A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 223

Chapter 42: Success (3)

Seong-eun nodded, carefully observing Jun-hoo.

Although she couldn’t see his face properly because of the mask, she knew Jun-hoo was handsome.

He had been in the hospital’s promotional ads from last year to this year.

Jun-hoo’s build was slender yet sturdy.

He was tall with broad shoulders.

His eyes had a gentle yet sharp glint.

But Jun-hoo’s true worth wasn’t in his appearance.

It was in his meticulous diagnostic skills and judgment as a doctor.

“The patient’s headache. You could have easily overlooked it, but why did you order a brain MRI?”

“The headache didn’t subside for days even after taking acetaminophen [a common pain reliever]. That’s when I felt something was amiss.”

“The basis is too weak, isn’t it?”

Seong-eun said with a disappointed voice.

The answer fell far short of her expectations.

Based solely on Jun-hoo’s answer, it seemed like he had just stumbled upon the right diagnosis by chance.

“Is that really it?”

“No. I happened to recall a paper I read before.”

“What paper?”

“It was a paper stating that one of the leading causes of death in pregnant women is stroke. Especially if a pregnant woman suffers from preeclampsia [a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure], it can cause hemodynamic changes leading to cerebral hemorrhage due to stroke.”

“…….”

“The paper said the mortality rate for patients is about 8 percent.”

Jun-hoo continued rapidly.

“An 8 percent probability can’t be ignored. The patient might misunderstand it as overdiagnosis, but I still asked for her cooperation with the MRI.”

“…….”

“…….”

A silence fell over the operating room at Jun-hoo’s clear-cut answer.

There was an extremely rational process behind Jun-hoo’s MRI order.

The argument, reason, and evidence were clear.

It was a diagnosis that felt like it came from someone with experience beyond a first-year resident.

“You must be swamped with resident duties. Do you usually read papers too?”

“Yes. I try to make time to read them no matter what. I pathologically hate making mistakes with patients.”

“Jun-hoo, you have a unique personality. Residents usually learn by making mistakes.”

“I can’t bear the thought of my mistakes causing the patient pain, or even death.”

There was a bone in Jun-hoo’s words.

It seemed like he had some kind of trauma related to patients.

But Seong-eun knew.

That trauma was the driving force behind Jun-hoo’s growth.

Seong-eun could tell because she had a similar trauma.

“I’ve resolved all my questions. I’ll start by giving you the precautions.”

Seong-eun scanned the staff and continued.

“First, we can’t use mannitol (a diuretic) [a medication used to reduce swelling and pressure in the brain].”

“Why mannitol?”

The chief surgeon, Min-seok, frowned.

Mannitol was one of the essential drugs for lowering the patient’s elevated intracranial pressure [pressure inside the skull].

“Mannitol can cross the placenta and affect the fetus.”

“What do we do if the patient’s intracranial pressure rises?”

“We’ll have to use other methods. We also shouldn’t excessively ventilate with oxygen. It can cause hypoxia [oxygen deficiency] or suffocation in the fetus.”

“Don’t tell me there’s more to be careful about?”

“Unfortunately, there is more.”

Seong-eun added several factors that the neurosurgery staff should be aware of.

Each time an explanation was added, everyone’s faces darkened.

It was because constraints were being placed on the treatment and surgery one by one.

But Seong-eun wasn’t listing the precautions because she liked it.

Brain surgery on pregnant women was that difficult.

“It’s much harder than I thought. I guess it’s because we have to consider both the patient and the fetus.”

“Jun-hoo, you’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly it. This surgery is like operating on two people at once.”

Seong-eun chimed in at Jun-hoo’s remark.

Oh, he’s so smart.

I wish we had just one resident like Jun-hoo in our obstetrics and gynecology department.

“Ahem. It seems like the briefing is mostly done, so let’s start the surgery.”

Min-seok cleared his throat and continued.

“We will now begin the cerebral aneurysm [a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain] surgery on a 37-week pregnant woman with preeclampsia.”

Under Min-seok’s lead, the surgery began.

Seong-eun stepped back from the operating table and began to watch the surgery.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t anxious.

