A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 425

Chapter 83: Experience (1)

‘Wow… it worked?’

Minseok marveled inwardly.

Skull dissected.

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater, all meninges [membranes covering the brain and spinal cord], dissected.

Now, the patient’s brain was visible.

The patient’s brain looked like a huge, soft walnut.

Overall, it was covered in fine wrinkles, with narrowly depressed sulci [grooves] and bulging gyri [ridges] forming waves.

Minseok glanced at the wall clock.

Anesthesia time: 62:01:00

Surgery time: 53:50:00

Current time: 19:30

Everything went as planned.

Junhoo really did succeed in accessing the surgical site in under an hour—no, not even an hour.

It was an overwhelmingly fast surgical speed.

Even the most outstanding surgeon would need at least two hours to access the brain.

The first hurdle was the craniotomy [surgical removal of part of the skull].

This was a labor-intensive and physically demanding surgery.

Because it required drilling holes in the skull with a medical drill and making clean incisions.

(This makes the subsequent cranioplasty [surgical repair of the skull] easier.)

But Junhoo showed off his skill in using the drill with both hands.

It might not seem like much on the surface…….

Absolutely not!

Don’t be mistaken!

The vibration transmitted to the hand when using the drill was no joke.

Not only the fingers and wrist but also the shoulder trembled.

Usually, the dominant hand held the drill, and the other hand supported the dominant hand.

This was to control the vibration and prevent the drill from jumping to other areas.

However, Junhoo effortlessly handled a procedure that was difficult to manage even with both hands.

“Doctor, are you ambidextrous?”

Minseok asked Junhoo during the surgery.

He was amazed.

“Yes, I’ve been practicing steadily since my internship.”

“Is that why? There’s no difference between your hands? Usually, even ambidextrous people have a dominant hand and an assisting hand.”

“I don’t have that. My left hand and right hand are the same.”

“It looks that way to me too.”

Minseok nodded in response.

He knew a few ambidextrous surgeons around him.

All of them were ambidextrous by nurture.

To improve the quality of surgery.

To save patients.

They were admirable people who had put in a lot of effort. But even among them, he had never seen anyone use both hands as well as Junhoo.

It made him wonder how much blood, sweat, and tears Junhoo had shed in the meantime.

Because nothing in the world is obtained for free.

Even if something is obtained for free.

Heaven is bound to take back what was obtained for free.

The second hurdle, the meningeal dissection [separating the meninges], was also an undeniably difficult surgery.

The meninges were filled with fine blood vessels.

If the meningeal dissection was not done delicately, bleeding was bound to occur.

But Junhoo also fantastically handled the meningeal dissection.

Not like a life-or-death operation.

But like an elementary school student doing origami in art class.

Easily and simply.

It was noteworthy that Junhoo used a regular scalpel for the meningeal dissection.

Usually, a burr hole (a hole-drilling machine) was used, but Junhoo’s choice was unexpected.

Minseok had never seen a surgeon use a regular scalpel for meningeal dissection before.

‘Why use a regular scalpel when there’s a burr hole? If you want to shorten the speed, it makes sense to use a burr hole, doesn’t it?’

His mouth was itching to ask, but Minseok held back.

Unlike the craniotomy.

Meningeal dissection required a high degree of concentration and immersion.

He didn’t want to disturb the surgeon, Junhoo.

Junhoo’s hands were quick as lightning.

While the wrist snap was smooth, the trajectory of the scalpel was unstoppable.

It left a sharp silver glow in the air.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Every time he wielded the scalpel deftly.

The meninges peeled off like a tangerine peel.

This was also a sight he was seeing for the first time in his life.

He was not sure if he was watching a surgery or a magic show.

“Doctor, I have a question.”

After finishing a movie-like reverie, Minseok asked Junhoo.

The timing to ask finally came.

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you use a scalpel for the meningeal dissection?”

“Why do you think?”

Junhoo smiled with his eyes as he asked back.

Minseok pondered for a moment and then answered that he didn’t know.

He asked because he didn’t know in the first place.

“A burr hole has a round shape.”

“That’s right. It’s the size of a pinky nail.”

“If you dissect the meninges with a large-area instrument, the amount of bleeding is bound to increase.”

Junhoo’s explanation continued.

“I used a scalpel to minimize bleeding from the microvessels distributed in the meninges.”

“Ah…….”

Minseok finally nodded.

Certainly, Junhoo’s meningeal dissection had less bleeding than other professors.

Looking back, he had only used suction two or three times. He hadn’t even changed the blood pack yet.

That was all possible because he delicately dissected, avoiding the microvessels with a scalpel.

“But, Doctor, I have another question.”

“You’re a very curious student.”

At Junhoo’s joke, the scrub nurse and resident burst into laughter.

Junhoo was relaxed enough to joke about this surgery. And that relaxation was naturally being transmitted to the staff.

Wasn’t this what soft charisma was all about?

“If I learn from you, can I dissect the meninges with a scalpel too?”

“It’s not impossible, but it will take quite a long time. It requires a sense of handling a sword.”

“A sword?”

“I misspoke for a moment. Not a sword, but a scalpel. A scalpel.”

Junhoo corrected himself.

Anyway, Minseok was greatly excited by the fact that he could learn that wonderful technique.

Junhoo’s appearance of dissecting the meninges with a scalpel was as cool and wonderful as a swordsman in a martial arts movie.

It wasn’t just superficially flashy.

It was an all-around surgical skill that even helped the patient’s recovery.

