Chapter 82: Proof of Genius (2)

[It's Loeys-Dietz syndrome.]

"Yeah. Probably... It seems almost certain."

Despite correctly diagnosing the condition, Suhyuk's face was not particularly bright.

In fact, it seemed even darker than before.

"Loeys-Dietz syndrome..."

Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

It was a disease with an unfamiliar name and difficult pronunciation.

Most doctors probably didn't even know such a disease existed.

It wasn't the kind of disease you'd learn about in medical school.

It was an extremely rare condition.

"The prognosis must be poor."

Indeed, it was a condition with a severe prognosis.

Marfan syndrome, a more well-known congenital disorder affecting connective tissue, had a better prognosis compared to Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

The average life expectancy for patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome was only 26 years.

"Where is the patient?"

Meanwhile, the emergency room became noisy as the thoracic surgeons arrived.

Turning around, Suhyuk saw several doctors who had taken off their gowns.

Typically, internal medicine doctors wouldn't even unbutton their gowns, let alone wear ties.

In contrast, thoracic surgeons had a distinct appearance that clearly set them apart from other hospital staff.

"Ah, Dr. Thoracic Surgery."

Suhyuk bowed to someone he recognized.

It was the same person he had seen during the cardiac catheterization with Hyunjong.

The person immediately recognized Suhyuk.

It wasn't surprising.

After all, Suhyuk had published a paper in the NEJM based on the patient he saw that day.

"That... Yes, what?"

Honestly, he didn't think he could have published the same paper just because he saw the patient.

Still, he felt a bit disappointed.

Perhaps that's why the look in the other person's eyes wasn't very friendly.

"The patient is suspected of having aortic dissection?"

The words that came out were not particularly polite.

In fact, they were quite sharp.

[He's jealous of Suhyuk.]

Baruda analyzed the tone with a nonchalant air, as if it were nothing new.

Suhyuk remained calm.

'Why do people act like this?'

Whether in internal medicine or other departments, there were always people who didn't like him.

Of course, with his solid backing and exceptional skills, no one dared to openly challenge him.

But there were many who subtly provoked him.

"Yes, it's suspected."

So, Suhyuk responded with a slight tilt, leaning on one leg.

While the other was a fellow and he was a resident, there was a difference in rank.

But in the end, they were all doctors from different departments.

Mutual respect was the rule.

Suhyuk wasn't the type to be a pushover, especially when the other party broke the rule first.

"What makes you suspect it?"

"On the echocardiogram, there was observed dilation at the root of the aorta."

"Transesophageal?"

"No, just through the chest."

The thoracic surgery fellow smiled with satisfaction.

While it didn't really hurt Suhyuk, he was satisfied with the slight embarrassment he caused.

'You can't mess with Hyunjong, can you?'

He wanted to pick a fight with Dr. Hyunjong, but the head of thoracic surgery would be a tough opponent.

So, he had to target the relatively easier Suhyuk.

"Aortic dissection needs to be confirmed with a transesophageal echocardiogram, don't you know, Dr. Suhyuk? You're a second-year resident, right? Why didn't you consult a cardiology fellow first before calling us?"

"I know it needs a transesophageal echocardiogram. However, when the clinical symptoms of aortic dissection are clear and the dilation is evident on the echocardiogram, the principle is to get a CT scan as quickly as possible and proceed to the operating room, isn't it?"

He expected Suhyuk to be flustered, but Suhyuk's response was not easy to handle.

Honestly, a second-year resident should have already caved in when faced with criticism.

But this guy answered without batting an eye.

What made the thoracic surgery fellow even more frustrated was that Suhyuk's argument was sound.

It was obvious that surgery should be performed as soon as possible when the condition was clear.

'Damn it.'

But the fellow had brought two residents with him.

Backing down now would be a loss of face.

'Maybe I shouldn't have picked on him? He's a genius... this guy...'

On one hand, he was already regretting it.

He decided to try one more time.

"Principle? The principle is correct, but how accurate can a second-year resident's eyes be to have such confidence? If the patient is 18 years old, shouldn't you consider the possibility that it's not aortic dissection?"

It was more forced this time.

Honestly, it felt almost like a tantrum.

One of the residents who had interned with Suhyuk was already turning his head.

'You're disgusting... sir...'

The rumor of Suhyuk being a genius wasn't just circulating within the internal medicine department.

It had spread to other hospitals.

The story had permeated every corner of the hospital, regardless of department.

Even the reactions of various professors to Suhyuk were circulating, including Dr. Hyunjong's sigh.

[Why did heaven create a genius like Suhyuk and then injure his leg?]

