A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 204

Chapter 38: First Date (4)

According to Hyemi, Junhoo had a gallbladder polyp.

First of all, the gallbladder, also known as the bile sac, is located under the liver and secretes bile to dissolve fats.

A polyp is, simply put, a small lump, which can sometimes develop into cancer.

“There are about two polyps, and they’re about 7mm in size.”

“It’s unlikely to be malignant… but still unsettling?”

“To suspect malignancy, the polyp size needs to be at least 10mm. But as you know, gallbladder polyps often disappear naturally.”

“…….”

“I’ve seen cases like yours often, Junhoo. Don’t worry too much.”

Hyemi reassured Junhoo.

She suggested forgetting about it for now and checking the ultrasound results again next year.

If the polyp grows, it wouldn’t be too late to remove it then.

“Can you keep the polyp a secret from Ayoung for now?”

“Why? She’ll find out anyway, won’t she?”

“No need to worry her before hearing the test results, right?”

“Well, if that’s what you want…”

After getting a promise from Hyemi, the ultrasound examination ended.

Junhoo wiped the gel from his abdomen with a tissue, buttoned up his gown, and went outside.

“How was the exam?”

“They said there’s nothing wrong.”

Junhoo lied nonchalantly.

“Hyemi did the exam. Catch up with her for a bit.”

“Really? That’s great!”

Ayoung happily hurried into the ultrasound room.

Now was the perfect opportunity!

Junhoo closed his eyes, put his hands together, and raised them to his dantian [energy center below the navel, a key concept in martial arts and traditional medicine].

Junhoo couldn’t forgive the polyp in his gallbladder.

Of course, even though the probability of it becoming malignant was low, it wasn’t zero.

So, it was right to cut it off at the source.

Woo-oong-

Internal energy surging from his dantian reached the gallbladder in an instant.

Using the wave pattern, he spread his internal energy throughout the gallbladder, feeling the two polyps located on the gallbladder wall.

I can shape my internal energy to excise brain tumors. So, there’s no reason why I can’t apply the same method to polyps.

That’s right.

Junhoo was planning to perform a self-gallbladder polyp removal surgery with his internal energy.

Junhoo was well-versed in medical knowledge and highly skilled in internal energy.

A self-gallbladder resection with internal energy was worth trying.

Junhoo identified the location of the polyps and began to mold his internal energy into the shape of a small needle.

With abundant internal energy and Junhoo’s concentration, an impossible blade was created.

You could call it an internal energy scalpel.

Whirlwind Slash (旋風斬) [a martial arts technique involving a spinning, cutting motion].

The internal energy, shaped like a needle, spun in a circle.

Swoosh!

The polyp was cut away in an instant.

It was a clean resection that didn’t damage the gallbladder wall or blood vessels.

Thud!

Junhoo could vividly feel the severed polyp falling to the bottom of his gallbladder.

Gulp!

There was a slight bleed from the site where the polyp was removed, but Junhoo wasn’t too worried.

This level of micro-bleeding could be absorbed internally by the organ itself.

Junhoo smoothly removed the second polyp as well.

The problem was how to get rid of the removed polyps…

But Junhoo had a way.

Junhoo manipulated his internal energy again, sending the polyp mass down to his dantian.

He immediately used the Vortex Heart Method.

The Vortex Heart Method was a technique that rapidly rotated the internal energy in the dantian in a circular motion.

Clash! Clash!

As if a torrent had arisen.

A strong pressure swirled in the dantian.

The Vortex Heart Method was used to detoxify poisons or remove parasites (a type of worm that eats internal energy and life essence).

Indeed, the Vortex Heart Method was very effective.

The polyp couldn’t withstand the increased pressure within the dantian.

It began to break into small pieces like cookie crumbs and eventually disappeared as if it had never existed.

It was crushed into particles.

After confirming that the polyp was gone, Junhoo opened his eyes.

Looking at the clock on the wall, the self-gallbladder polyp removal surgery was over in just 5 minutes.

If he had done it with a laparoscopic surgery, it would have taken 40 minutes, including preparation and finishing time.

A monk can’t shave his own head, and a doctor can’t operate on himself.

But that didn’t apply to Junhoo.

Junhoo was capable of operating on himself.

‘From today, I’ll be my own doctor.’

After successfully removing the polyp, Junhoo chuckled.

If it’s thoracic surgery, then thoracic surgery.

If it’s gastrointestinal surgery, then gastrointestinal surgery.

If it’s plastic surgery, then plastic surgery, etc.

He realized that as long as he had knowledge of the organ or body part, he could perform self-surgery.

Anesthesia could be replaced with pain-relieving pressure points.

The scalpel could be replaced with an internal energy scalpel.

And the resected material could be sent to the dantian for removal.

Junhoo could even perform cauterization to some extent.

By utilizing the principles of Samadhi Fire [a concept in some Eastern religions referring to a state of intense concentration and spiritual fire].

He could transform his internal energy into fire.

Then what if a sudden accident or trauma occurs? He wouldn’t be able to perform self-surgery because he would be unconscious.

Someone might ask that question.

But Junhoo wouldn’t be involved in accidents in the first place.

Junhoo’s physique and internal energy wouldn’t allow him to suffer trauma.

In other words, Junhoo didn’t need to worry about his own body and could focus solely on the patient.

As his thoughts reached that point.

Junhoo felt a little regretful.

If he could return to the Murim world [a fictional world of martial arts and chivalry, common in Korean and Chinese fantasy] with his current modern medical knowledge, he could save countless Murim comrades.

Is there a way to return to the Murim world after living out his modern life…?

He couldn’t help but have lingering feelings.

