A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 141

Martial Arts Surgeon- Chapter 141

Chapter 26: Frontal Breakthrough (1)

Whew. I lived.

Jun-hoo sighed in relief after confirming the micro-cancer near the hippocampus [the part of the brain associated with memory].

It almost became a half-baked surgery.

Even if the large brain tumor located in the upper left of the temporal lobe was removed.

If he hadn’t removed the one in front of him, the tumor would have recurred.

The patient’s survival rate would have dropped by more than half.

The patient’s survival rate increased.

The patient was more likely to see their grandchildren.

And he could contribute to that.

Jun-hoo felt proud.

Choosing the life of a doctor in modern times was absolutely the right choice.

How many jobs allow you to use your talents and help others at the same time?

“Haha. There really was a tumor. Jun-hoo, we would have been in big trouble if it weren’t for your advice.”

Ho-young took his eyes off the microscope and stared at Jun-hoo.

Ho-young’s eyes also showed a sign of relief.

“No. I just happened to see a case study in a paper…….”

“It’s commendable that you thought of looking at papers before the surgery. As a first-year, you must be busy just managing the ward…….”

“You flatter me.”

“Wow, it was really there. I was too hasty earlier. Considering the patient’s recovery, I should have been more proactive.”

Hee-joon said in an awkward voice.

But Jun-hoo knew that Hee-joon had made the best decision in his own way.

Thanks to Jun-hoo’s internal energy tumor angiography [a technique using ‘internal energy’ to visualize tumors, likely a fictional element].

He knew about the existence of the tumor in advance.

So he could confidently argue for widening the incision area.

Usually, it was difficult to make such a bold decision.

Thank you, Professor.

You saved me.

Without you, internal energy tumor angiography would have been meaningless.

Jun-hoo offered a prayer of gratitude to Park Jae-hyun in his heart.

When everything was dark before the surgery.

When he didn’t know how to inform the staff about the existence of the micro-tumor.

Park Jae-hyun’s paper became a lighthouse.

[Hippocampal proximity metastasis of glioblastoma occurring in the temporal lobe]

Park Jae-hyun had published a paper that perfectly matched this case.

Thanks to Park Jae-hyun’s paper.

Jun-hoo’s argument could be strengthened.

He could stand up to Hee-joon and persuade Ho-young.

“Professor. How should we remove the tumor?”

Jun-hoo asked Ho-young.

“Gamma knife (a type of radiation therapy) is usually used for this size, but…….”

“…….”

“Since we have secured the surgical field, it would be better to remove it directly.”

“Should we not worry about nerve damage? Considering the current location of the tumor, it seems like it will affect the auditory nerve.”

“It’s difficult, but it’s manageable enough. Trust me.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Okay, this is the last of the last. Let’s all stay focused until the end.”

Following Ho-young’s order, the second tumor removal surgery unfolded.

The difference between the first and second tumors.

It was close to 30 times.

The first tumor was 3cm x 3cm.

The second tumor was less than 1mm.

But in terms of surgical difficulty, the latter was more difficult.

Delicate hand movements and a high degree of concentration were required. He had to bear the risk of nerve damage.

A suffocating tension flowed through the operating room.

The staff helped Ho-young in every way.

Was it because of the bright light of the surgical light?

The skin of the assisting staff looked as white as wax.

Beep beep beep.

The patient monitoring device emitted regular mechanical sounds.

The smell of blood that had not yet been ventilated, the smell of burning tissue, and the smell of disinfectant stung the nose.

The operating room was a small battlefield.

Whirring.

Along the edge of the tumor.

Ho-young’s bovie (electric cautery) drawing a circle.

Ho-young’s unwavering fingers.

The sight was reminiscent of the Wudang School’s Tai Chi Swordplay [a slow, graceful martial art focused on internal energy].

According to Jun-hoo’s observations, surgical procedures contained some of the principles of martial arts.

If he becomes a surgeon in the future.