A kind of poem lamenting that just when he finally found someone to whom he could pass on all his knowledge, that person couldn't stay in cardiology due to his leg injury.

While it was a bit clumsy for a poem, the meaning was clear.

'Nowadays, when Suhyuk is on Dr. Hyunjong's team, he almost always does the echocardiograms... He can't possibly be wrong...'

Just as one of the residents behind him was losing his resolve, Suhyuk, with a confident smile, turned slightly.

The patient's appearance then caught the attention of the thoracic surgeons.

The wide distance between the eyes was particularly noticeable.

It was abnormally wide, to the point where it required a medical interpretation rather than just being a distinctive feature.

"The patient has hyperelorism, or wide-set eyes, and a bifid uvula. Given the dilation observed at the root of the aorta on the echocardiogram, we can suspect a certain syndrome. In this syndrome, aortic dissection is very common. It's the most common cause of death. Isn't this enough to be certain?"

Suhyuk deliberately didn't mention the name of the syndrome, only describing its characteristics.

As if to say, 'You should all know this, right?'

Naturally, the two residents who were tagging along had no idea what to suspect.

"Do you know?"

"No."

"Indeed, a genius..."

"So..."

They were just having this conversation.

In other words, all the residents had lost their resolve, and the problem was that the fellow felt the same way.

'Come on, think!'

He had been sending endless encouragement to his brain, but the response was always the same.

'I don't know... It won't come to me just by wasting time...'

But he couldn't pretend not to know.

The Suhyuk in front of him seemed to know everything.

'What should I do?'

So, he decided to say something, anything.

"Y-Yeah... T-That... T-That..."

"That? Say the name clearly."

"Do you think I don't know the name?"

"No. I'm just confused about the pronunciation. Could you tell me how you usually pronounce it?"

"Hmm."

Suhyuk was putting the other person in a corner.

[Wow... You're doing well now, huh?]

'It's thanks to you.'

Suhyuk, recalling Baruda's teasing, looked at the fellow with a more intense expression.

The fellow's face was red, and there was a worry that it might burst if left unchecked.

[Should we stop now? Unless you want to be enemies with thoracic surgery forever. Rumor has it that this fellow is likely to become a clinical instructor.]

'Really? Then... I'll keep seeing him?'

[Yes. If Suhyuk becomes a professor here. You keep saying it like it's a done deal...]

'Isn't it?'

[Currently, I'm almost 100% sure.]

'But why do you say it like that? Anyway, let's stop.'

[Yes. Suhyuk, that's a good idea.]

Having thought this far, Suhyuk looked at the fellow again.

The fellow was still whining like a restless puppy, constantly checking Suhyuk's reaction, almost like a dog with its tail between its legs.

'Disgusting...'

'Why did you even challenge me...'

The faces of the residents behind him were clear enough without any analysis.

So, Suhyuk spoke up.

"Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Is that correct?"

Hearing this, the fellow involuntarily sighed.

It was a name he had never considered, but it was also a name he had heard once from a professor.

"Yeah... That's right."

He sighed in relief a few more times and nodded.

"Then, we should immediately get a chest CT and go to the operating room, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Yes, thank you. If you perform the surgery, we will continue to consult on Loeys-Dietz syndrome."

"Uh-huh..."

The fellow, with his shoulders slumped, approached the patient.

After checking the ultrasound images Suhyuk had taken, he hurriedly headed to the CT room.

To Suhyuk, it was just a bit of teasing.

But as a doctor, he couldn't delay when a patient's life was at stake.

[Do you need any advice on the surgery?]

Baruda chattered, watching the quickly disappearing thoracic surgery fellow.

Suhyuk, thinking he would have liked to hit Baruda on the back of the head if he had one, responded.

'He's not the one doing it; it's the professor. Don't you know? Our hospital's thoracic surgery department... is world-class.'

[Of course. Hyunjong practically built it.]

Hyunjong's aggressive procedures saved many patients but also led to many complications.

The thoracic surgery department at Tae-hwa Medical Center handled the aftermath, improving their skills to a world-class level.

Despite this, the fame went to Hyunjong, which understandably caused some resentment.

"Senior... You're so cool. What exactly is Loeys-Dietz syndrome?"

Just as he was about to say something, Haeun, who had been standing like a scarecrow, finally spoke, her eyes full of admiration.

'Does she like me?'

Suhyuk's expression suggested he might be thinking such a thing.

[Shall we curse a bit? It's been a while.]

Baruda, however, had a different reaction.

'No, don't.'

[I will. I want to.]

'If you're going to do it, why ask?'

[It's a matter of respect for Suhyuk, the only input/output device.]

'If you're going to respect me, do it properly...'

[Are you crazy? Human?]