A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 124

Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts – Chapter 124

Chapter 22: Resident (4)

Neurosurgery on-call room.

Jun-hoo, having finished his work early, was staring blankly at the monitor.

On the monitor, various readings of patients with brain tumors and cerebrovascular diseases were displayed.

CT, MRI, MRA [Magnetic Resonance Angiography, a type of MRI scan that focuses on blood vessels], PET [Positron Emission Tomography, an imaging technique using radioactive tracers], and so on.

“Anyone would think you’re a high school senior? You spend all your time studying except for work hours?”

Kyung-soo, a colleague working next to him, yawned and spoke to Jun-hoo.

“I have to study. To become an excellent neurosurgeon.”

“An excellent doctor? A doctor is just a job. Isn’t it just about making money anyway?”

Kyung-soo’s words were tinged with subtle sarcasm.

“That’s right. A doctor is a job. It’s about making money. But there are people who aren’t like that.”

Jun-hoo replied with a calm expression and looked at Kyung-soo.

Kyung-soo’s appearance was intellectual.

First of all, his face was thin and long.

His nose was high, and his chin was sharp and triangular. The glasses he wore suited his face well.

Although they hadn’t talked much.

Kyung-soo seemed like an extremely pragmatic type.

“I can’t stand suffering for others or sacrificing myself. Unlike you.”

“That’s how it seems. But why did you come to neurosurgery? Neurosurgery doesn’t seem to suit your personality.”

“Well, I don’t really want to talk about that.”

Kyung-soo avoided answering.

Could there be a story behind it?

Or is he simply shy?

Jun-hoo didn’t know the reason yet.

“What? Were you studying image readings?”

Kyung-soo belatedly checked Jun-hoo’s monitor and changed the subject.

“Yeah.”

“The radiology department does all the readings, so is there any need to study from now?”

“The radiology department’s readings may be delayed. Sometimes, they can’t provide readings.”

“There are cases where they can’t provide readings?”

Kyung-soo asked back with an incredulous expression.

Jun-hoo nodded and explained the case.

The case involved the use of navigation for brain tumor and cerebrovascular surgery.

Neurosurgery uses navigation during surgery.

Navigation is….

After displaying the MRI images taken before the surgery.

When a neurosurgeon performs brain surgery.

The surgical process is reflected in the existing images and recorded.

Using navigation.

It was possible to reduce the hassle of taking MRI or CT scans during surgery.

Because the surgery progress was appearing in real-time on the existing images.

“The navigation images cannot be read by the diagnostic testing department. That’s the responsibility of the neurosurgeon who entered the operating room.”

“You’re already thinking about navigation? Isn’t that too far ahead?”

“Patients and emergencies don’t wait for me. I have to prepare in advance.”

“Oh my, aren’t you great~ Aren’t you great.”

“It’s not that I’m great… I’m just desperate.”

There was much to say, but Jun-hoo held back.

The experience in the Murim [a world of martial arts and cultivation, often depicted in Korean fantasy novels] where he had to helplessly watch his colleagues die.

The heartbreaking farewell with Sung-ho, and so on.

Numerous wounds existed in Jun-hoo’s heart.

And Jun-hoo desperately devoted himself to medicine, not wanting to be hurt again.

It was impossible to explain this earnestness and sorrow to others.

Click.

Click.

After finishing his small talk, Jun-hoo zoomed in on various brain images.

He looked at them by dividing them into sections.

He focused on observing the lesions.

He compared normal and abnormal images.

Just like deciphering an opponent’s moves in the Murim.

An extremely meticulous observation.

This was another weapon Jun-hoo possessed.

After finishing his image study, Jun-hoo immediately opened a neurosurgery textbook on his desk.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He tapped his frontal and temporal lobes with his index finger.

He stimulated the brain nerves in Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, which handle language.

After applying pressure points and reading the book….

A new world unfolded.

Words and sentences poured into his head like a flood.