Jun-hoo would be able to incorporate various principles of the Murim [martial arts world] into surgery.

The real life of a surgeon would definitely begin then.

……Jun-hoo was thinking.

About 30 minutes passed.

“Haa…….”

Ho-young took a deep breath and took his eyes off the microscope.

“I barely managed to separate all the adhesions. Jun-hoo, take out the tumor.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Jun-hoo grabbed the tiny tumor with forceps.

The forceps did not fail to grip the tumor and steal through the air.

The forceps did not directly impact the brain.

There was no dropping the gripped tumor while moving it to the kidney basin.

Jun-hoo’s hand movements, trained since Murim, were as good as rumored.

There was no fear.

There was no hesitation.

There was no anxiety.

Jun-hoo succeeded in transporting the micro-tumor to the kidney basin in one go.

“Thank you all for your hard work. Now, let’s close the surgical site and finish up.”

“Yes. Professor. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Professor.”

Warm encouragement was exchanged between the staff.

Dura mater reconstruction and cranioplasty [surgical procedures to repair the brain covering and skull].

Scalp sutures, etc.

The long journey of 7 hours came to an end as the surgical site was restored.

Beep.

Jun-hoo came out of the operating room with a relieved heart.

Like an insect shedding its skin.

He threw off his surgical gown, surgical cap, gloves, and mask.

Thud.

He felt a touch on his shoulder and turned his head to see Ho-young standing there.

Ho-young had a bright smile on his face.

“Your performance today was very impressive. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“I should be thanking you. Anyway, I hope to see you often during surgery.”

“I would like to see you often too, Professor. I don’t know why I haven’t had a chance to work with you before.”

“Now that I see it, you’re also talented at saying nice things?”

Ho-young burst into a hearty laugh.

As he came out of the operating room, the waiting room for guardians came into view.

Among the guardians who were anxiously waiting.

Jun-hoo immediately found the guardian of Kim Cheol-soon.

He was sitting in the back of the waiting area.

There was a woman who appeared to be his wife next to him.

“Doctor. How was the surgery…….”

The guardian found Jun-hoo and ran to him in one step.

“The surgery was successful. You can watch the progress in the intensive care unit.”

“Thank you. Thank you, Doctor.”

The guardian choked up and bowed his head, and Jun-hoo, who was watching the scene, also felt his eyes turn red.

His nose tingled.

Saving people.

There was something indescribably touching and sublime.

* * *

I feel refreshed.

I feel like I woke up after a good night’s sleep.

Jun-hoo clenched his fists as he came out of the staff-only restroom.

He was on his way out after taking nutritional supplements and red ginseng, and even performing meditative breathing.

His physical and mental strength were almost 100 percent charged.

The fatigue accumulated from assisting in surgery for 7 hours had disappeared like a lie.

With his innate physical strength and recovery power.

With the help of nutritional supplements and mental cultivation, Jun-hoo never seemed to get tired.

He returned to the on-call room as is.

Tap tap tap.

Tap tap tap.

Boasting a sound like a machine gun.

Jun-hoo wrote the charts that had been piling up.

Admission and discharge records.

Progress records.

Discharge summaries.

In addition, order prescriptions for ward patients, etc.

The mountain of work was being smashed at the tip of Jun-hoo’s fingers.

Jun-hoo finished the piled-up work in just 30 minutes.

The computer work that torments first-year residents was not an obstacle for Jun-hoo, at least.

“Seriously, are you even human?”

Kyung-soo, a classmate who was working next to him, looked at Jun-hoo and asked.

With a look of disbelief.

“Why? Does my blood look green or something?”

“Sometimes I seriously think that. You’re still energetic after a 7-hour surgery?”

“I’ve always been confident in my stamina. How was the tracheostomy [a surgical procedure to create an opening in the trachea]?”

Jun-hoo changed the subject.

He heard in the morning that Min-kyung would teach Kyung-soo tracheostomy, and he was curious about the result.

“I didn’t do it.”

