Chapter 98
A series of pads connected with the monitor were patched onto the patient's body.
The patient was a man in his late 30s.
Suhyuk checked his heart first.
'It's beating.'
And then he looked at the vital signs.
His blood pressure was dropping markedly. It was natural because he shed a lot of blood.
The patient did not move at all. Even if he lifted his eyelid, there was no reaction from the pupil.
Suhyuk immediately checked the patient's injured area.
Head, shoulder, thigh, there were wounds all over his body.
"Please give me some dressings!"
A nurse handed him dressings, and then Suhyuk pressed the dressings against patient's head first.
"Suhyuk, let other doctors take care of him…"
Suhyuk's fellow residents of his year, who applied for the emergency medical department, said cautiously.
But nobody stopped him, who was only in his first year of residency.
Oh Byungchul did not stop him either.
Oh was taking care of another patient who had been involved in a traffic accident like Suhyuk's patient.
She was in her 60s, with bleeding from her head, and she was mentally stable, but she was screaming at the patient next to her,
"Hey, Jinsu. Open your eyes!"
"Please calm down."
A nurse and Oh forcibly held her down.
"Doctor! Please save my sons' life, my son. Jinsu, why can't you open your eyes? Mom is here right beside you. So, open your eyes, my baby!"
She did not stay calm, throwing a tantrum and crying as if she was a baby.
On such occasions her face was covered with blood.
"Hey, save my son! My son!" shouted the woman.
With her head wrapped with dressing, she was pounding a man, with a haggard mustache's heart.
"Boohoo... Save my son, man!"
Whenever she moved her hands, the man's body shook.
The accident took place when he felt he was dozing off a bit.
His truck allegedly drove over the centerline, crashing the passenger car driving toward him.
The man thought of his wife's nagging in the morning when he went out for work.
He felt it was a bad luck.
"I want to check the black box," said the man.
At his words, the policemen who took him to the emergency room made a feigned smile.
Witnesses told the truck drove over the centerline first.
Even if they open the black box, it would show the same outcome.
That was not the point, though.
The patient never showed any sign of repentance.
Granted it was not his intention, he did not care at all about the patients who were taken into the resuscitation unit. He was thinking hard how to avoid his own responsibility in the accident.
"Patient Choi Changoh, please come here."
At the nurse's calling, the man moved toward her.
***
Suhyuk was pushing the stretcher carrying a patient fast.
On the other side Prof. Han was running along.
Soon they arrived at the resuscitation unit, with IV and blood packs hung over the patient's body.
The examination was done quickly.
X-ray viewer was installed, and the CT appeared on the monitor.
Han Myungjin let out a long breath.
The patient's belly was overflowing with blood.
Han saw such a heavily injured patient for the first time in a long time.
Not only his organs, but also his nerves must have been damaged.
Fortunately his skull was not damaged at all.
"Looks like it's going to be tough."
Han murmured before he knew it. Then came a voice out of the blue.
It was Suhyuk who had been looking down at the patient quietly.
He said, "We never know sir, until we try."
Han, looking at the monitor, nodded his head slowly. How can a novice doctor dare speak like that?
Han could have felt offended, but he was different from other doctors.
"You're right."
They had no choice but to pint their hope on the fact that the patient was a young man.
Under the direction of Han, the medical staff moved the patient to the operating room.
Like them Suhyuk moved to disinfect himself.
He rubbed his fingers and forearms with a disinfection brush. He rubbed so hard that those next to him were even worried. Closing his eyes, Suhyuk recalled the guy's mother.
"The patient, no, your son was severely injured. Surgery can be dangerous, but do you want us to go ahead with it?"
Tears kept coming down from the patient's guardian's face at Suhyuk's cautious suggestion.
Obviously he needed to have surgery, but the doctor's tone was unusual.
Suddenly she broke into tears. Falling on her knees, she held Suhyuk's gown.
At her tight holding, he could feel how desperate she was.
"Please save my son! Please...If you could save my son, I would never forget your help even if I die. I would give you all the money I have got. Please save my son, Jinsu. Boohoo…"
Suhyuk also went down on one knee.
"Please sign this form. We can do surgery only with the guardian's consent."
Suhyuk pulled out the pen from his gown, and gave it to her. The pen was Hana's gift.