They were imprinted clearly in Jun-hoo’s mind like a stamp.

As if printing letters.

Flap.

Flap.

Adding speed reading, Jun-hoo voraciously read the book.

The road ahead was still long.

To restore even vegetative and brain-dead patients, more and broader medical knowledge was needed.

It was an arduous and difficult path.

But Jun-hoo was confident he could complete it.

No, he had to complete it without fail.

That was the promise with Sung-ho.

* * *

“Oh, it’s hot. I should turn on the air conditioner.”

Min-kyung, who came into the on-call room, joked.

It was a joke after seeing Jun-hoo studying with burning academic enthusiasm.

“Ah. Senior, you’re here?”

“Yeah. What are you looking at? Introduction to Neurosurgery?”

“Yes. I thought I should establish an overall framework first.”

“It’s good to study, but aren’t you going to burn out if you work too hard from the beginning?”

Min-kyung asked worriedly.

Jun-hoo, as Min-kyung watched, was excessive in many ways.

His treatment and prescription skills were excessive.

His work accuracy and speed were also excessive.

Even the amount of studying he did in his spare time was excessive.

Perhaps that’s why.

Min-kyung sometimes saw Jun-hoo as precarious. Like watching a runaway locomotive.

“I’m okay. I’ll gratefully accept your concern.”

“That’s a relief, but… Jun-hoo.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“Does the content enter your head when you look at a book like that? It looked like you were just glancing and flipping through it.”

Min-kyung had been wondering about it for a while.

Because Jun-hoo flipped through medical books full of medical terms as if he were reading comic books.

“Then shall we have a quiz?”

“You’re digging your own grave, aren’t you? Okay. The loser will buy tonight’s late-night snack. I should save some money on the department 회비 [hoe-bee, meaning ‘company dinner expenses’] with this opportunity.”

“Sounds good.”

Min-kyung accepted the textbook Jun-hoo handed over.

What kind of question should I ask to be known as a good question?

Min-kyung ran her hand over the pages and stopped at the surgery part.

“What should you do if the skull flap is severely contaminated during a cranioplasty [surgical repair of a defect in the skull]?”

“Disinfect with methacrylic acid.”

“What is the most common complication during cranioplasty?”

“Subdural hygroma [collection of cerebrospinal fluid in the subdural space of the brain].”

Jun-hoo answered correctly like lightning.

I thought he would have studied the diagnosis and prescription part a lot, so I asked a question in the surgery part, but….

Min-kyung’s expectations were completely wrong.

After that, Min-kyung asked five more questions, but Jun-hoo answered them all correctly.

His accuracy rate was at the level of the legendary archer Robin Hood.

“Now there’s one question left. Senior.”

“I know that? Until now, it was a practice question, so be prepared.”

Min-kyung secretly opened the back of the textbook.

The back part that Jun-hoo didn’t study.

Jun-hoo.

No matter how good you are, you won’t be able to answer a part you haven’t studied, right?

Hoo hoo hoo.

It’s sneaky, but I can’t help it.

I have too much money to spend this month.

Feeling a little guilty.

Making a reasonable rationalization.

Min-kyung said the last question out loud.

“Tell me about the cause, differential diagnosis, and treatment of hemifacial spasm [neurological disorder involving involuntary muscle contractions on one side of the face].”

“……”

“Why don’t you answer? Do you not know it?”

“Wait… I was thinking about it for a moment.”

Is there anything to think about?

You have to have knowledge in your head to even think.

…Min-kyung barely held back what she wanted to say.

But why is that?

Jun-hoo, who seemed flustered, seemed to regain his composure quickly.

“I’ll answer in order. The cause of hemifacial spasm is that the 7th nerve is compressed by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery.”

“…….”

“The diseases to be differentiated are facial myokymia [involuntary quivering of facial muscles] and blepharospasm [involuntary blinking or spasm of the eyelids].”

“…….”

“The treatment is microvascular decompression [surgical procedure to relieve pressure on a nerve].”