“Why?”

“Not everyone in the world is like you. I’m going to watch my seniors do it more and do it when I’m confident.”

“I think you can do it well enough if your senior helps you a little. Aren’t you being too careful?”

“That’s what you think.”

Kyung-soo shrugged his shoulders and stared at the monitor again.

It meant that the conversation should end here, so Jun-hoo didn’t say anything more.

Leaning back on the chair.

Jun-hoo closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the on-call room.

Based on the black drawing paper.

He carefully reviewed Ho-young’s treatments that he had stored like martial arts moves.

He accepted it as his own flesh and blood.

Whether it’s martial arts.

Whether it’s surgery.

The importance of reviewing was so important that it hurt to say it twice.

What was not left behind was bound to disappear.

Hyung [older brother/respected male figure], I took another step forward today.

I assisted in stage 4 brain tumor surgery and even discovered micro-cancer with internal energy.

If I continue to grow steadily like this.

I will also discover a surgical method to save patients who died of brain death like Hyung.

Jun-hoo opened his eyes and looked down at the bracelet on his right wrist.

Whether it was a delusion or not.

It was as if Sung-ho had answered yes to him.

“Senior, you worked hard. I heard you went into a very long and difficult surgery.”

Intern Eun-ha, who came into the on-call room, approached Jun-hoo and chattered.

“We all worked hard together. Eun-ha, did anything happen to you?”

“Yes. I think I’m getting used to the ward work. I’m also getting good at ABGA blood collection [Arterial Blood Gas Analysis].”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Is there anything I can help you with? I have some free time now.”

“There’s no need for that. I just finished everything.”

“Yes? Didn’t you just get back after the surgery?”

“That’s right. It was also just now that I finished all the piled-up orders.”

“Wow. Awesome. But Senior, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“What’s your MBTI [Myers-Briggs Type Indicator]?”

“Is that what you were curious about? I came out as ISTP.”

Jun-hoo smiled and answered.

“ISTP is a versatile craftsman. It suits you perfectly, Senior. I’m ESFJ.”

“What type is ESFJ?”

“A sociable diplomat.”

“Eun-ha, that’s perfect for you.”

“Yes. I think so. ISTP and ESFJ are said to be a good match.”

Eun-ha somehow revealed a shy look.

“You’re talking nonsense. You’re a doctor, do you believe in MBTI or something?”

Kyung-soo, who had been silent, joined the conversation.

His voice was cynical.

“I don’t believe it, I just look at it for fun.”

“It’s not fun at all?”

“There are people who enjoy it like me.”

Eun-ha retorted to Kyung-soo and whispered to Jun-hoo.

Kyung-soo would definitely be a logical ISTJ.

Thanks to that, Jun-hoo laughed while holding his stomach.

“Oh, right, Eun-ha. I have a favor to ask you too.”

“Yes. Just give me your orders.”

“I’m sorry, but if you have a chance to go to the convenience store, can you buy me some of the chocolate I gave you this morning?”

Jun-hoo handed Eun-ha his card.

Maybe it’s because the brain uses glucose as fuel.

Working while eating sweets was efficient.

So he was planning to eat chocolate from time to time.

“Buy about three boxes. Buy some for yourself, Eun-ha.”

“Really? Jun-hoo Senior is the best!”

“You know it.”

After Eun-ha left, Jun-hoo’s gaze stayed on the calendar hanging on the wall.

Tomorrow was a rare day off, and the things he had to do and the people he wanted to meet were already decided.

It was obvious that he wouldn’t answer if he called now.

Jun-hoo carefully left a message for the other person.

[Professor. Hello.

You may not remember me.

When I was in high school.

My mother had surgery with you, and you gave me a lot of good words at that time.

I am now a neurosurgery resident and training.

I would like to visit you in person tomorrow.

I want to tell you what I haven’t been able to tell you.

If you have time…….]

Just as he finished the long text message.

Ting-a-ling~

The on-call room phone rang loudly.