She had to perform brain surgery on a pregnant patient while also being mindful of the fetus.

Min-seok was an excellent surgeon, but she was also concerned that this was his first time performing brain surgery on a pregnant woman.

Perhaps that’s why.

Seong-eun pursed her lips, anticipating the worst-case scenario.

If the cerebral aneurysm ruptures.

If the patient deteriorates rapidly.

If it becomes unavoidable, she would have to save the fetus at least.

She would have to perform an immediate cesarean section on the spot.

‘I hope my worries are just delusions.’

Seong-eun prayed inwardly.

* * *

Save the patient and save the fetus.

No matter what.

Jun-hoo’s desperate determination was expressed in his eyes.

Jun-hoo’s gaze towards the patient was intense. As if he could heal the patient with his eyes.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

Jun-hoo disinfected the right temporal area [side of the head near the temples] of the patient, who was lying on her side. (Her side hair had been shaved before the surgery.)

The surgical area was coated red with povidone-iodine solution [an antiseptic].

He covered it with a surgical drape.

Jun-hoo held a marker in his hand.

He drew a circle about 6 centimeters in diameter on the patient’s temple.

It was a task to mark the scalp incision in advance.

Ziiiiiip!

The circle was drawn in one go.

There wasn’t even a slight distortion.

“Wow… anyone would think you drew it with a compass.”

Min-seok exclaimed after checking Jun-hoo’s marking.

“No. This much skill is just…”

“You can’t see it as just a skill. These small hand techniques will all be reflected in the surgery.”

“…….”

“I knew you were unusual since you did a vascular graft with chicken wings… Jun-hoo, you surprise people in many ways.”

“I will continue to work hard.”

Jun-hoo answered with an awkward smile.

Jun-hoo was originally weak to compliments, and he was embarrassed because he hadn’t even shown a tenth of what he had, but they were already praising him.

“Si-ho, would you like to do the incision?”

“Yes. Professor. Number 10.”

Si-ho reached out his hand to Jun-hoo.

Click!

Jun-hoo fitted a number 10 blade onto the scalpel and handed it to Si-ho.

Number 10 was the most commonly used blade by surgeons.

It was especially used when making incisions.

Scribble.

Si-ho’s incision skills were quite outstanding.

Even though curved incisions were more difficult than straight incisions, his hand never went astray.

He neatly cut the patient’s temporal scalp along the marker line drawn by Jun-hoo.

It’s a waste of talent.

It would have been reassuring if he wasn’t a psychopath.

Is this also a trick of fate?

Jun-hoo was so sorry that Si-ho was a villain.

At least among the residents Jun-hoo had watched so far, Si-ho was the most outstanding.

Assuming it wasn’t fake.

He treated patients, guardians, and surrounding colleagues warmly.

And he had the hand skills that a surgeon should have at a high level.

But he shouldn’t have any more lingering feelings for Si-ho.

Jun-hoo had watched it too many times in the Murim [martial arts world].

The righteous people who tried to rehabilitate capable villains only to get backstabbed.

There were definitely villains in the world who could not be rehabilitated.

Like Si-ho right next to him.

Shaking off his 잡념 [japnyum – idle thoughts], Jun-hoo grabbed the gauze with forceps.

He wiped away the blood flowing around the round incision.

“Hook.”

Min-seok received a hook from the scrub nurse.

When he peeled off the scalp with the hook, the white skull was revealed.

“Professor. Can I do the craniotomy [surgical removal of part of the skull]?”

“Huh? Craniotomy?”

“I want to help with Professor and Si-ho senior’s stamina management.”

Jun-hoo stepped up ambitiously.

The craniotomy to expose the skull was the most physically demanding part of today’s surgery.

If Jun-hoo could handle the craniotomy.

The chief surgeon Min-seok and Si-ho could focus more on the main surgery.

For the success of this surgery.

Jun-hoo had made several plans, and performing the craniotomy himself was one of those plans.

“Well, it’s okay, but can you handle it? Craniotomy is something you learn from the second year?”

“I’ve done it a few times because there was an emergency.”

“Si-ho, what do you think?”

“I think it would be good to leave it to Jun-hoo first. I’ll take over if he’s not up to par.”