She held it with a trembling hand.
"Please help my son live a little longer, doctor! Please…"
After he got her consent, Suhyuk lifted her up, and said in a clear voice,
"My name is Lee Suhyuk. I'll do my best."
No, just doing one's best was not enough.
He had to make the patient open his eyes after surgery.
So, the mother and son could meet look each other in the eyes again
"What are you thinking?" asked Han.
Suhyuk's eyes opened at Han's asking.
And he said like before, "I was thinking about how to save the patient."
"Did you have a good sleep?"
Suhyuk knew what Prof. Han was talking about.
It meant the surgery would take many many hours.
"I don't sleep much usually, sir."
When he opened his both hands, a nurse immediately helped him into his gown.
Prof. Han, wearing a gown just like him, was looking at him quietly.
He made Suhyuk fill in the surgery consent form by himself, so he could feel a lot while watching the patient and his guardian.
"Let's go!"
When Han approached the door, the automatic door opened.
The medical staff in green gowns moved busily, and a white light from the ceiling was beaming onto the patient who lay in the middle.
"Huuuuuuuh…." Suhyuk let out a long breath as if he just took a deep breath, and he approached the patient with an oxygen mask in his hand.
'I would allow you to sleep only in this operating room. You have to open your eyes outside after.'
At that moment he heard Han's voice.
"This patient is bleeding in his belly, so we need to finish the operation as soon as possible. Now we're opening up his belly. Scalpel."
A scalpel was handed to Prof. Han's hand, and when it touched the patient's belly, blood was gushing up like a water gun.
"Suction, suction!"
The assistants suctioned blood calmly, and the patient's belly was opened up.
"What are you doing?"
Han shouted at one assistant because he did not set up a retractor inside the belly.
Another assistant was looking for it, but could not find it.
"Obviously I put it here…"
Han suddenly made a frown.
"Damn it…" When he was venting his anger, Suhyuk came to his side, and he opened the patient's belly with both hands without blocking Han's view at all.
Turning his head, he looked at Han.
"We have to finish the surgery quickly."
Han scrutinized each of the medical staff alarmed by Suhyuk's action, and he said in a scary tone, "Let me see you guys after surgery. Irrigation."
Soon wash fluid was poured into the belly, and the suction device was running with a big noise.
It was necessary to find the damaged organ, but the continued bleeding blocked Han's view.
Han checked the blood packs.
"How many were used so far?"
"Seven packs, sir."
"Just keep supplying it. Squeeze out the current pack, and then replace it with a new one."
Han shook his head.
"Here is the retractor."
A nurse who came into the operating room brought a retractor.
Only then could Suhyuk step back.
He looked at the patient's opened belly carefully.
Obviously the spleen was damaged, along with other organs. Even the nerve vessels.
Now bleeding was simply too much.
Then one thing came to Suhyuk's mind suddenly.
Main artery.
"Is his main artery okay?"
At his asking, Han, putting his hand into the belly, looked at him.
"Why did you say it only now?"
Han did not think of it at all. Patients with heavy injuries usually had organ damages, and it was very rare they had their main arteries damaged too.
Han's hand moved cautiously and quickly.
And he lifted his head quickly, shouting,
"Contact Prof. Kim right now!"
His main artery was ruptured. Though it was very minor, most of the bleeding came out of it.
It was only natural. Called the highway of a human body, main arteries carry blood throughout the whole body, and there was a leak in it.
"Quickly!"
Han could perform the surgery of th main artery himself, but could not do better than Prof. Kim who was performing such surgeries dozens of times per week.
It was the beginning of the situation. Suddenly there was heard something from the side, a blot out of the blue. It was the voice of the nurse who had contacted Prof.Kim.
"I hear he just began emergency surgery. It would take at least one hour for him to come here."
A long sigh came out of Han's mouth.
It would be too late if he came one hour later. The patient could not continue to survive by that time.
'What should I do…'
The operating room was quiet.
The residents monitoring the patient's vital signs, and the assistants squeezing out the blood pack to force blood into the patient.
Everybody's attention was on the patient, as if they were saying in unison, "It's not possible."
Then Han turned his head to the side.
Suhyuk was looking at the patient quietly. What was he thinking?
