A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 62

Martial Surgeon – Episode 62

Chapter 10: Surgical Constitution (7)

The air shifted the moment I stepped into the operating room.

The sharp, potent scent of alcohol filled my nostrils, and a cool sensation brushed against my skin.

If the alcohol’s scent were replaced by the metallic tang of blood.

If the cool air were replaced by a bone-chilling draft.

The atmosphere would mirror the moments before facing malevolent spirits in the Murim [Martial Arts World].

Jun-hoo, feeling a strange sense of familiarity, began to survey the operating room.

Drawers and cabinets overflowed with an array of surgical and treatment instruments.

A shadowless lamp [a surgical lamp designed to minimize shadows] hung overhead.

The operating table stood beneath it, ready.

Patient monitoring devices awaited their patient.

Dreaming of becoming a surgeon, Jun-hoo felt a sense of awe within the operating room, which had transformed into a new battlefield.

“Hello. I’m Seo Jun-hoo, the intern assisting in this surgery.”

Jun-hoo approached a nurse who was meticulously arranging surgical tools in the cabinet and offered a greeting.

Operating room nurses generally fall into two categories.

Scrub nurses, who actively participate in the surgery and provide direct assistance.

Circulating nurses, who move between the operating room and the surgical suite, procuring necessary surgical tools.

The nurse Jun-hoo greeted was a circulating nurse.

“Yes, hello. I’m Jung Mi-joo. But you’re here remarkably early?”

“I heard today’s surgery is quite complex. I wanted to prepare thoroughly.”

“The rumors travel fast, I see. By the way, did you hear about the intern who scrubbed in this morning?”

“…….”

“That intern was completely shattered. You didn’t run off, did you?”

Circulating nurse Mi-joo was concerned about Woo-hyun.

No wonder he looked so dazed when I bumped into him in the ward; he must have been utterly overwhelmed during the scrub.

Well, Jun-hoo wouldn’t be deterred, even if the sky were to fall.

“Instead of running, he sent me an SOS. So, I’m here as a relief pitcher.”

“…….”

“I just need to set up the surgical tools with you, correct?”

Jun-hoo changed the subject.

“Yes, for now. You received a proper handover, right? Of course, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll excel immediately.”

“I did. Let’s prepare together.”

Jun-hoo began to arrange the surgical tools with Mi-joo’s assistance.

Clatter. Clatter.

Opening the cabinets and drawers, he retrieved the sterilized surgical tools and placed them on the dressing cart.

The variety of surgical tools was extensive.

Even scissors alone came in over 10 different shapes and served different purposes.

As the names suggest, surgical scissors.

Mayo scissors, Metzenbaum scissors.

Eye scissors, suture scissors, and so on.

However, Jun-hoo effortlessly selected only the necessary surgical tools.

‘Who would have thought my experiences in Murim would be beneficial in this way?’

A smile crept onto Jun-hoo’s face.

As a swordsman, Jun-hoo had wielded countless weapons and faced numerous weapons in the Murim world.

Consequently, he possessed a deep understanding of the characteristics and applications of edged weapons.

A simple example would be the distinction between a sword and a knife.

A sword has blades on both sides and a pointed tip, making it ideal for thrusting.

A knife has a blade on only one side and a curved shape, allowing it to inflict greater damage when cutting an enemy.

This knowledge naturally proved invaluable in understanding surgical tools.

In the case of Mayo scissors.

Observing their thick and blunt blades, he deduced they would be useful for cutting through dense tissue.

In the case of Metzenbaum scissors.

Noticing their thin and curved blades, he recognized they would be suitable for dissecting delicate tissue, and so on.

Jun-hoo discerned the subtle nuances among the surgical tools.

He readily grasped how those subtle differences would translate into practical application during surgery.

Perhaps that’s why.

Jun-hoo effortlessly recalled the uses of surgical tools, which other interns studied once in medical school and then promptly forgot, forcing them to relearn them.

He could also easily infer the uses of surgical tools he encountered for the first time in the operating room.

‘It’s quite barbaric.’

Jun-hoo clicked his tongue as he gathered the surgical tools exclusively used in orthopedics.