“Then go ahead and do it.”

“Thank you. Professor.”

After obtaining Min-seok’s permission, Jun-hoo and Si-ho’s positions changed.

Jun-hoo took the position of first assistant facing Min-seok.

“Give me the drill.”

“Here.”

Jun-hoo held the medical drill in his hand. Worried glances poured in from around him, but he didn’t care.

Because the craniotomy would be over before the staff’s anxiety deepened.

Chuck!

Jun-hoo placed the drill on the patient’s skull.

As if pulling the trigger of a pistol.

When he pulled the switch on the handle of the drill, the drill rotated with a whirring sound.

Jun-hoo counted to 15 in his head.

He calculated the optimal time to completely drill through the skull without touching the dura mater [the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord].

It was thanks to 초식화 [Chosikhwa – skill replication] the craniotomies of other professors that he had usually done.

The ability to understand the principles of other people’s actions and formalize them so that he can easily follow them.

In other words, 초식화 ability was one of Jun-hoo’s hidden talents.

Perhaps that’s why.

Jun-hoo wasn’t intimidated when he met great surgeons, but rather excited.

Excited at the thought of making their skills his own.

While using the drill with his right hand.

Jun-hoo held the suction with his left hand.

Ssssh!

He sucked in the bone fragments that were being ground out of the drill like ice slush.

The amniotic fluid 호박 [hobak – amber] technique he learned as an intern was shining.

Jun-hoo drilled four holes in the patient’s temple in rapid succession.

The holes were drilled exactly through the skull only.

There was no damage to the blood vessels or nerves by piercing through the dura mater.

“Give me the burr·saw (skull cutter). Two of them.”

Jun-hoo requested Si-ho.

The craniotomy was heading towards the finale.

All that was left was to connect the existing holes with a cutter.

“What? Two cutters?”

“If you use one, one hand is free.”

“You’re going to use the cutters with both hands? That’s impossible. If you misadjust the force, the incision line will be misaligned. It will be difficult to do Cranioplasty (skull reconstruction) later.”

Si-ho gave a dissenting opinion.

He also looked at the chief surgeon Min-seok as if asking him to stop the reckless Jun-hoo.

“Let’s watch until he makes a mistake.”

“But professor.”

“That’s what you said earlier, Si-ho.”

Si-ho sighed as Min-seok took Jun-hoo’s side.

He handed Jun-hoo two cutters.

The skull cutter had a lollipop-like shape, with sharp 톱날 [topnal – saw blades] on the round head.

Jun-hoo received the cutters from Si-ho.

Whirrrrr.

When he activated the switch, the cutter head rotated with a loud noise.

Since he had mastered the amniotic fluid 호박 technique.

Jun-hoo had no burden in using the cutters with both hands.

There was no fear, no tension.

Jun-hoo’s left hand was already his right hand itself.

If he were to return to the Murim, he might as well switch to dual swords.

일도양단 [Ildoyangdan – to cut something in half with one stroke].

Jun-hoo vertically slashed the skull holes in the upper left and upper right with both hands.

Like a calligrapher playing with a brush.

It was a bold and quick movement.

As a result, two square vertical lines were created.

The next movement followed seamlessly.

귀수베기 [Gwisubegi – ghost hand cut].

Jun-hoo’s right hand moved horizontally from left to right.

Jun-hoo’s left hand moved from right to left.

Parallel intersecting hands.

Both hands moving as if drawing the character 이(二) [I(II) – the number two in Chinese characters].

As the four incisions were connected, a neat rectangle was created.

Jun-hoo carefully revealed the skull using a hook.

With no damage to the dura mater at all.

It was truly a perfect craniotomy.

Even Jun-hoo finished the craniotomy, which usually takes more than 30 minutes, in just 10 minutes.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The staff was speechless at the amazing 신위 [sinwi – divine power] Jun-hoo showed.

The only one who was calm was Jun-hoo.

Because Jun-hoo knew his abilities exactly.

“Jun-hoo, what were you in your past life?”

Seong-eun, who was the first to come to her senses and hadn’t said a word since the start of the surgery, asked in admiration.