“Shall we start the real game?”

* * *

Junhoo had his eyes on the micro microscope.

A black mass the size of a thumbnail was captured in the magnified view.

The identity of the black mass was a hematoma [a collection of blood outside blood vessels].

It was blood that had flowed out of a torn blood vessel and hardened.

If the hematoma was left untreated.

The hematoma would gradually grow, increasing intracranial pressure [pressure inside the skull].

Secondary sequelae [a condition that is the consequence of a previous disease or injury] such as cerebral edema [swelling in the brain] and brain herniation [shifting of the brain tissue] could occur.

In the worst case.

The hematoma could compress the cranial nerves, causing permanent nerve damage.

This was why Junhoo had strongly opposed the transfer.

“Suction.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Junhoo tried to suck up the hematoma with the suction device he received. But the hematoma resisted with all its might.

The hematoma only stuck to the entrance of the suction device and was not sucked in.

It was more tenacious than he thought.

“1cc syringe.”

Junhoo stabbed the hematoma with the syringe he received.

Pulling the plunger…….

A very small amount of blood was drawn in.

It seemed to be hardened all the way to the inside.

Junhoo’s brow furrowed.

Wrinkles formed on his forehead.

He tried to reduce the size of the hematoma by drawing blood with a syringe and then remove it, but that also failed.

“Doctor, what do we do now?”

Minseok asked in an anxious voice.

He was worried because the standard methods for hematoma removal had all gone down the drain.

“Can’t we just tear it off with force?”

The resident, who had been silent, offered his opinion for the first time.

“No. Then the hematoma and blood vessels will tear together. A major disaster will occur.”

Minseok scolded the resident.

The resident became discouraged and lowered his head.

In an instant, a gloomy atmosphere swept through the operating room.

It was like always getting first place in internal exams and mock exams, but messing up the college entrance exam.

Until the hematoma was removed.

The surgery was perfect.

But the method to safely remove the hematoma had disappeared.

‘I didn’t want to go this far, but I can’t help it.’

Junhoo finally made a decision.

“Give me number 11.”

“Are you going to use a scalpel?”

The scrub nurse asked with wide eyes.

“Doctor, why don’t you try using the syringe again? If you make an incision with a scalpel and accidentally damage a blood vessel…….”

The scrub nurse couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

As if she was afraid just imagining it.

The reason why Junhoo didn’t want to use a scalpel for hematoma removal was precisely this.

Because the staff would be anxious.

But at this point, it was not the time to be picky.

In fact, what was really important was not the staff’s anxiety but to perfectly treat the patient.

And Junhoo was confident that he could cleanly remove only the hematoma.

Why?

Because Junhoo was a swordsman who had reached the realm of Hwagyung [a high level of mastery] in the martial world.

“Give it to me.”

“Doctor.”

“Give it to me.”

A gentle command.

In the end, the scrub nurse reluctantly handed over the number 11 scalpel.

Number 11 was a micro blade for incising and excising nerve and vascular tissues.

In the suffocating silence that the staff was letting out, Junhoo began full-scale work.

He raised the head of the hematoma with forceps in his left hand.

And prepared to make an incision with the scalpel in his right hand.

Cheongpung Sword Technique, 14th Form, Heaven and Earth Storm.

No one noticed, but the wind caused by the scalpel lightly shook the surgical drape.

Swoosh!

Thud!

As if the head of a demon had flown away.

The head of the hematoma fell powerlessly.

* * *

“Wow, I admire you, Dr. Seo. I have goosebumps on my arm right now,” said Minseok, who was sitting next to him, making a fuss.

Decompressive craniectomy [removing a piece of the skull to relieve pressure] and hematoma removal were completed in just 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Considering that the patient’s condition was critical.

And that he was operating with staff he was working with for the first time, it was impossible not to be amazed by the speed and accuracy.

“I have experience,” Junhoo said with an awkward smile.

Praise was always embarrassing.

“You’re even humble. But even older professors couldn’t do as well as Dr. Seo.”

“I’m just young and quick.”

“You just said you were good because of your experience.”

Minseok was detailed in strange areas.

Junhoo shrugged his shoulders in response. He took a sip of the coffee he was holding in one hand.

Was it because he had successfully completed the surgery?

The coffee tasted sweet rather than bitter.

The doctor’s lounge at Dosu Hospital was small and old. Only Junhoo and Minseok were resting here.

Due to the nature of military hospitals, they didn’t seem to do much surgery after regular hours.

Well, why would an emergency patient leave a civilian hospital and go to a military hospital?

“There are many things I’m seeing for the first time today. But Dr. Seo seems to use scalpels more often than other professors.”

“Because it’s the most familiar to my hand. I also like scalpels the most.”

“Honestly, I was shocked when you said you were going to remove the hematoma with a scalpel, but the result is good, so I have nothing to say.”

“You saw it accurately. It’s dangerous, so never follow me.”

Junhoo warned with a serious expression.

That was a treatment that was possible because he was a swordsman from the martial world. Even Teacher Jaehyun would have had a hard time digesting the treatment from before.

Junhoo’s scalpel passed just 1mm above the blood vessel.

That kind of distance control was impossible unless you were a swordsman.

Right then, as he was listening to Minseok’s fanatical praise with one ear and letting it out with the other.

Squeak.

The door to the lounge quietly opened.

Two middle-aged men entered the lounge.

“Dr. Seo Junhoo, can we talk to you for a moment?”