Screws, hammers, electric saws, drills, chisels, and so on.

They were all crude instruments that could be found in a woodworking shop.

There was a reason why people referred to orthopedic surgeons as carpenters.

Jun-hoo examined the surgical tools he had assembled and took it a step further.

He attempted to envision a blueprint of the surgery that would unfold today, based on the surgical tools.

It was intricate, but not impossible.

According to Jun-hoo’s assessment.

Today’s surgery appeared to require considerable force.

There was an abundance of screws and hammers.

“Nurse. I’m finished on my end.”

“Yes? Already?”

Mi-joo tilted her head and glanced at Jun-hoo. Her expression conveyed disbelief at Jun-hoo’s speed.

“Is this your first time scrubbing in today?”

“It’s my first time, but is there an issue….”

“I assumed you were a diligent student because you arrived early… Now that I see it, were you a student who slacked off?”

Suspicion filled Mi-joo’s eyes.

Completing a task that typically takes at least 20 minutes in 5 minutes?

Without even posing a single question to her, the circulating nurse?

Even faster than herself?

Mi-joo could only conclude that he had performed the work carelessly.

“Teacher. If you don’t set up the surgical tools properly, you’ll face a barrage of scolding from the professor and resident doctors.”

“…….”

“I know being an intern is challenging, but you must be especially meticulous in the operating room.”

Mi-joo said with concern.

“I believe there’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t slack off; I completed the work efficiently. If you doubt me, please verify it.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t if you asked me to?”

Mi-joo retorted primly and approached Jun-hoo.

She meticulously scrutinized the surgical tools on the dressing cart.

As if determined not to overlook even the slightest imperfection.

“Huh?”

A bewildered sound escaped Mi-joo’s lips.

Surprisingly, Jun-hoo was correct.

The surgical tool setup was flawless.

Nothing was missing, and nothing was superfluous.

He even demonstrated his expertise by categorizing the surgical tools according to their function.

“There’s truly not a single mistake? Are you a perfectionist?”

“Are you relieved now? I enjoy seolleongtang [ox bone soup], but I don’t slack off at work.”

Jun-hoo even displayed the余裕[leeway/composure] to make puns.

“I apologize for the misunderstanding. But aren’t you excessively skilled at your job? I’ve never encountered an intern like this before.”

“I have a strange sense of familiarity with surgical tools.”

“That’s truly peculiar.”

Mi-joo tilted her head and continued.

“But there was one flaw. Please rectify only that.”

“What is it?”

“The seolleongtang gag at the end. That was a bit much.”

* * *

Even after receiving Mi-joo’s praise, the surgical preparation continued.

Jun-hoo displayed the patient’s MRI images on the surgical monitor and retrieved a C-arm (portable X-ray) from the adjacent operating room.

He accomplished the feat of completing the surgical preparation, which typically takes over 30 minutes, in a mere 10 minutes.

“It’s incredibly convenient working with you, Teacher. Can’t you just scrub in instead of performing ward duties?”

Mi-joo asked with a relieved tone after the setup was complete.

“I wish I could, but it doesn’t work that way.”

Jun-hoo replied regretfully.

Jun-hoo desired operating room work more than any other intern.

Because his ambition was to become a surgeon.

But the world rarely aligns with one’s desires.

2 weeks of ward duties.

2 weeks of scrubbing in.

Jun-hoo had to divide the two types of rotations with Woo-hyun.

“Ah, right, Teacher. There’s still some time remaining. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Please tell me the surgical tools that Professor Lee Dong-hoon favors using. I want to do some pre-study.”

“Wow, you’re even studying that?”

Mi-joo asked back with surprised owl eyes.

But for Jun-hoo, who had experienced the Murim world, the previous question was natural and obvious.

Every martial artist (武人) [a person skilled in martial arts] had their preferred weapon.

This would be no different for a surgeon.

If he could discern the surgical tools that Professor Lee Dong-hoon enjoyed using.

He could somewhat gauge Professor Lee Dong-hoon’s surgical style.

Furthermore, he could even glean insights into Professor Lee Dong-hoon’s personality to some extent.

