A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 162

Chapter 30 Courage (2)

Siho liked masks.

More precisely, he liked smiling behind a mask.

Even more precisely, he liked smiling behind a mask during surgery.

In fact, from the moment he made the first incision on the patient’s waist, Siho couldn’t help but smile.

When the scalpel blade sliced through the flesh.

How could he not love the smooth resistance transmitted to his fingertips?

Siho also liked blood.

The red blood had the effect of jolting his mind awake, like a stimulant.

Just seeing blood made Siho feel alert.

Siho’s decision to become a doctor was truly a stroke of genius.

Legally.

And with respect, he could freely manipulate other people’s bodies.

What other profession allowed him to control life and death besides being a doctor?

After completing the skin incision.

Siho stared at Junhoo.

Junhoo was widening the incision in the waist using a fixed retractor.

As the incision widened to the left and right.

The surgical field became much clearer.

The yellowish waist muscles and ligaments were revealed.

‘His skills are as rumored.’

Minkyung [likely referring to a superior or colleague] has an eye for talent.

Siho was impressed with Junhoo’s assistance.

Surprisingly, Junhoo used both hands with equal skill.

For example, irrigating with his right hand and using hemostatic gauze to stop bleeding in the surgical area with his left hand.

Even when widening the incision to the left and right.

He perfectly matched the left-right symmetry.

Or fixing the surgical area with one hand and cauterizing with the other, and so on.

Even when using both hands.

Usually, the precision of one hand tends to be lower, but Junhoo didn’t have that problem.

Both hands were flying.

Moreover.

Junhoo knew the entire surgical procedure inside out.

He completed even uninstructed tasks one step ahead.

Siho had never seen a first-year resident as sharp as Junhoo.

However, Siho didn’t particularly feel wary of Junhoo.

He didn’t feel jealousy or envy.

Junhoo was a sincere surgeon who only cared about patients and was dedicated to medical skills.

In short, he was the type that Siho found easiest to handle.

So Siho was looking forward to having a good toy.

“Senior, what are you thinking about? Aren’t there any follow-up treatments?”

Junhoo asked Siho.

He asked because Siho wasn’t doing anything even after securing the surgical field.

“I was just organizing what to do in my head for a moment.”

“Have you ever operated on cauda equina syndrome [a condition where the nerve roots in the lower spinal cord are compressed] before?”

“No. But the basic principle isn’t different from spinal disc surgery. Nerve decompression is the top priority… and it seems like this patient will need instrumentation [surgical procedure to stabilize the spine].”

“Your application skills are excellent.”

“A third-year should be able to figure out this much. Diamond drill.”

Siho held the diamond drill handed over by the scrub nurse.

Click.

When he turned on the switch, the drill head rotated at a dizzying speed.

It emitted a loud whirring noise.

Siho began to grind the muscle layer and ligaments of the patient’s waist with the diamond drill.

The tissues were fragmented and scattered in all directions.

Was it because of the bright surgical light?

The scattering tissues looked like sparkling gemstone fragments.

After finishing the work, the problematic lumbar vertebra appeared.

As confirmed by the MRI.

A fracture had occurred in the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae.

The fractured fragment was pressing into the spinal nerve, compressing it.

“The patient is old and the fracture is severe, so you need to be careful,” Junhoo said to Siho.

“Do you think I don’t know what you know?”

“I just mentioned it in case. You also received a bad call in the on-call room earlier.”

“About that… I’m fine now.”

Siho smiled behind his mask.

The news that the patient he had operated on directly in Busan the previous evening had died was actually good news.

‘Well then, shall I have some fun from my first day in Seoul?’

The case is perfect.

A sinister smile appeared on Siho’s lips.

“Doctor, Bovie [electrocautery unit].”

“Yes, here it is.”

“Junhoo, use the retractor to open the spinal canal a bit more.”

“Yes.”

Siho held the Bovie and the diamond drill in each hand and began nerve decompression.

Nerve decompression was a surgery to remove the bone pressing on the spinal nerve.

Siho removed the ligamentum flavum [a ligament in the spine] supporting the spine with the Bovie.

And began to grind the fractured bone that was pressing on the nerve.

