Chapter 96 - Wrist Reconstruction \[3\]

Chapter 96: Wrist Reconstruction [3]
 
Heo Jun looked at Ganghyuk with awe.
He could not believe Ganghyuk at all.
The human ligament was not textile.
How could he lengthen it?
‘If the president of the hospital heard, he would say I was crazy.’
Even in modern medicine, they did not use the expression ‘lengthening’ the ligament.
It was almost impossible, but as far as the wrist ligament was concerned, it would be a different story.
‘It is theoretically possible, and…’
He looked at his own hands.
They did better jobs in difficult operations.
‘I am sure they will do it.’
He could remove the ligament from the narrow tunnel.
It was not an easy thing to learn.
Ganghyuk did not learn it.
It was his God-given talent.

Dolseok, you can lift it now.


Ah, yes. It was hard.

Dolseok raised the cut section of the wrist he had pulled.

Yeoni, pull it down.


Yes, sir.


Dolseok, upward. You don’t need to lift it. Just show me a crack.


Yes, that is easier.

Dolseok and Yeoni made a hole for Ganghyuk to see inside.
He could see the structures of the wrist below and above the parallel wrist ligament.

Heo.

Heo Jun murmured.
Who could see someone like him living in Joseon?
Maybe in the battlefield?
However, on the battlefield, he would not be able to witness such a clean anatomic structure. They must be contaminated with blood and other alien substances.

Wos.

Heo Jun seemed to see the section even twisting his neck of the body.
He tried his best to see the section.
‘It is nothing.’
Ganghyuk smiled, watching Heo Jun trying his best to see the structure.
Heo Jun was surprised at seeing the wrist structure.
If Ganghyuk showed him the internal organs, his surprise would be off the charts.
‘Shall I try?’
While he was in Hanyang, he would like to teach Heo Jun.
Then it might be better if they had to perform a dissection on a dead body, an autopsy.
‘To see is to believe.’
Ganghyuk remembered his first autopsy.
In the laboratory with the smell of formalin.
Twelve corpses were in the lab.
They laid on the 12 stainless steel table one by one.
At first, he was afraid to go near the table.
The dead body was dry with formalin process after blood removal.
However, they still had a face and they were still human bodies.
‘It was a short time only.’
He learned a lot from the autopsy. He remembered the joy of finding structures he had learned in the textbook and knowing the anatomical knowledge he had acquired during the process.
It was a strong stimulus to Ganghyuk who dreamed of being the best surgeon known to men.
‘Ok, after this I will perform autopsy for Dr. Heo. The other ones might be present.’
Ganghyuk started operating Gwanghae’s wrist with the thought that he could not be tolerated in Joseon.
He lifted the ligament with a tweezer upward, about 0.5 centimeters.
Normally, there should be a hole around this area, but in this case, he could not make one.
The swollen structures filled the gap.

Who among you know the problem here?

Ganghyuk asked without expecting a good answer.
Dolseok and Yeoni did not say anything.
Makbong fell asleep a long time before.
Yeoju was busy with drawing.

Em…It is too tight.


Oh.

Heo Jun was different.
He did not have any anatomical knowledge, he could make an answer.
‘If he was a student, I would give him an A+’
He was a very strict professor. If he thought a student deserved an A+, others would give an A+ too.
Ganghyuk nodded his head with a smile of satisfaction.

Yes, yes. Even though I made some space, it’s still too tight. Therefore, it hurts around this area.

Ganghyuk looked at Gwanghae with pitiful eyes.
Although he fell asleep like a child…
When he first encountered him that day for the operation, his face looked really terrible.
‘He was very patient although he’s young.’
Ganghyuk could not understand him as he himself was a crybaby.
Heo Jun showed the same expression.
Heo Jun might feel sorry for Gwanghae since he was serving for him.

Ah, I am sorry for His Highness. I could not help him, although I am working in the public office to take care of His Highness.


Em…We cannot help it because it’s a structural problem, but he could manage to endure it up until now because you have taken care of him well.


I must learn from you.


I will teach you as much as I can.

The lecture would shock him though.
Ganghyuk did not continue.
‘I cannot say anything about my plan to make an autopsy in the palace.’
Autopsy.
In Joseon, there was posthumous execution for taking out corpses from coffins and cutting their limbs and their head from their body.
If somebody saw them performing an autopsy, they would be shrieked.
They might be thrown to Euigeumbu.
‘No, I do not want to be in Euigeumbu again. Especially as a criminal.’
He had been in Euigeumbu many times when he was in Gichukoksa.
However, at that time, he was a torturer.
The tortures he witnessed were unbelievable.
They treated human bodies as if it was an object, like a peanut.
They fried, roasted, and hit…

Anyway, we have a good solution here.

Ganghyuk could be called a divine surgeon, but Heo Jun was a total beginner.
To teach a student, it was very important to be on the same page.
If he tried a difficult operation right out of the bat, he would only experience despair.