Turning around, Suhyuk opened his mouth, "Please stop his heart."
Chapter 99
Han Myungjin looked Suhyuk in the face, saying something with glittering eyes:
'Yes, just go ahead without hesitation. You need to stop the excessive bleeding first…'
Though Han thought of the same thing, he was so glad when Suhyuk mentioned it first.
Suhyuk was quick in judgement and without hesitation.
"Get ready for aortic arches replacement."
At the professor's direction, the medical staff moved in unison.
An extracorporeal cardiopulmonary valve was pulled in place of the heart to make blood circulate throughout the body, and other fluids were hung up.
Suhyuk said to Han,
"As for aortic arch replacement, I have done anastomosis before."
Han's eyes became wider.
A resident in the first year has done such an emergency surgery?
"I've done it under the guidance of Prof. Kim Jinwook."
Still Han did not understand it a bit, but felt it was possible.
He knew Prof. Kim was very much anxious to have Suhyuk as his disciple.
Han now turned to Kang Mingyu who was looking into the slippery organs here and there.
Kang was searching for other sources of bleeding other than the main artery.
Though Kang was assigned to the cardiothoracic surgery, Han had to force him to come over here for the surgery. Other medical staff that he wanted were all too busy. They were either taking care of emergency patients or already in the operating rooms.
"This kind of main artery surgery is the first time for you, right?"
"Yes, but I've observed it several times."
Han opened his mouth, looking at Suhyuk.
"Well, I've done aortic arch replacement surgery only 20 or so times. That's why I need some more knowledgeable assistants."
Kang nodded his head, looking at Suhyuk.
He did not feel envious or jealous just because Suhyuk was younger or lower in title than he.
Suhyuk had participated in the surgery before, but he had not.
That was enough for him to step aside.
"You might need this," Kang handed a loupe to Suhyuk, stepping back.
"Thank you, sir."
Now Suhyuk was set to perform the surgery as the next important surgeon after Han.
"I'm ready, sir."
At the perfusionists' words, Han looked at Suhyuk on the other side.
He alternately looked at the patient's face and his opened belly.
"We're going to start now. I can't tolerate any mistakes."
Suhyuk nodded his head, saying, "Absolutely, sir."
"Huuuuuuuh… Let's start then. Heparin!"
At the professor's direction, the nurse repeated after him and injected coagulant into the IV line.
"I'm injecting heparin now."
"Lower the body temperature so as not to damage the organs, and heart arrest procedure starts now."
Beep…
The machine signaled a scary warning sound that the heart stopped, and at the same time a cardiopulmonary device started running.
At that moment Suhyuk put his hand into the belly without using the surgery tools.
Whenever he moved his hands, the organs were oozing. It did not last long.
"This is the source of bleeding. Please cut it."
Suhyuk lifted up the main artery with a damaged membrane gently with his fingers.
The main artery hung over his index finger was dark red, and blood came from out of the damaged membrane.
Shaking his head, Han moved the scissors.
Is there another doctor who dared hold the main artery recklessly like that? Han could not do anything about it, though. Now the surgery was urgent.
The incisized main artery dropped onto the metal tray. Blood spread around it slowly.
"Let me sew it," said Han.
"Don't you think it's better we share the task, sir?"
Han agonized a bit, because it would take a lot of time to anastomose a main artery because it was very complicated to do.
"Are you confident?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do it well then."
When Han held out his hand, one assistant handed a needle holder and threads.
It was the same for Suhyuk.
Handed over an artificial blood vessel, he put it into the cut main artery.
Han went ahead with the anastomosis first.
When the artificial blood vessel was fixed at the stem of the cut main artery, Suhyuk fixed a thread to a needle holder as small as a pincette.
And both of them started doing anastomosis.
Prof. Han was doing it from the lower part while Suhyuk was sewing the upper part.
They were controlling the four needle holders inside the belly.
How long did it last?
It was already more than two hours since they opened up the patient's belly.
After he was done with the anastomosis, Suhyuk waited for Han to finish as well.
Then Han raised his head, and the nurse wiped off the sweat from his forehead.
"Done!"
Breathing out a long breath, Han looked at Suhyuk as if he was a wonder boy.