“Sharing knowledge is a doctor’s duty, so I must study diligently.”

“Your academic zeal is impressive. It varies depending on the type of surgery, but I’ll share the most common ones.”

Mi-joo’s lesson commenced.

Mi-joo identified the surgical tools that Professor Lee Dong-hoon frequently used, such as scissors, sutures, forceps, needle holders, and so on, by type.

Jun-hoo memorized them and stored them in his mind.

Thanks to that.

He felt like he had a better understanding of what kind of person Lee Dong-hoon was.

It seemed that confirming whether his predictions were accurate during the actual surgery would be one of the joys of assisting.

“I’ll head out first. It’ll be tough, but fighting! [Good luck!]”

Mi-joo waved her hand after completing the surgical tool education.

“Thank you for your hard work, and I’ll buy you a cup of coffee later.”

“Yes. I’ll remember that.”

Beep, beep, beep.

Shortly after Mi-joo departed, Dong-seok entered the operating room.

Because they had a quarrel in the on-call room and nearly engaged in a physical altercation.

The atmosphere between the two was frigid.

But Jun-hoo had no intention of attempting to ease the tension.

-An intern only answers with yes or no. Don’t you understand that?

Dong-seok issued unreasonable instructions to Jun-hoo. And when he didn’t comply with the instructions, he even attempted to strike him.

Even though he was an intern.

He had no desire to bow his head to such a thug.

Regardless, even if he performed his intern duties flawlessly, Dong-seok wouldn’t be able to find fault with him.

“Why are you here?”

Dong-seok glared at Jun-hoo with a displeased expression.

“Woo-hyun said he wasn’t feeling well and asked me to switch with him.”

“Damn it, you interns are having a grand time together. Well, perhaps it’s even better.”

Dong-seok’s voice carried a sinister undertone.

“Shall we verify if you’ve prepared the surgery adequately? One hit for every mistake I find?”

Dong-seok brushed past Jun-hoo and began to inspect the operating room.

The surgical tools on the dressing cart.

The MRI images displayed on the surgical monitor.

The C-arm prepared in advance, and so on.

Dong-seok scrutinized the operating room for an extended period but eventually returned to the operating table empty-handed.

He seemed intent on finding fault with something, but it was impossible.

Because he had set it up so meticulously that even the god of surgery couldn’t find fault with it.

Jun-hoo chuckled inwardly.

“It appears you’ve prepared well, but don’t be arrogant. If you make a mistake during surgery after all this, you’ll be hit. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Huh? Your answer isn’t satisfactory?”

Dong-seok frowned at Jun-hoo’s response.

Now that he couldn’t identify anything to criticize, was he attempting to criticize his answer?

Jun-hoo was dumbfounded by Dong-seok’s behavior.

“But how should I answer to make it a satisfactory answer?”

“Is this bastard serious! Are you mocking me now?”

“I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious. I need to know to convey sincerity.”

“Well… of course, you must answer with respect for your senior.”

“I answered with respect earlier, but you didn’t perceive it?”

“This bastard is playing with words again.”

Dong-seok raised his hand and then lowered it. Just in time, the patient arrived in the operating room.

“I’ll see you after the surgery. Professor will be here soon, so finish the rest of the preparation.”

“Yessir~”

Jun-hoo answered with respect (?) and initiated a time-out.

A time-out was a procedure to confirm whether the patient undergoing surgery and the patient in the operating room matched.

Following the time-out, Jun-hoo connected the patient to the patient monitoring device and supported the patient’s knees with a cushion.

He aligned the tibial area receiving surgery to be neutral.

The series of movements flowed as smoothly as water.

Throughout his ward duties.

He had been envisioning and anticipating this moment of scrubbing in.

Beep, beep, beep.

Soon, the attending surgeon, Professor Lee Dong-hoon, entered the operating room.

Even though he was wearing a surgical mask and cap, Professor Lee Dong-hoon possessed a unique aura.

His gait exuded confidence.

His eyes held the spirit of a tiger.

Jun-hoo recognized at a glance that Lee Dong-hoon was a master.