The miracle you hope for (1)
“What’s going on?”
Choi Ki-seok stared at the cardiopulmonary technician.
The heart-lung technician’s face was thoughtful. He just looked up and down the heart-lung machine, not knowing what to do.
“What’s going on!”
“Ah… it looks like the machine suddenly… broke down.”
The cardiopulmonary technician, who came to his senses belatedly, answered in a voice as loud as a mosquito.
For a moment, the air in the operating room was frozen cold.
The heart-lung machine is currently replacing Lee Joo-hee’s heart and lungs, which have stopped functioning. That means the patient’s heart and lungs stopped in an instant.
“The patient’s vital signs are continuing to decline. If it continues like this…”
Jang Hyuk-pil wrinkled his face at the anesthesiologist’s report.
“What if the cardiopulmonary technician can’t use the cardiopulmonary machine?”
“….”
“Fix it quickly!”
The heart-lung technician moved fussily at Jang Hyuk-pil’s shouting. Nevertheless, the annoying electronic sound did not go off. In addition, Lee Joo-hee’s face gradually turned blue.
“You go and see.”
“Me? If I go, who will take care of the professor…”
Ji Seok-hoon looked like a surprised rabbit.
From now on, the narrowed pulmonary artery must be corrected. If he misses a difficult section during the surgery for Tetralogy of Fallot, Hyukpil Jang’s performance will be disrupted.
“Then shall we order him?”
Hyukpil Jang stared at Minjoohyuk, who was standing diagonally across from him.
I started learning about heart-lung machines in my third year of college.
In other words, this means that the problem cannot be solved just because Min-Hyuk sees the heart-lung machine.
As the tension grew, Choi Ki-seok began his luck.
“I will go and see.”
“Are you crazy?”
Ji Seok-hoon clicked his tongue while looking at Choi Ki-seok.
“What happened when you saw the heart-lung machine!”
“I had a similar experience when I attended surgery with PK.”
“Go quickly. Joo-hyuk pulls the tow machine for Ki-seok, and Seok-hoon, you help me.”
Hyukpil Jang finished controlling the traffic.
A sharp light emanated from the eyes of Jang Hyuk-pil, who suddenly encountered him.
As he said at the company dinner, he judges everything based on the results. Even if Choi Ki-seok shows up with enthusiasm, he will not remain silent if he is unable to do anything.
Ride, ride, ride.
Choi Ki-seok left his seat and inspected the heart-lung machine.
‘shit. ‘It hurts my eyes.’
I bit my lip without realizing it.
In the past, I was in my 3rd year of Regi and I have personally installed ECMO on a patient.
However, because it was so long ago, the heart-lung machine was not rescued quickly.
“What. Did I touch something wrong?”
“I don’t remember anything in particular… I’m sorry.”
The heart-lung machine lowered his head, and Ki-Seok Choi clicked his teeth together and examined the heart-lung machine.
Every second felt like a minute.
We can’t lose Lee Joo-hee before a full-scale surgery is performed.
“found!”
Ki-Seok Choi cheered and stared at the lower left corner of the heart-lung machine.
The tube of the artificial lung device became twisted, temporarily blocking blood flow.
Shake! Drurr.
When the twisted part was released, the electronic sound stopped and the heart-lung machine began to operate normally.
Ki-Seok Choi left his position, put on new surgical gloves, and stood in his position as an assistant.
“It’s pretty good, right? I should at least give you a reward after the surgery.”
Jang Hyuk-pil’s eyes looked at him and smiled.
“I don’t need any awards. I just want the surgery to be completed safely.”
“Sounds obvious.”
Hyukpil Jang moved the scalpel without hesitation.
The malfunction of the heart-lung machine was fixed faster than expected, and the patient did not have tricuspid regurgitation, which was a concern.
I had a feeling that things would work out well.
“Please wipe off your sweat.”
At Jang Hyuk-pil’s words, the disinfection nurse wiped the sweat that had formed on his forehead.
“….”
“….”
Jang Hyuk-pil, who took a moment to sigh, found Jo Ji-hwan in the operating room for a tour on the second floor.
For a moment, a chill went down my spine.
I had never mentioned in advance that I would be visiting the surgery, but the manager suddenly came to visit.
In that case, there is only one plan.
It was clear that they had come to see how well he could handle pediatric patients.
Currently, the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Uijin University is weak in pediatric heart surgery.
If Song Myung-jin leaves, the gap will become even bigger.
“Okay, let’s all keep working hard.”
