[ Episode 1 ]
[ Taesan University Hospital ]
Hello.
I'm Yoon Hyun Il, the chairman of Taesan Hospital.
This afternoon,
at this hospital,
Minseng party's presidential candidate, Han Min Shik's
heart transplant operation will be held.
Two months ago, right before the election,
candidate Han Min Shik
received a left ventricular assist device transplant,
also known as an LVAD transplant at this hospital.
But at his request, we didn't publicize it.
The details of today's operation and
the progress of his recovery
will be explained by Dr. Choi Seok Han, who will be performing the operation.
I'm Choi Seok Han of the cardiothoracic surgery department at Taesan Hospital.
Today's operation entails
exchanging the candidate's heart, which has a ventricular assist device,
with a donor's heart.
The surgery is expected
to last four to six hours.
Following the surgery, if he has a smooth recovery,
he'll leave the hospital after a month
and resume campaigning after three months.
Therefore, he'll easily be able to finish the campaign,
and if he gets elected,
it'll be an unprecedented case worldwide
for a president who received a heart transplant
to fulfill his duty and finish his term.
Candidate Han Min Shik, who won in a landslide at the parliamentary election,
publicized his heart transplant
and showed that he's willing to confront the situation.
But since the rumor about his poor health turned out to be true,
it seems like it'll be a liability during the presidential election.
It appears that it will be hard to rule out the possibility of a re-election.
Those people always speak negatively about everything.
Don't worry about it too much, sir.
Sir, how are you feeling?
I'm okay.
You must be worried.
If I'm worried about this sort of matter,
do you think the people would let me rule the nation?
Yes.
On behalf of the hospital, I'll make sure that you won't be distracted from your important job.
I'll do my best.
If the operation goes smoothly,
I'll do my best as well.
It'll be smooth sailing to the Blue House.
It's a complicated surgery. Please take good care of him.
Complicated my a**. All you need to do is connect a few blood vessels.
Sir,
we'll start preparing for the operation soon.
[ Taesan University Hospital ]
Over here.
Please put it over there.
[ Mujin University Hospital ]
We're about to start soon.
I think we need to supply Taesan first.
Apparently, we need to extract the heart first because of Taesan.
Yes.
[ Hankuk Hospital ]
[ Taesan University Hospital ]
Well...
Taesan Hospital did the artificial heart transplant for Candidate Han Min Shik.
How did I not hear about that?
Tae Soo, you knew about it, didn't you?
You must've been the resident if it was Dr. Choi's operation.
Seriously...
I can't trust anyone.
This is why you can't trust someone from a different university.
Why aren't they starting yet?
Dong Joon.
Hey, Dong Joon.
How have you been?
Right, I heard that Candidate Han Min Shik is at your hospital.
Well...
that's why I'm here.
They can't do it without me.
We're in disarray because of your hospital, you know that?
Doctor.
I'm late because the surgery was prolonged. I'm sorry.
No worries.
I got here early.
Tae Soo.
Yes.
Chairman asked me to be in charge of
Candidate Han Min Shik's surgery.
Doctor,
- but the heart is... - Tae Soo.
Let's do it together.
We'll start soon.
Taesan Hospital, please get ready to extract the heart.
Tae Soo.
Taesan.
Dong Joon.
Huh?
I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you.
You mean the artificial heart surgery?
It's okay.
I understand you couldn't tell me.
Let's pray.
Thank you for your sacred love and for giving us our precious lives.
We hope the patient will have a comfortable journey to heaven.
Let's start.
Scalpel.
Can I have some gauze?
[ In Surgery ]
- We should call Doc to say we're on the way. - I'll call him.
We finished just now.
We'll be there in an hour if we leave now.
Yes.
Tae Soo.
Let's do it together.
Sir,
I'll soon administer the anesthetic and start the operation.
It finally feels real...
now that I'm lying down like this.
It'll be all done once you wake up.
Dr. Choi.
Please...
make sure to save me.
I'll see you after the operation.
Take a deep breath so your chest will inflate.
You'll fall asleep now.
Take a close look at
every single detail.
Of course, we will.
Dr. Kim is waiting in the adjacent room in case something goes wrong.
Everything will be fine.
Of course, it will be.
He's an extremely expensive patient.
Welcome.
The operation will start soon.
We trust you, Chairman.
Tae Soo,
we're here.
You should text him.
We see Taesan Hospital now.
We'll be arriving soon.
- Dong Joon. - What?
Loupe. I forgot my loupe.
What?
Could you get it for me? I have another one in the resident's office.
How could you forget your eyes?
But why do I have to go?
I have to prepare for the surgery.
I'll be on call for you this weekend.
This weekend?
Where is it?
It should be on the desk.
Okay.
Go get ready.
Okay, here we go.
Let's start the operation.
Scalpel.
Doctor.
I'm here, Doctor.
Where's Dr. Park?
What?
Where's Tae Soo?
I thought he was here.
He asked me to bring his loupe.
