Chapter 35: Blind Test (5)

As he was leaving the locker room in his surgical scrubs, Dowook saw the people on the other side of the hallway and paused.

Faculty Members of the Korean Neurosurgery Society.

Those doctors in their 40s and 50s were people who could spend two nights and three days simply talking about opening their patients' heads and were able to maintain their preference for neurosurgery.

'So many of them came.'

It seemed Chief Ha Sang Joong's words at the conference a few days ago, stating the plans for the surgery, seemed to have worked pretty well.

Among them, a professor with a pleasant expression made eye contact, and Dowook bowed down reflexively.

Kim Leung, head of the brain tumor center at AN Hospital.

Dowook remembered him as a very eloquent speaker who had profound knowledge of tumor morphology as he had started his speech during last year's seminar lecture with a joke that beauty existed within the brain.

"Why aren't you moving?"

Kim Seung Tae, a second-year resident who was also going to participate as the last assistant, stood next to Dowook. Then, his jaw dropped as he saw the people lining up and moving towards the operating room.

"Woah. The head of AN Hospital center and the head of the Korea National University Hospital are also here? The Big 5 neurosurgeons are all here."

"I know, right?"

"If you make a big mistake in front of such prominent people, won't you be expelled from society? Do you want me to switch with a 3rd-year?"

At the nervous Kim Seung Tae's reaction, Dowook smiled.

"I won't even give you a task that you can make a mistake with. More than that, are you prepared to stand beside Prof. Choi for a few hours? He'd be a danger to you even if you don't make a mistake."

"Ah."

Dowook patted Kim Seung Tae's shoulder as he drowned in fear and pointed in the direction of the operating ward.

"Go quickly and carefully finish the setting. I'm going to see Chief Ha for a sec before I go in."

"Yes, but why are you like that Dr. Park?"

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you nervous?"

"Of course I am. It's a tough case."

"Woah. Worry about the surgery in this situation. You're different from when you were the chief resident."

"Be quiet. Move quickly."

"Yep."

After sending his junior away, Dowook realized.

He was more worried about the surgery's results than the gaze of the conference members. It was a mindset that would have been unimaginable when he first became Last Choi's assistant.

'Pressure can train people.'

No matter how difficult the many surgeries he did daily were, there was no better way to grow as a surgeon than this.

Once again firming his resolve, Dowook walked to Chief Ha, who was in the midst of welcoming guests at the entrance of the viewing room.

When he got closer, the first thing he saw was Chief Ha's grinning face.

"How many outsiders are there today?"

"I don't know. Oh! Welcome, Prof. Shin. Was there any traffic? You have to go this way."

Chief Ha guided another member of the association into the viewing room and looked at Dowook.

"About 30?"

"My god."

"I wasn't the one who invited them. They came of their own free will out of curiosity. And….."

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Chief Ha covered his mouth with one hand and answered in a softer voice.

"Hansung Hospital's Chief Joo also brought his student. He was even a visiting professor at UCLA. You know, right? Make sure to show your skills. So they know we're two levels above them."

"What kind of kid's argument is this? Before that, please help make sure it isn't noisy in the observation room."

"It would be better if Choi Hoo yells than for me to do it. These guys are the type not to let their mouths rest."

"Why is it always like that?"

"Ok. I'll try."

"I'm leaving."

Chief Ha's eyes widened.

"Leaving? You didn't come to greet the association professors?"

"Where would I have the time for that?"

Chief Ha watched with pride in his eyes for a moment as Dowook headed straight for the operating room after stating what he needed to say.

He didn't know when his student had become so reliable.

Inside a room where all the LED lights brightly lit the patient's head.

Dowook double-checked Jeong Woo-seok's 3D brain navigation video as he waited for Prof. Choi to come in exactly at the scheduled time.

Drrrk.

At 10 o'clock, Prof. Choi, who exuded his presence with just his large body, entered the room.

"Gown."

Prof. Choi, dressed in a sterile gown, stood at Dowook's right. At the same time, Choi Hoo's sense sharply dominated both of Dowook's hands.

An unusual patient losing his auditory nerves from birth due to a brain structure that was different from normal people. Surgery to plasticize his brain.

As soon as the plan was reported, it was a new operation with the highest level of difficulty that caused academic professors to rush over.

Aside from Choi Hoo, everyone in the surgical team waited for Dowook's instruction with nervous eyes.

"Let's begin."

The scalpel moved to the back of the patient's head, which had been shaved clean.

"Clip."

Based on the hair boundary line on the occipital side, the scalp was incised, the clip was fixed, and the flowing blood was suctioned, revealing the back of the skull.

Dowook made a hole in the back of the patient's head with a high-speed drill.

10 minutes later, a portion of the patient's skull was carefully placed in a storage container.

"Irrigation."

As soon as the water was sprayed, the brain was clearly seen.

And….

Dowook could not continue any follow-up work.

"This...."

No matter how advanced the video equipment looking into the body was, there was a difference when compared to the real thing. However, the amount of abnormal tissue tangled in Jeong Woo-seok's brain was much more serious.

Unlike in the MRI images, which showed a difference between normal and abnormal tissue, the real thing had no point of distinction in the brain folds because of arbitrary distortion.

It was impossible to judge which of them was pressuring the nerves.

At Dowook's groan, the one who was most nervous about this surgery and the patient's attending physician, Lee Won Seok turned on the mic in the viewing room.

-Why are you acting like that?

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Dowook turned to look at the viewing room.

"Would you like to see for yourself?"

When the microscope was removed and a regular surgical camera shone on the patient's head, sighs erupted throughout the viewing room.

Lee Won Seok also let out a groan like Dowook.