Jang Hyuk-pil pretended not to see Jo Ji-hwan and boosted the staff’s morale.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.
The scalpel split the main pulmonary artery vertically.
“suction.”
Under Jang Hyuk-pil’s instructions, Ji Seok-hoon sucked up the blood flowing out with an aspirator.
Afterwards, Ji Seok-hoon firmly held the artery using forceps and forceps, and Jang Hyuk-pil used the patient’s pericardium to widen the narrowed pulmonary artery.
The core treatment required for surgery has been completed.
Although everyone was taking a breather, Choi Ki-seok did not let his guard down.
Lee Joo-hee’s condition was still poor.
Even if the surgery is not completed, the condition is bound to improve if the core treatment is successful.
‘Why on earth?’
My curiosity continued to bite me.
Although he was away for a while because of the heart-lung machine, Hyuk-pil Jang’s surgery, which I observed during that time, was clean.
Meanwhile, the surgery was nearing its end.
The catheters inserted into the arteries and veins were removed, and the heart-lung machine was stopped.
Now, once we check spontaneous circulation and close the chest, the surgery is complete.
While his vitals were slowly returning to normal, the electrocardiogram graph suddenly began to tremble slightly.
For a moment, the staff’s faces turned pale.
“Fuck. It’s VF (ventricular fibrillation).”
Hyukpil Jang frowned.
It was the first time Choi Ki-seok heard swear words come out of his mouth.
“Reattach the retractor. Intravenous epinephrine!”
The staff moved in perfect order under Jang Hyuk-pil’s instructions.
Choi Ki-seok put Joo-hee Lee in a retractor again and Min-hyuk Min injected her with epinephrine.
Ji Seok-hoon pressed the thoracic aorta with one hand, and Jang Hyuk-pil performed a thoracotomy heart massage.
Jang Hyuk-pil held Lee Joo-hee’s heart with one hand and put pressure on it.
Lee Joo-hee’s life literally rests in his hands.
Thoracic heart massage continued at 60 times per minute, but ventricular fibrillation did not subside.
“Let’s use lidocaine as well.”
“yes!”
Treatment continued with one more drug added.
“Professor. Shall I do it now?”
Ji Seok-hoon stared at Jang Hyuk-pil.
Jang Hyuk-pil looked exhausted because he had performed a heart massage alone.
Sweat flowed down my face like rain.
The burden of directly massaging the patient’s heart must also be weighing heavily on him.
As Jang Hyuk-pil nodded without answering, Ji Seok-hoon stretched out his hand toward Lee Joo-hee’s heart.
But that’s the moment.
Ji Seok-hoon stumbled and placed his hand on the operating table, not Lee Joo-hee’s heart.
“why are you like this?”
“I’m sorry. I suddenly felt dizzy…”
“You’re going to give me a heart massage in that condition? Are you crazy?”
When Jang Hyuk-pil shouted, Ji Seok-hoon lowered his head with a downcast expression.
“Professor, I would like to give you a heart massage.”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Choi Ki-seok’s words.
“If the professor continues to massage alone, the pressure will inevitably decrease. Professor Ji is not in good health. So, I hope you will give me a chance.”
“You bastard. I said I’d see you later.”
Ji Seok-hoon’s voice rose.
How far is an intern willing to climb just because he touched a heart-lung machine once?
“I know you feel like I’m getting off topic, but I don’t think there’s any other way right now.”
“Then try it.”
Jang Hyuk-pil extended a hand to Choi Ki-seok.
Choi Ki-seok, who understood the meaning, massaged his hand as if massaging Lee Joo-hee’s heart.
“Okay. Just keep doing it like this.”
“Professor. Are you really going to make Kiseok do that?”
“If you had done it right in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.”
When Jang Hyuk-pil hit the nail, Ji Seok-hoon bit his lip as if he was angry.
“Minjoo-hyuk, do you ever want to try a heart massage?”
“…I’m not confident.”
“Then Ki-seok, you do it.”
Choi Ki-seok, who received the order, moved to his seat and gently cupped Lee Joo-hee’s heart with one hand.
My heart was warm, but it didn’t move.
Only when this heart beats again can Lee Joo-hee live.
Choi Ki-seok went to massage Lee Joo-hee’s heart just as he had massaged Jang Hyuk-pil’s hand just before.
The frequency was kept at 60 to 80 times per minute, and the force of compressing the heart was also appropriately adjusted.
While the drug was being administered, Choi Ki-seok performed a thoracotomy heart massage on his own for over 10 minutes.