He neatly connected the artificial blood vessel, and besides that, he did it faster than him.
Precise and quick.
"Looks like we need to revive his heart."
At his words, Han nodded his head.
Although the heart-lung machine was running, the function of the heart would be weakened if it was forced to stop any longer.
Han immediately applied electric shock to the patient's heart.
But it did not beat.
He did it once more, but the heart did not beat.
It was all quiet.
Breathing out a long breath, Han reapplied the electric shock.
At the same time, Suhyuk's rigid eyes went back to normal.
The heart was beating again.
"Nice job. Keep listening to us well."
Suhyuk was murmuring to the patient.
Now he opened his mouth, turning to Han,
"Looks like we need to remove the spleen first."
The spleen was crushed completely. To secure a wider view, it was necessary to take it out.
Catching his breath, Han was shaking his head.
Suhyuk did not give him any chance to take a break.
So, they began removing the spleen. Besides, it was necessary to incise the liver partially.
The more they moved, the more their gowns were stained with blood.
Three hours, four hours…
They cut the damaged organs and reconnected the cut blood vessels and nerves.
Then Suhyuk, who was connecting the blood vessels, said,
"Please take a break, sir."
He saw Han's hands trembling subtly, which was natural as he was a human being.
The surgery was already continuing for over five hours.
"Let me take over, sir."
Kang, who was watching nearby, came to Han.
Stopping for a moment, Han agonized for a moment.
"Okay, let me pause a bit then. Thanks."
Han stepped back and took a seat in the back.
Kang, who took his place, was confident of doing anastomosis.
He did it several times, but he was not sure how long it would take.
"You're doing great, man!" Kang said to Suhyuk.
Then he grabbed a surgical thread.
-----
A black and white picture uploaded on SNS was generating a huge response on the internet.
It was a picture of the operating room, with the floor covered with blood.
Was it to prevent any slipping on the floor? Here and there were placed mats stained with blood.
On the operating bed was a patient whose face was covered, and a doctor sitting next to him.
The doctor was drooping his shoulders, but his eyes looking at the patient seemed to form a smile. The netizens' comments on the picture were as follows:
Thousands of replies were posted on this comment.
-----
Suhyuk slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark. There was no light coming through the window.
'How long did I sleep for?'
He checked the time on his cell phone. It was 9:40pm.
Getting up from the bed suddenly, he wore a gown and went out.
He headed straight for the intensive care unit.
"Is patient Kim Jinsu okay?"
At Suhyuk's asking, the nurse smiled, nodding her head.
"Yes, his vital signs are good, and he is mentally stable. You did really nice work, doctor."
Suhyuk let out a long breath.
After the surgery, he confirmed that the patient opened his eyes.
He could breathe a sigh of relief after checking his face grimacing with pain.
He could save his life, after all. He fell into sleep next to the patient.
He woke up to find himself at the lodging.
Did someone carry him on the stretcher to his lodging?
When Suhyuk was thinking about it, the nurse was touching her cell phone.
Actually it was the nurse who took the picture of him in the operating room as well as his posture in the recovery room, and uploaded it on her SNS. Back then she did not expect the picture would generate such an overwhelming response.
Suhyuk moved quickly to look for the patient. He could easily find him.
"Oh my god! Doctor Lee Suhyuk!"
A woman, who was touching his face, stood up. She was his mother.
She held Suhyuk's both hands, saying,
"Thanks a million, sir. How can I repay you…"
Suhyuk said, with a smile, "Well it's just my duty."
Then, he checked the patient's condition. All vital signs were normal.
But he would feel a lot of pain.
Suhyuk asked the patient who had half-opened eyes,
"How do you feel?"
The patient said, making a smile with the utmost effort,
"Thanks for saving my life, sir…"
He heard many times from those doctors and nurses who came and checked on him:
A doctor by the name of Lee Suhyuk saved him.
Smiling without saying anything, Suhyuk grabbed his hands.
"Please hold my hands with your utmost strength."
With a frown he held his hands with strength.
"That's fine."
Someone was looking at him from the back.
Han Myungjin and Kang Mingyu.
"He woke up early, sir," said Kang to Prof. Han.