-Oh my God....

The chief of neurosurgery at the Korea National University Hospital clicked his tongue as he expressed his opinion.

-I told you there was a chance of this. Tumor surgery has a definite goal of eliminating a tumor. This is just a deformed structure. You need to properly specify a hypothetical tumor to attempt an incision.

-Agreed. If you just cut without knowing for certain, it's the same as simply cutting off all of the patient's nerves.

The person who agreed to this opinion was a famous professor at the National Center for Tumors.

Professor Lee Won Seok, who had been looking at the confusing reactions of the observers, asked Dowook.

-How would you like to proceed? Should we close first and make a more precise examination?

Dowook fell deep into contemplation.

As long as the first plan was wrong, it was correct to stop the procedure at this. You couldn't afford to lose other nerves just to save the auditory ones.

However, his tingling fingers were telling him there was a possibility of success. This feeling had not been wrong until now.

'Calm down. There is a way. I just can't explain it.'

The logic to explain the stability of this surgery that would be recognized by the many experts who came to visit. He had to find it.

As he was thinking, Dowook turned to look at the viewing room. Thinking about it, all the experts in the country were gathered there.

'Would it work?'

He slightly stretched out his hands in the direction of the viewing room.

Authorities in brain tumor, cerebrovascular system, cerebellum, cerebrum, and spinal structure. He didn't know who the senses belonged to, but all kinds of them kept stimulating his head.

Tingle.

'Ah.'

After repeatedly receiving senses, he got an idea. A doctor's sense was definitely easier to use than ones from other fields.

Deciding on the most obvious way to proceed, Dowook turned to the anesthesiologist.

"Please prepare to wake the patient."

"Did you decide to end the surgery? If you close the head I will….."

"No, get ready to wake the patient after this discussion. We'll proceed with an awake surgery."

"Whaat?"

Awake surgery.

It was a technique that was frequently used in brain tumor surgeries to repair tissues and check the aftereffects on patients.

At Dowook's instruction, the association members in the viewing room fell into a panic. Chief Ha, who had been quietly standing in a corner, jumped to the microphone.

-Hey, Park Dowook. What the hell are you saying? What about the psychological burden on the patient who suddenly wakes up with their head open? Did you at least explain properly?

"If it's Jeong Woo-seok, he won't have any problems with it. His calmness can't compare to anyone."

-Wow. Choi Hoo! Why are you keeping your mouth shut! You're also responsible for that, man!

Choi Hoo, who'd been looking with interest at the patient's brain, turned to the room full of people exchanging their opinions at the choice.

"First..."

-Yes?

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"If everyone except the main surgeon doesn't keep their mouths shut, we'll keep this surgery private."

All the professors became dumbfounded at the declaration from Choi Hoo, who could say such a thing as he had lived without caring for the reputation of the academic society.

Seeing everyone become so quiet in shock when nothing he'd said before the surgery had worked to stop them, Chief Ha scoffed.

Taking care of the noise, Choi Hoo turned to Dowook.

"If the patient moves even a little during tissue separation, his nerves will be torn. What do you plan to do about it?"

Dowook raised both his hands, which had accepted Choi Hoo's sense once again. Fortunately, countermeasures existed. This sense from the fingertips of a genius surgeon's epiphany, quick and accurate.

"We have to do it so he doesn't even feel it. With eyes and hands."

Choi Hoo looked directly into Dowook's eyes and nodded slowly.

"Agreed. Let's continue."

Since Choi Hoo was also pushing for it, Chief Ha lost his words.

Lee Won Seok went straight into the operating room to check the response of the patient in an awakening state. And all the members of the association watched in interest.

While the surgery, which he thought would raise the reputation of Myeong Sae Hospital's neurosurgery department, turned into chaos itself, Chief Ha watched Dowook despondently.

He didn't know when Dowook started just pushing his way forward.

Waking up from the anesthesia, the first thing Jeong Woo-seok realized was that it was too cold.

He wondered if it was the first time he'd shaved his head, but he couldn't feel anything from his neck up.

"Are you awake?"

It was the voice of his attending physician, Lee Won Seok.

"Is the surgery finished? It's very cold."

"It's because the operating room's temperature is set lower than usual to lower the metabolic rate."

"Operating…..room?"

"There were some variables in the middle, so we had to wake you up without prior consent."

Lee Won Seok calmly explained what an awake surgery was.

It was then Jeong woo-seok realized that he was in the middle of the operating room and he had a hole in his head.

It was explained to him that there were no pain nerves in the head, but there was even less pain than he thought.

A state which was both terrible and bizarre. He felt rather relieved he couldn't see it.

"We can continue the surgery in this manner or we can simply stop here. I know it must be uncomfortable even now, but please think about it carefully."

"Is it possible to succeed if we continue with the surgery like this?"

"That… Dr. Park. Can you answer?"

At Lee Won Seok's call, a young doctor's voice came.

"If we proceed with an awake surgery, we can minimize the aftereffects more than originally planned. If the patient cooperates with me on this."

Since he had lived for so long by listening to people's voices, he could distinguish between voices filled with pride and those with confidence.

This young doctor was filled with confidence. But could he trust it?

"Dr. Park Dowook. Let me ask one thing."

"Yes."

"When I was told I couldn't keep my hearing, I was ready to give up on music. However, you gave me hope. Is that hope still valid?"

"It is. All the top experts in the country are gathered here. I'm certain this is a better chance than at any other time."

There was not much confidence in this answer. But there was a peculiar belief. It was so sure and clear that Jeong Woo-seok's anxiety disappeared.

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"Let's try it. What do I need to do to cooperate?