helped me, mouthing the words.

Ma Dongseop was hemostatic [stopping the flow of blood] with gauze, and at the same time, he handed me a mosquito.

Mosquito (medical hemostat) [a small, scissor-like instrument used to clamp blood vessels].

A palm-sized silver medical device.

It looks like small scissors, but the blades are short and not sharp.

It can be used to finely grip or spread tissues.

Ma Dongseop was saying so with his eyes.

Nod―

I focused on the procedure again.

Holding the mosquito in my right hand, I inserted it into the place where the blade had passed.

Then, I started spreading the end to break through the fat and muscle tissue.

Stabbing―

Spreading―

Going deeper―

Spreading―

As I repeated this process, the fat layers were peeled off before I knew it.

But now, the mosquito felt small to push the tissue out.

At this time, Ma Dongseop handed me another tool.

Kelly clamp (medical hemostat) [a larger version of the mosquito, used for clamping larger tissues].

It looks similar to a mosquito, but it’s larger and has a longer beak.

It was Ma Dongseop’s signal to spread the tissue wider and deeper.

Swish―

I continued dissecting with the Kelly clamp.

The act of going in again― spreading― was repeated.

As I repeated it, the fat layer was crushed and mixed with blood, starting to flow down like red oil.

While going inside like that.

I stopped for a moment.

‘……!’

At my fingertips, something was felt once again.