Whirring.

The diamond drill made a loud noise again.

Chiiik.

The Bovie burned the thick ligamentum flavum with heat.

After performing nerve decompression on the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae, Siho planned to grind away the surrounding bones and ligaments.

Why?

To ruin the patient’s back!

Siho felt great pleasure in destroying the patient’s body.

The only people in this place were:

Junhoo, a first-year resident, an intern, and a scrub nurse.

No one would notice or stop Siho’s mean prank.

In other words, this place was nothing more than Siho’s playground.

But right then.

Just as Siho was about to grind away the patient’s innocent spinal bone with the diamond drill.

Junhoo shouted loudly.

“Senior! What are you doing right now?”

* * *

Junhoo’s shout made the atmosphere in the operating room turn cold.

Siho stopped the drill and looked at Junhoo.

The scrub nurse and the intern also tilted their heads and stared at Junhoo.

“Senior, what’s wrong? If you suddenly do this during the operation…”

“You surprised me. Why are you acting unlike yourself, doctor?”

The intern and the scrub nurse pointed out Junhoo’s actions, but Junhoo listened with one ear and let it out with the other.

Junhoo’s sharp gaze was fixed on Siho.

“Senior, the decompression area is too wide. You have to stop.”

“The range of the fracture was so wide that cauda equina syndrome occurred. Then the decompression area must be that wide.”

“If you remove the remaining bones and ligaments, the patient’s back will worsen.”

Junhoo did not back down from his beliefs.

When performing nerve decompression, it was important to minimize the bones and ligaments removed.

If there are fewer structures supporting the waist.

The burden on the waist increases accordingly.

And this could lead to another back surgery.

“Isn’t Dr. Siho considering that part and operating?”

The scrub nurse took Siho’s side.

Siho nodded as if agreeing.

“Junhoo, I’m a third-year. I’ve seen hundreds more patients than you.”

“Still, there may be mistakes or errors.”

“You’re being frustrating, really. Are you showing me the ropes because I came back from dispatch?”

“I’m disappointed that you dismiss my criticism as showing the ropes.”

Junhoo’s brow furrowed.

Until Siho excessively expanded the nerve decompression, Junhoo had a good impression of Siho.

Siho was also a surgeon who used both hands. His hand movements were quick and precise.

So he was relieved that he had a reliable senior.

But what?

After confirming Siho’s absurd range of decompression, Junhoo was startled.

If he let Siho go now.

The patient’s back would be irreparably damaged.

“Do you have any basis for your claim?”

Siho asked in a prickly voice.

“When I was training in orthopedics as an intern, I’ve been in cauda equina syndrome surgery before. Even then, we didn’t decompress so recklessly.”

“Not all cases are the same just because it’s cauda equina syndrome. And that’s probably the orthopedic style.”

Siho retorted without giving in.

“Whether it’s orthopedics or neurosurgery, the principle of preserving the waist structure as much as possible does not change.”

“…….”

“Should I contact the chief or professor if necessary?”

Junhoo played a strong hand.

He openly opposed Siho’s decompression.

He could get on Siho’s bad side, but he didn’t care.

To Junhoo, the patient’s back was more important.

The patient had barely begun to trust the hospital today.

And he didn’t want to break that trust with this surgery.

“Senior. I think you’ve crossed the line. Apologize now.”

“Dr. Junhoo, you’re so stubborn. You’re really strange today.”

The intern and the scrub nurse tried to stop Junhoo again. Still, Junhoo’s head was as stiff as bamboo.

A tense atmosphere flowed through the operating room.

Now, the staff’s gaze, including Junhoo, was on Siho.

What kind of reaction would Siho show to Junhoo’s rebellion?

It was a matter of great interest.

“Wow, as expected of the next ace of neurosurgery.”

Siho’s voice was surprisingly cheerful.

“Actually, I wasn’t planning on doing more decompression either.”

“Yes? Then why…”

“It’s obvious. Junhoo, I was testing you. You remember the principle of decompression properly, right?”

Siho shrugged and continued.

“Even if you hadn’t pointed it out, I would have stopped the decompression with my own hands. And rather, I would have scolded you.”