Before I knew it, there was silence in the operating room.
Even Hyukpil Jang, including the surgeon, seems to have given up on Lee Joohee.
“Shall we contact Professor Song?”
Min-hyuk Min said while looking at Hyuk-pil Jang and Seok-hoon Ji.
“Professor Song?”
“Yes. I know that the surgery I had today wasn’t difficult. If it were Professor Song, wouldn’t he have been able to finish it already?”
“try.”
“yes!”
Min Joo-hyuk quickly left and Ji Seok-hoon filled his place.
“Yes. This is Rosette A. Is Professor Song in the operating room?”
“….”
“Ah. Yes. Then, when will the surgery be finished?”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Min-hyuk Min’s phone call. Perhaps Song Myeong-jin could save the patient?
Everyone had the same expectations.
“Yes, I understand. Thank you.”
“what?”
Jang Hyuk-pil asked as soon as Min-hyuk hung up the phone.
“Well… they say something happened over there too, so the surgery was delayed.”
Min-hyeok Min’s answer was as heavy as a death sentence.
Even Hyukpil Jang, who had been maintaining his composure, sighed and lowered his head.
Only one person.
Only Choi Ki-seok had the spark to save Lee Joo-hee at all costs.
‘It’s Joohee. cheer up.’
He looked down at Lee Joo-hee’s face and muttered to himself.
Suddenly, the image of Lee Joo-hee, whom I had been watching in the neonatal intensive care unit, flashed through my mind.
The sight of him laughing at Choi Ki-seok’s joke.
He was sleeping peacefully in his parents’ arms like a baby angel.
I wanted to see that again.
“Now that’s enough.”
Jang Hyuk-pil called Choi Ki-seok quietly.
“Professor, can we try a little more?”
“late.”
“But I’ll try just a little bit more.”
Choi Ki-seok did not stop massaging his heart. I could still feel Lee Joo-hee’s warmth in the heart held in my hand.
‘Come back. please!’
Amid the desperate cries, a familiar sound was heard.
Tiring!
[‘Life Saver’ title effect activates.]
[Resurrection: When killed, there is a 20% chance that the dying patient will be temporarily resurrected.]
Whieeeee.
As the title effect was activated, golden light spread out from Choi Ki-seok’s hand. Soon, as golden light enveloped her heart, Lee Joo-hee’s heart began to move, albeit slightly.
“Didn’t your heart just move?”
“I saw it too.”
As Lee Joo-hee’s heart beat slightly, hope filled the operating room.
“Leave it to me from now on. You massaged it for over ten minutes by yourself.”
“It’s okay. I want to do it.”
Choi Ki-seok continued the massage confidently.
Due to the patient’s vitalizing effect, his heart massage was not at all weaker or slower compared to the first time.
“Minjoo-hyuk, what are you doing? Epinephrine and lidocaine!”
“yes!”
At Hyukpil Jang’s point, Minjoohyuk quickly administered an intravenous injection.
The treatment was facing a second turning point.
* * *
Surgery waiting room.
Crackle.
Jihee Kim clenched her teeth and stared nervously at the operating room door from time to time.
I wonder if my daughter will come out wrapped in a white blanket.
Every time I thought about that, my insides turned black.
The pain was also long because each minute and second waiting for the surgery felt like a taffy.
Her parents, who had come to visit and nagged her, now prayed for her granddaughter’s health with the same sentiments.
‘please. ‘It’s Joohee.’
Jihee Kim prayed and prayed again.
Although I did not believe in God, I asked all the gods in the world, whether it be God, Buddha, or Allah, to return my daughter safely.
How much time has passed?
Shake!
A large doctor appeared, pushing open the operating room door.
He is Jang Hyuk-pil, Lee Joo-hee’s doctor.
“Teacher! Joohee… what happened to Joohee?”
Kim Ji-hee approached Jang Hyuk-pil and asked with both hands tightly clasped.
Jang Hyuk-pil did not respond, but instead placed one hand on Kim Ji-hee’s shoulder.
For some reason, I didn’t like the heavy atmosphere.
“Guardian. The surgery was….”
“….”
“It was completed safely.”
The moment I heard Hyukpil Jang’s answer, my legs felt weak.
Jihee Kim sat down on the floor and cried with her whole body.
It is a refreshing cry that is a mixture of worry and relief that the surgery was completed successfully.
Choi Ki-seok, who came out of the operating room late, found Kim Ji-hee crying and avoided his gaze.
He also wanted to cry.