Han murmured to Kang who was shaking his head,
"He's THE true doctor…"
Chapter 100
Suhyuk was looking at Kim Jinsu who had been transferred to a general patients' ward.
"How do you feel?"
Kim smiled, saying, "I think I feel much better. Thanks, doctor."
Then his mother offered banana milk to him.
"Did you have breakfast, doctor?"
Suhyuk replied, with a smile, "Yes. Did you? Not only the patient but also the guardian should eat well."
"If you feel uncomfortable, please let us know immediately."
"Well, I feel fine except for some sort of pain on the surgery area. Very good for the rest."
Suhyuk, smiling at him, nodded his head, and turned back.
Those nurses watching him in the back began to whisper,
"What a great doctor! How could he do surgery for that long?"
He did not go to the restroom. They heard he just had energy drinks instead of rice or water.
It was difficult to believe.
"According to the nurse who went into the operating room, Dr. Lee was doing the surgery alone when the other medical staff were dozing off."
"Are you serious? Isn't it bragging? How can a resident in his first year do anastomosis alone?"
The other nurses nodded their heads at one nurse's questioning.
At that moment they could hear some voice coming into their ears.
"Well, Dr. Lee could manage it very well. He is such a great doctor."
It was Binna who said that, passing by them at that moment.
***
Suhyuk visited Prof. Han's office.
"I hear you wanted to talk to me."
Suhyuk nodded, and opened his mouth,
"I want to have a day off today."
Han made a feigned smile.
Actually he wanted to give Suhyuk two days of leave when he finished the long surgery, but Suhyuk refused it. And now he want to take a day off?
"I told you to have days off, but you said you didn't want it. Don't you feel good now?"
Suhyuk shook his head, saying,
"Actually my parents are supposed to come for a medical check-up today."
Han smiled.
"Oh, sure. Go ahead. By the way, you know that your immediate family can have a discount. Don't fail to apply for it."
"Thank you, sir."
Rising from the seat, Suhyuk bowed his head, and then went out.
Han shook his head.
Suhyuk just looked icy when he said only the main point before leaving, especially compared with his attitude when he was taking care of patients.
Suhyuk was obviously different from doctors who wanted to hear a little more advice from him.
***
Coming back to the lodging, Suhyuk took a shower first. He wore neat clothes and trimmed his hair calmly. He even applied skin lotion which he did not usually. And he looked in the mirror.
Suddenly he looked at the hanger in the room. A long doctor's gown. 'Do I have to wear it?'
Then his cell phone buzzed.
"Suhyuk, I've got only two bus stops before arriving there. Can I just go inside the hospital?"
"Yes, mom. Just come inside."
After the call, he went out of the lodging and waited at the bus stop.
Was it because he was dressed up or did his appearance, in a doctor's gown, look unusual?
Some women waiting for a bus took a glance at him.
At the announcement Suhyuk's smile thickened.
In no time a bus arrived. When he got on the bus, his mother greeted him, saying,
"Oh, my doctor son coming out to meet me!"
She touched his gown as if she was stroking his shoulder. How happy she was …
Suhyuk put on the gown on purpose.
"Honey, stop stroking it like that. I'm afraid you're going to crease it."
At her husband's words, she took away her hands right away.
"It's alright. I don't iron it anyway. Let's go."
Suhyuk's face, who was escorting them into the hospital, became brighter.
Inside the hospital lobby she looked around with wide eyes. She felt so proud that her son was working in a place like this.
"Do we have to wait long? Your father will feel dizzy if he skips even one meal."
They were fasting because of the medical check-up.
Escorting them to the elevator, Suhyuk opened his mouth,
"No, you don't have to, as I'm your son. I've already asked the medical staff to check up on you first."
As he was a doctor of Daehan Hospital, he was determined to enjoy all the benefits it offered.
For it was something related to his parents.
"Good morning, doctor!"
"Good morning!"
The nurses inside the elevator all said greetings to him.
Suhyuk said shortly, "Good morning!"
Suhyuk's parents smiled at them, because they could realize that their son was a doctor because they could see the nurses greeting him politely.
Then a doctor who came out the elevator last opened his mouth,
"Oh, your parents are here."
He was Prof. Han Myungjin who happened to come out to smoke a cigarette.
Suhyuk's parents looked at him as if they were asking who he was.
