After that (3),
the staff members took their seats around Fresh Cadeva, who was lying on the operating table.
The surgeon of the cadaver practice is Ki-Seok Choi.
The first assistant was Song Myeong-jin, the second assistant was a resident, Jackson, and the third assistant was an intern.
In addition, one additional disinfection nurse was added, and there was no cardiopulmonary technician. Even if we practiced like in real life, it was impossible to attach a heart-lung machine to the heart of a corpse.
‘It’s been a while.’
Song Myeong-jin, standing in front of the operating table, felt his heart pounding.
The excitement was similar to the time I had my first surgery decades ago during my residency training.
Two years have already passed since I put down the scalpel.
During that time, I only saw outpatient clinics occasionally and never picked up a scalpel.
The familiar battlefield was now infinitely unfamiliar.
As Song Myeong-jin prepared for surgery, he glanced at Choi Ki-seok from time to time.
Ki-Seok Choi is showing growth power that transcends humans.
How did he pull off this surgery?
As my curiosity grew, my size grew.
“professor. “May I begin?”
“Sure.”
“Then, from now on, we will begin new surgery for cardiomyopathy and heart failure using the Fresh Cadeva. Please think of it as a real battle and proceed seriously.”
The first step of the surgery began with Choi Ki-seok’s request.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
As Jackson disinfected the patient’s chest and covered it with a cloth, Choi Ki-seok picked up the scalpel.
Midbone thoracotomy was performed with skillful handling.
The incisions opened, the chainsaw buzzed, and the sternum, which resembled a peach pit, split open.
Afterwards, preparations for the surgery were completed by fixing the retractor to the incision and opening it to the left and right to secure the field of view.
“We will proceed with the surgery assuming that the heart-lung machine is connected.”
Song Myeong-jin nodded at Choi Ki-seok’s words.
The first step in renal surgery is CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting).
Choi Ki-seok performed the surgery smoothly, showing off the skills he had trained in the training room.
Internal thoracic artery dissection, end-to-end anastomosis (double-end anastomosis) Y graft, etc. spread over the aorta and stenosis.
His surgical skills were excellent enough to rival that of most fellows.
Even if the target of surgery is Fresh Cadaver.
While the other staff members were impressed by Choi Ki-seok’s chiropractic skills, Choi Ki-seok was impressed by his teacher’s neat assistance.
When you become a surgeon and perform surgery, you naturally become more talkative.
This is because the process needs to be coordinated, including inconveniences such as securing the necessary field of view and suctioning or fixing the surgical site during surgery.
However, with my teacher assisting me, there was no need to open my mouth.
Should I say that if you open your mouth, they will automatically feed you the side dish you want to eat?
The assistant level was that of a mind reader.
‘The class isn’t going anywhere.’
As Choi Ki-seok successfully completed CABG, there was silence in the rosette.
Additionally, the staff’s attention was focused on him.
“The real game starts now. “Are you curious about how Dr. Choi performed the renal surgery?”
“I, too, was itching to hear it.”
Choi Ki-seok, who was joking, confessed the process of worrying about learning his teacher’s new surgery.
I received help from Charlotte, whom I met at the Uijin University symposium.
Her surgical technique was groundbreaking, but the scope of the surgery did not meet the teacher’s goals, etc.
Song Myeong-jin just nodded and listened to his story.
I was able to fully feel how hard he worked to complete the new surgery despite his busy schedule.
I was just grateful to Ki-Seok Choi for doing his part.
“So this is the conclusion I came to.”
Choi Ki-seok went to the freezer and took out the artificial blood vessels and tissue pieces that had been prepared in advance.
“What is this?”
“It’s a prefabricated graft. In a broad sense, Master’s surgery could also be classified as a transplant surgery. In that case, I don’t think there is a need to connect all blood vessels and tissues during surgery.”
“….”
“If you make a graft in advance and connect only the important parts, you can kill two birds with one stone: surgery time and difficulty.”
“Ah…”
Choi Ki-seok’s explanation hit my head like a thunderbolt.
Song Myeong-jin, who was surprised, opened his mouth and only let out a sigh.
Why didn’t I think of this earlier?
Thinking back, I thought that Surgeon might have been held back by the stereotype that all procedures had to be completed in the operating room.
“That is correct. “I think we have a chance of winning this way.”
“thank you. professor.”
“I should say thank you. By the way, what was the decisive factor in changing the surgical method?”
“Not long ago, I assisted Professor Kwon in his June syndrome surgery.”
Choi Ki-seok continued calmly.
“Usually, for Jun syndrome, a surgical method is used to cut and lengthen the ribs, but Professor Kwon lengthened the patient’s ribcage using a retractor.”
“….”
“After watching that, I overturned my existing ideas.”
“Hmm… I see. Anyway, shall we continue with the surgery?”
“yes!”
Ki-Seok Choi answered bravely and grabbed the scalpel.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
The sharp electric blade cut off the part the teacher wanted. The heart was cut just like tofu, and the cut surface was extremely clean.
Empty!
When the part that was assumed not to function properly was cut out, Song Myeong-jin placed a previously prepared graft into the heart.
The cut edge and the angle of the graft fit perfectly.
“I will now anastomose the graft.”
Choi Ki-seok, with his eyes shining, sewed up the major blood vessels and the area where the heart and the graft meet.
Thanks to the teacher’s thorough assistance, the anastomosis accelerated.
How much time has passed?
The staff raised their bowed heads with bright expressions.