“…….”

“I would have said, ‘Why were you watching silently when I was doing absurd treatments?’ So Junhoo, you passed.”

“Ah… that’s what you were thinking. So, in the end, Senior Junhoo’s judgment was correct?”

The intern, who had been silent, asked Siho.

“Of course. Junhoo, is your misunderstanding cleared up now too?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Junhoo answered with a dazed expression.

As a result, Siho gave up on the unreasonable decompression and protected the patient’s back, so Junhoo achieved his original goal.

But why does he feel uneasy?

Why doesn’t the unsettling feeling disappear?

Siho’s gesture of bringing the drill to the patient’s bone.

And his serious eyes.

That certainly seemed sincere…

Was he mistaken because he had a dislike for Siho?

As Siho praised Junhoo, the atmosphere in the operating room became friendly again.

“Senior Junhoo. I’m sorry. I was just acting up without knowing anything.”

“I actually trusted Dr. Junhoo. He’s not the kind of person who would go against his senior for no reason. Doctor, you are.”

The intern apologized to Junhoo.

As the scrub nurse praised Junhoo, the atmosphere in the operating room quickly became friendly.

Peace was restored.

As the nerve decompression ended, the second surgery, instrumentation, began.

Instrumentation is:

A surgery to support the waist by fixing a metal plate to the patient’s spine.

The most difficult task in instrumentation was screwing the screws into the metal plate.

The patient’s spine was weak, so he couldn’t use a hammer.

Coincidentally, there was no drill for screwing in the screws, so he had to manually tighten the screws using a screwdriver.

“You worked hard on the decompression, so can I do the work instead of you, senior?”

Junhoo asked Siho, who was struggling to turn the screwdriver.

Sweat was already forming on Siho’s face.

“Are you sure you’re okay? It’s hard.”

“I’m originally a specialist in hard work. Senior and Jintae, please fix the metal plate.”

“Then… let’s alternate 10 each. Here.”

Siho handed the screwdriver to Junhoo.

“No. I’ll do it with my hands. My hands are comfortable.”

“How are you going to screw in the screws with your bare hands? Are you a superhuman?”

“I might be more than a superhuman.”

Siho retrieved the screwdriver with a puzzled expression as Junhoo refused the screwdriver.

And together with intern Jintae, he firmly fixed the metal plate with both hands.

‘Because the professor isn’t here either.’

‘It wouldn’t be bad to show off my skills for once, right?’

Junhoo placed the screw in the groove of the metal plate.

And he put the internal energy drawn from his dantian [a concept in traditional Chinese medicine referring to an energy center], into his right index finger.

“What, are you going to screw in the screw with your finger?”

Siho read Junhoo’s intention and clicked his tongue.

“Where did you learn this strange thing? Don’t do it, you’re going to break your finger.”

“I can do it. This is the best way to finish the surgery quickly.”

Junhoo smiled confidently.

Whiririk.

Junhoo rotated his wrist and pushed the screw into the groove of the metal plate with his finger.

Tantongji (彈通指) [Flick Penetrating Finger].

Tantongji is a type of Jigong (martial art using fingers) [Finger Skill], and when used to the extreme, it can penetrate human skin and break bones.

Tuck!

The screw that touched Tantongji went all the way to the end of the metal plate at once.

He fixed the screw that Siho had been struggling to fix with a screwdriver with just one flick of his finger.

“No way. Did you really screw in the screw with your finger?”

“Wow… is that possible?”

Jintae and Siho shook their heads at Junhoo’s strength.

They shook their heads as if they were fed up.

Regardless.

Junhoo used his index finger to screw in the screws in rapid succession.

Tuck! Tuck! Tuck! Tuck!

The time it took to screw in a total of 20 screws was only 1 minute.

Thanks to Junhoo, the surgery time was shortened by nearly 10 minutes.

No one had to sweat, tremble their hands, and tighten the screws.

“…….”

“…….”

Due to Junhoo’s amazing performance, a heavy silence hung over the operating room.

The first to speak was Jintae.

“If I bet a forehead flick with senior, I’m in big trouble. My head will be broken.”