Min-kyung was speechless at Jun-hoo’s clear answer.

No, how is this possible?

I asked a question outside the scope of study.

How can you get this right?

Do you have some kind of clairvoyance?

Jun-hoo answered the question that I thought he would never get right, so Min-kyung had all sorts of thoughts.

I feel empty.

I feel absurd.

I feel wronged.

Various emotions began to swirl.

“But Senior. Isn’t that too sneaky?”

Jun-hoo suddenly smiled and looked at Min-kyung.

His tone and expression were meaningful.

“Huh? What?”

“The question you asked was from the back, from the part I wasn’t reading.”

“How did you know that?”

Min-kyung’s eyes widened like an owl.

How did Jun-hoo know that the question was outside the scope of the question?

Also, how could he get the answer right?

Min-kyung wanted to know.

“First, can you give me the textbook?”

“Okay.”

Min-kyung handed over the book with a sullen expression, and Jun-hoo received the book.

“Senior, actually.”

Jun-hoo said, pausing.

“I’m reading this textbook for the third time. So I’ve already read it twice.”

“Huh? You’ve already seen this thick book twice?”

Min-kyung couldn’t help but be shocked.

Jun-hoo had seen almost half of the book.

I naturally thought I was watching it for the first time.

Because the general theory textbook is so thick.

The content was difficult.

But I couldn’t believe that I had already read it twice.

To the extent that he answers questions without hesitation.

It means that he read it carefully, not just roughly.

“Ugh. I’m upset. I fell into a trap.”

“Do you know now? I don’t originally fight losing battles. I’ll enjoy the late-night snack.”

“……Okay.”

Min-kyung just bowed her head at Jun-hoo’s mean words.

There was no room for excuses.

It was a complete defeat with no room for excuses.

* * *

That day at 9 PM, the on-call room.

Residents and interns in their 1st and 2nd years gathered in one place for the first time in a while.

In the center of the staff sitting in a circle, there were three delicious-looking pizzas.

“Thank you for the food, Senior Min-kyung.”

“Thank you for the food.”

The 1st year students and interns said a word and started eating pizza.

Jun-hoo was also hungry, so he grabbed a slice of pizza.

Suddenly, before tasting it, I looked at Min-kyung.

Min-kyung’s expression was sullen.

She was shocked because she never dreamed that she would lose the quiz.

Please think of it as a good experience in life, Senior.

Originally, there is always someone who flies above the running one.

Jun-hoo laughed inwardly.

“Senior Jun-hoo. Do you like Hawaiian pizza?”

Intern Eun-ha, who was sitting next to him, asked Jun-hoo.

Jun-hoo was the only one among the staff who chose Hawaiian pizza.

“Yeah. It’s moderately sweet, so I like it.”

“Senior Jun-hoo must like sweets.”

“I’m that kind of person.”

“Your food preferences are unique. I wouldn’t eat it even if you gave it to me for free.”

His colleague Kyung-soo joined the conversation.

“Don’t you think pineapple ruins the taste of pizza?”

“Isn’t the cheese pizza you’re holding in your hand the same? If that’s the case, you should just eat the cheese separately.”

“Cheese is the foundation of pizza.”

“Even the foundation is worse than nothing if it’s too much. Don’t you know that too much is as bad as too little?”

“Pineapple is too much.”

“Pineapple is just one of the toppings?”

Jun-hoo’s gaze, who was having a fierce debate (?) with Kyung-soo, stayed on Eun-ha.

Only Eun-ha was not eating pizza yet.

“Eun-ha.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“What kind of pizza do you like?”

Eun-ha, who received Jun-hoo’s attention, rolled her eyes from side to side.

Hawaiian pizza that Jun-hoo likes.

Cheese pizza that Kyung-soo likes.

She was at a crossroads of choice.

“I respect and like Senior Jun-hoo, but… I don’t think pineapple pizza is….”

Eun-ha’s choice was ultimately cheese pizza.