"This is the cardiothoracic surgery professor."
As soon as he said that, his mother bowed her head and said,
"How are you, professor? I'm Suhyuk's mother. Please take good care of my son!"
His father said the same thing, "I'm his father. Though he has a long way to go, I hope you can take good care of him, sir."
Prof. Han held his hands politely, saying, "You have a very good son."
"Oh, he has a long way to go. Please take good care of him, sir!"
"Ooops, I wish I brought some soft drinks here…"
Han shook his head at her remarks, adding,
"Don't say that. You're not here to visit a patient. I just wanted to say this, just thank you. I'm helped a lot thanks to your son. Thanks again for sending your son to Daehan Hospital. I just feel proud of him."
Gently surprised by the professor's remarks, their facial expression's became soft.
"Then let me go now as I'm busy."
Han disappeared, and they looked at him, feeling how commendable he was.
Soon Suhyuk's family got on the elevator.
The medical staff started with checking their height, weight, urine and eyesight tests.
As a rule, they are supposed to fill out questionnaire form and see the doctor before the test, but Suhyuk already filled out the form over the phone.
When they were having their bloodwork and X-ray test, Suhyuk was with them.
Their endoscopy was done by himself.
While they were sedated, Suhyuk focused on the screen illuminating their inside bodies.
Soon, two hours of tests was all done.
Coming down to the lobby with them, Suhyuk smiled.
He could find nothing abnormal from head to toe. Rather, they looked much healthier than their age suggested. It was fortunate for them.
"You must be hungry, right? There is a famous ginseng chicken soup restaurant across the street. Let's go there."
"Thanks to our doctor son, we had a free medical check-up, plus free meal!"
Of course, it was not free. Suhyuk got a discount, and paid for the remaining balance.
He just mentioned it was 'free' to his parents.
"Suhyuk!"
They turned their heads to the side when they heard some voice calling their son.
He was Prof. Kim Jinwook.
"Uh? Are you…"
It was Suhyuk's father who said first, "How are you, sir? I'm Suhyuk's father."
"Uh?"
Kim was surprised a bit, but instantly said gladly, "Don't you remember me?"
The couple looked perplexed at Kim's remarks, because they have never seen him before.
Kim bowed his head and said,
"How are you? Was it when Suhyuk was 16 years old? When he was hospitalized because of the traffic accident, I saw you several times…"
Only then did Suhyuk's mom make an expression as if she now remembered his face.
When was it that Suhyuk was diagnosed as a vegetative patient?
More than 10 years has passed already.
Frankly, the couple could not remember him. But he is still a doctor just like he was back then.
He must be in such a high position now.
"Ah, yes, we really appreciated it back then, sir. Thanks to your help, Suhyuk has become such a good man like this. Thanks again, sir."
At a loss for words, Kim bowed his head, because he did nothing at that time.
He was only an intern back then.
"Please take good care of my son, doctor!"
At her remarks, Kim shook his head.
"Well, I'm in a position to learn from him. You may not know it, but Suhyuk is very famous at Daehan Hospital."
The couple made a satisfactory expression.
Not only Han but also Kim just praised their son.
"Did you come here to see your son?"
At Kim's asking, Suhyuk replied, "They were here for medical check-ups. We're going out for a meal."
"Ah… Actually I haven't had a meal. Can I join?"
At his words, Suhyuk agonize a bit because it was a family get-together after such a long time. He did not want anybody else to join it at all. So, he had to ask for Kim's understanding.
"Sorry, but…"
"Why don't you join? Do you like ginseng chicken soup by any chance?"
Suhyuk's father cut off his words. How come his son dare refuse the professor's suggestion.
Though Suhyuk was recognized for his work, his social life was a train wreck.
"Yes, I like it so much!"
"Let's go together, then."
His mother also urged Kim to join, when Suhyuk tried to open his mouth.
She gently patted his back with a silent word that he should not talk.
Shaking his head, he just had to follow his parents' directions.
Then someone called, "Dr. Lee Suhyuk!"
All of them turned their heads to the side.
Prof. Lee Mansuk was walking toward them.
Kim was shaking his head slowly. What the heck was he doing…
Whenever he met Suhyuk, Lee would appear without fail like this.