Partial transplantation for cardiomyopathy and heart failure was completed successfully.
Of course, because it was Cadaver, I couldn’t be sure of the progress. However, there were no mistakes in the process, and the anastomosis site that was visually inspected was flawless.
“professor. “This surgery… what did you think?”
Choi Ki-seok swallowed his saliva and stared at Song Myeong-jin, and Song Myeong-jin stayed still and raised his thumb.
“It’s best. “There will be no problem if we put it into practical use right away.”
Song Myeong-jin’s praise made Choi Ki-seok feel like he was flying into the sky.
I finally received my teacher’s approval.
I thought that through this surgery, I would be able to repay at least a little of the heavenly favor I received from him.
“thank you. professor.”
“I told you earlier. “The person who should be thankful is me.”
“Still…”
“Let’s quickly clean up after this and talk more about this surgery.”
At Song Myeong-jin’s words, Choi Gi-seok hurriedly finished organizing the cadaver and left the rosette.
Soon, Ki-Seok Choi and Myung-Jin Song sat on the sofa in the lounge and faced each other. Even though the surgery lasted over three hours, the two showed no signs of fatigue.
Rather, they continued their lively conversation as if they were overflowing with energy.
“Mr. Choi. “It’s been a really hard time.”
Song Myeong-jin reached out and held Choi Ki-seok’s hand.
I felt the warmth from my teacher’s wrinkly hands.
Perhaps because of his mood, at this moment, his teacher seemed like an old man weathered by the hardships of time.
My teacher was a great star of Korean thoracic surgery, but he was also a man looking to be in his sixties.
Not all people are doctors, but all doctors are people.
A new realization crossed my mind.
“No matter how hard I worked, would it have been as hard as the professor who first developed the new surgery? “I just put spoons on a well-prepared table.”
“Do you know that, Teacher Choi? “You mean you can’t eat without a spoon?”
“After listening… what you said is also true.”
“That’s it. “I hope Mr. Choi does not underestimate his role.”
Song Myeong-jin smiled and continued speaking.
“We will soon secure a case patient and demonstrate it live. “That way, patients suffering from cardiomyopathy and heart failure will be relieved of their pain as soon as possible.”
“I still want to tell you something about that.”
Choi Ki-seok cleared his voice.
After completing the new surgery, I have been thinking about demonstrating it.
Then I came to one inevitable conclusion.
“what is that?”
“I hope the professor will give a live demonstration of the new surgery.”
Song Myeong-jin’s eyes widened at Choi Ki-seok’s bombshell declaration.
“I understand that the demonstration is being done by Mr. Choi.”
“I thought so too, but I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Although I have been exposed to the media a lot, I am still only in my first year of residency. “If I were to demonstrate that I had completed a new surgery, I doubt whether other thoracic surgeons would accept this surgery.”
“….”
“In other words, I think it will have a greater impact if someone of the rank of a professor presents and demonstrates the surgery.”
“Don’t say things like that. It is undeniable that Dr. Choi is a resident, but no one at MHC thinks of Dr. Choi as simply a resident. “I’m sure Mr. Choi knows that well, right?”
“I know. However, that only happens within the MHC. Surgeons all over the world don’t know me. On the other hand, I know Professor Song very well.”
“That’s right, but…”
“I think it’s right for the professor to give a live demonstration for the new surgical method to see the light of day.”
Song Myeong-jin stroked his chin at Choi Ki-seok’s firm tone.
Song Myeong-jin was the first to speak in heavy silence.
“What is important in Dr. Choi’s live demonstration is the completeness of the surgery itself and the surgeon’s skill. “I have already verified the completeness of the surgery, and if I can perform the surgery well, even if I am an intern, I can give a live demonstration.”
“What you say is 100% correct in principle, but I don’t think reality necessarily works in principle.”
“….”
“I think people are more curious about who performs what surgery. “Don’t you know better that there are stars among doctors?”
Song Myung-jin could not deny Choi Ki-seok’s words.
If so, whether he wanted it or not, he would be denying his status as a star in Korean thoracic surgery.
Choi Ki-seok gained momentum and continued speaking.
“Actually, I also had a lot of worries. “I know better than anyone else that the professor is leaving the field and focusing on things other than treatment.”
“….”
“But I hope the professor will hold the scalpel just this one last time. “That will create the perfect knot for this surgery.”
“Phew….”
Song Myeong-jin sighed and drank the can of coffee on the table in one go.
I felt a little dizzy as various thoughts flew through my mind.
I didn’t want it to unfold this way.
“If Dr. Choi really means it… I will do the live demonstration of this surgery.”
“Are you sure?”
“A man cannot say two things with just one word. And I was the one who came up with the new surgery in the first place. “I will untie the knot that I tied to be resolved.”
“Good thought, Professor.”
Song Myung-jin continued to talk with Choi Ki-seok about the surgery plan.
Is it because I decided to have the surgery done?
While he was talking, his hands moved without realizing it.
* * *
A week has passed since then.
Song Myeong-jin spent the remaining time handling the duties of the deputy director of medical services and focused on learning the surgical skills. After a long time, he went to a slaughterhouse to obtain a cow heart and used it for training.
The sleeping soldier’s hot blood was boiling.
Song Myeong-jin immersed himself in training, forgetting day and night.
Meanwhile, luckily, the case patient was hospitalized and the surgery date was confirmed.
As time passes by quickly.
Finally, the day came for a live demonstration of the new surgery.