Drrr-

The ultrasound room door opened, and Ayoung came out, dispelling his 잡념 [japnyum – idle thoughts or distractions].

“Did you get the exam?”

“Yeah. They said there’s nothing wrong.”

“Didn’t Hyemi say anything else?”

“What else?”

Ayoung tilted her head.

As promised, she didn’t mention Junhoo’s gallbladder polyp.

Well, it didn’t matter anymore.

Junhoo’s gallbladder polyp existed… but it’s gone now.

* * *

After completing the various tests, Junhoo and Ayoung sat on the sofa in front of the endoscopy room.

Unlike other places, the area in front of the endoscopy room was crowded with examinees.

It was like a bottleneck.

These days, most endoscopies are performed under sleep anesthesia.

It takes time for the examinee to wake up from anesthesia, so the examination time is inevitably longer.

“Junhoo, you’re getting sleep anesthesia too, right?”

“No. I’m going to get it without sedation.”

“Why go through unnecessary suffering? I’ve seen reviews that say it’s really hard without sedation.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Junhoo smiled and reassured Ayoung.

Junhoo had lived with countless injuries and wounds in the Murim world. The discomfort of an endoscopy was nothing compared to that.

“Then maybe I should worry about myself instead?”

“Why? Are you afraid you’ll say something weird?”

“Yeah. They say people sing and make a fuss when they wake up from anesthesia. Don’t come near me after you’re done, okay?”

“Okay.”

Junhoo nodded, watching the anxious Ayoung.

Junhoo had heard many stories about sleep anesthesia for endoscopies.

There were many comical stories.

“You two, open your mouths for a moment.”

A nurse approached and sprayed anesthetic on Junhoo and Ayoung’s throats.

Chik!

Chik!

The endoscopy, which was performed 5 minutes later, was done on Junhoo first.

Since it was without sedation, the examination was over in a few minutes.

There was a brief foreign body sensation when the endoscope went down his throat, but Junhoo completed the examination without any problems.

As Junhoo got off the bed and looked at the other examinees who were recovering.

Ayong’s bed was headed to an empty spot.

Ayong’s endoscopy was over.

Junhoo stayed by Ayoung’s side.

“Umm…”

Ayong began to mumble as if she were babbling. Then, the words she blurted out were a masterpiece.

“Junhoo, I love you. I love you. I’ll do better.”

Junhoo chuckled at Ayoung’s lovely nonsense.

There was still an afternoon date schedule left, but he was certain that this moment was the highlight of today’s date.

When else would he hear such a confession?

Junhoo’s eyes were filled with affection as he looked at Ayoung.

Junhoo watched Ayoung and then went to the water purifier to have a light drink.

It was okay to drink water since the endoscopy was over.

As he was returning to Ayoung’s side.

Junhoo happened to see an examinee lying next to Ayoung.

The examinee, visible through the curtains, was a man in his 50s.

Junhoo frowned as he watched the man.

The rib cage was going up and down, then stopping, then going up and down again.

The breathing was irregular and panting.

That breathing was definitely agonal respiration [abnormal pattern of breathing and brainstem reflex characterized by gasping, labored breathing, accompanied by strange vocalizations].

Feeling uneasy, Junhoo approached the bed where the man was lying.

Palpating the carotid artery, he couldn’t feel a pulse.

In an instant, his hair stood on end, and goosebumps rose on his arms.

“Excuse me. Nurse. This examinee is having an A.C.A (Acute Cardiac Arrest) [sudden loss of heart function]. Please prepare an ambu bag [manual resuscitator used to provide ventilation] and a defibrillator!”

Junhoo urgently called a nurse who was passing by.

Then, he lowered the safety bar next to the bed and placed his palm on the patient’s chest.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

There was no need to think.

Junhoo immediately performed chest compressions.

Each time Junhoo compressed the chest, the patient’s body heaved like a wave.

Seeing Junhoo, the nurse rushed over.

The nurse’s expression towards Junhoo was not pleasant.

“What are you doing to another patient right now?”

“I told you, it’s an acute cardiac arrest.”

“This person is recovering well after the endoscopy. There’s no way they would suddenly have a heart attack. What do you know to be doing such a dangerous thing?”

“I’m Seo Junhoo, a first-year resident in neurosurgery at this hospital.”

“…Even if you’re a doctor, you can’t do this!”

The nurse with a shrill voice held out her arms.

She was trying to stop Junhoo’s chest compressions.

But it was at that very moment.

“Ugh… it hurts!”

The patient waved his arms in the air.

He was showing a completely different behavior from Junhoo’s diagnosis.

“Can’t you see the patient is fine? Are you really a doctor at our hospital? Stop saying strange things and please stay still.”

As the nurse raised her voice, the eyes of other nurses and staff poured onto the bed.

The patient seemed to have regained consciousness, so the chest compressions stopped, but Junhoo was still watching the patient closely.

He didn’t let go of the tension.

Anyone who has experienced the emergency room would know.

That sometimes, in the cardiac arrest stage, the patient acts as if they are conscious.

And then quickly falls back into cardiac arrest.

Junhoo counted to exactly 20 seconds in his head and then examined the patient again.

The rib cage had stopped moving. He put his finger to his nose and couldn’t feel any breath.

The carotid artery wasn’t beating either.

“Why don’t you check for yourself? Whether the patient is really normal?”

“Do you think I can’t do what you do?”

The nurse followed Junhoo’s actions and then froze like a stone.

She had only now realized that the patient was in cardiac arrest.

“T… This can’t be happening.”

“I’m a resident at your hospital, so from now on, follow my words without missing a single one. If you want to save the patient.”