Oh, what is it?


It is all to cut here.

Ganghyuk pulled the parallel wrist ligament adding some more strength.
When pulling it over a centimeter, he could see some cracks. Ganghyuk did not miss the crack and pushed the scissors in it.

Like this.

Ganghyuk moved the scissors decisively.
With sounds being heard from within, the parallel ligament was cut, and the structures pressed by the ligament came out.
Among them, very important structures were mixed such as nerve medianus, arteries, and finger ligaments.

Is it ok to leave like this?


Yes, usually.


Eum, they will not be broken?

Heo Jun pointed his finger at the half remaining parallel ligament.
It was not a groundless worry.
There were some cases that it broke.

If he did not use his wrist too much it would be okay, but if he took exercises and erased too vigorously after every painting, it will…

If he did not give too much burden on the wrist, he could live without problems.
However, the problem was that he must use his wrist even when he did not want to.
He must fight with the Japanese and command the army of Joseon. He must write letters to report the battlefield situation.
Heo Jun knew Gwanghae’s propensity and his face showed his worries.

He would not listen to us even if we told him not to exercise too much. He would surely draw paintings…


Yes, I think so.

Ganghyuk answered, watching the face of Gwanghae.
Although he did not learn physiognomy, he could read some from people’s face.
He had met countless patients while working in the hospital.
When a patient came into the examiner’s room, sometimes he would feel a bad feeling. This was how he knew that he knew he would be a difficult patient.
‘Gwanghae might be one of them…’
Patients who were stubborn and refuse to listen to the doctor’s instructions.
Patients who visited the clinic over and over again with the same disease.
Patients whose disease recurred after the recovery…
As far as Ganghyuk read on Heo Jun’s face, Gwanghae was this type of patient.
Those who do what they want no matter what costs.

Then how?


Did you forget that I had removed this?

Ganghyuk swayed the piece he removed from Gwanghae’s palm.
Heo Jun’s face brightened.

Aha, that was what you meant by lengthening the ligament.


Yes, now the role of the assistants is important.

Ganghyuk used scissors again.
After some time, the parallel ligament was completely cut. The structures inside flew down.

Dolseok, Yeoni. Take these structures. Hold them fast.


Yes, sir.

The first one who held the structures was Yeoni.
Since she was a martial art expert, she moved with precise agility.
She had skillful hands too.
Dolseok was not stupid, and he could hold structures as he was told.

Okay. Hold them fast. I will finish it quickly.


Yes, sir.

Ganghyuk put the ligament piece on the section of the parallel ligament and sutured.
It was a fast and accurate suture, but there was no one who could exclaim at his accuracy and speed.
Ganghyuk praised himself.
‘If the president of hospital saw it, he would raise my salary.’
Ganghyuk pulled the ligament, sighing.

Eum. It is strong. Now to the opposite side… Pull it. I can do it better when you pull it as tight as possible.


Yes, sir.

Yeoni and Dolseok pulled the ligament upward and downward stronger.
Due to their good assistance, it was much easier this time.
It was an extraordinary suture, but unfortunately, nobody recognized it.
‘Alas. How could you know this is an international level skill…’
Ganghyuk consoled himself, and let the suture tools down.

Okay. You can leave it.


Ah. Yes.

Yeoni and Dolseok left the structures then the space in it started to fill up.

Let’s see.

Ganghyuk pulled the tight parallel ligament with a tweezer.
When he pulled, a crack emerged instantly.
He smiled confirming the operation was very successful.

Good. Very good. He will not have any difficulties anymore.


Is that true?


Yes, if I close the skin before he wakes up, then that’s all there is to it.


Thank you. Ah, he is waking up.

Heo Jun pointed out that the fingertips of Gwanghae were starting to move.

Oh, we need to hurry up.

Ganghyuk moved his hands with tremendous speed.
The assistants, Dolseok and Yeoni, could not keep up with his movement, even if they work together.
When Gwanghae moved his fingers once again, all his wound from the operation closed.
When he woke up, it was already bandaged.

Eum, eum…?

The anesthetic had a brief effect of erasing one’s memory.
Gwanghae could remember the situation after some efforts to remember it.

Ah, how is it?


Your highness, it is all done very well.


Ah, good.

Gwanghae moved his fingers.
He tried to move his wrist, but he could not.
Ganghyuk covered it with bandages.

Your highness, you should give your wrist some rest.


Eum

Gwanghae did not insist.
He was sorry for not listening to Ganghyuk’s instruction before and had to have an operation.

How long should I not use it?


About ten days.


Ok, ten days.


I will see you everyday during the period.


Good. Thank you.


Now, please take a rest, Your Higheness.

Ganghyuk came out of the room.
Heo Jun followed him closely.

You are amazing.


Its nothing.


I would like to do the operation.


I am thinking of a new educational method.


Really?


I have a question. Do you know where people die in Hanyang?