Is he not here?
I saw him going into the operating room.
- Dr. Koo. - Yes.
Find out what's happening.
Certainly.
Are you sure you came here together?
Yes, I'm sure he came in here.
He's not answering.
Pick up. Pick up.
[ Dr. Choi Seok Han ]
Yes, Doctor.
Dr. Park.
Where are you now?
Koo Dong Joon is already here.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
It's okay if you're running a bit late.
You're on your way now, right?
I'll be waiting in the operating room.
I don't think I can make it today.
Tae Soo.
We're almost there.
If we succeed in this surgery,
it's all over.
We can have all the things
we wanted back then.
Not what "we" wanted. You did.
Listen carefully, Tae Soo.
It's not too late now
to bring that heart here.
Please, Tae Soo.
Park Tae Soo!
[ Heart Surgeons ]
[ 2014 ]
Two, three!
What's her condition?
She came to a construction site to deliver food, and someone found her passed out.
How long ago was that?
About 20 minutes, apparently.
Patient, can you hear me?
Where does it hurt?
Stomach, my stomach.
Pick.
How far along are you?
Park Tae Soo, what are you doing here?
Get out.
Doctor.
Did you screw me over because you thought I was a joke?
If you think I'm a joke, why don't you teach me?
- That's not true. - Not leaving?
- I'll leave then. - I will.
You won't be allowed in any operating rooms.
Don't waste your time. Worry about where you'll
do your fellowship since you're a fourth-year resident.
Bring the fellow doctor here.
Do I have to waste my time on that kind of operation because of you?
Huh?
I'm sorry.
We're already short-staffed.
Do you think we don't do anything because we don't notice?
Can't you just pretend that you don't notice?
You're a resident here only because you were in cardiothoracic surgery.
You know that Haewon University grads aren't respected here, right?
You have to know your place, you fool.
The disciplinary meeting is today, right?
Yes.
You still have time. Think carefully.
I haven't operated on a child in a long time.
Is this why I can't see anything?
What's wrong with these vessels?
Here it is.
I knew I still have it.
Doctor.
I think that's the aorta.
What?
What do you know? [ Aorta: the main artery ]
Have you done a PDA surgery before?
No, but I do think that's the aorta.
This is your first PDA surgery. What do you know?
Just hold on to that. Suture.
Okay.
Residents these days are different.
They tend to be cheeky.
Let's just finish this up and go eat.
Doctor,
how's soondae soup for lunch today?
Cardiac arrest.
[ Cardiac arrest: Sudden loss of heart function ]
Please call Dr. Hwang.
- Right now. - Okay.
Dr. Hwang, we have a cardiac arrest.
What's going on? A cardiac arrest?
Let's switch hands.
I think the operation went wrong.
- What? - I think we should reopen and...
I'm Hwang Jin Chul of cardiothoracic surgery.
How dare you tell me what to do?
We need to open him again after checking his cardiac echo.
- We don't have time. - Shut up, you bastard!
Listen carefully.
The operation went fine, okay?
We need to reopen him.
This is Park Tae Soo.
Pardon?
Hello, Doctor.
Tae Soo.
Mom.
Aren't you busy?
What are you doing here?
I told you to stop delivering food.
It's okay. I like doing it.
I have to get going now.
It's not okay.
You're not going anywhere.
Just lie down.
Park Tae Soo.
Doctor.
Don't get up.
I heard that she passed out while working.
I'll examine her now. Don't worry.
It'll be fine.
Her son is a resident here.
Doctor.
My Tae Soo...
please take good care of him.
Don't worry.
He's very good at his job.
I'm the one who asks him for favors.
Isn't that true, Dr. Park Tae Soo?
Tae Soo,
listen to what he says, okay?
Tae Soo already
listens to whatever I say.
It's time for a CT scan.
Let them know that she's in my care.
Ask them to get the results ready ASAP.
Got it.
Shall we get going now?
Tae Soo,
I heard that you got kicked out of another operation.
Will you be able to call yourself a surgeon if you can't enter an operating room?
I admit it. It was my fault, my mistake.
As you already know, a doctor's career is over when they acknowledge their mistake.
No one would let me operate anymore.
You don't think you'll ever make a mistake?
What do you get out of it anyway?
Where will you do your fellowship? Huh?
Doctor.
Let's just let it go this one time.
I'm regretting it, too.
No doctor wants their patients to suffer.
Think about your mother. It seemed like she's had a hard life.
She should benefit from having a doctor as a son.
Don't you think?
Resident Park Tae Soo.
[ Discipline committee about death of an infant ] It was just your assumption that the surgeon
stitched up the aorta, right?
After the patient came to the ICU, the pulse on his lower body was weak.
It was also difficult to measure his blood pressure
and he couldn't urinate at all. Considering those facts,
I couldn't help but suspect that
he tied up the descending aorta during the operation.
In the OR that day,
there were seven medical staff members, and Dr. Park is the only one
insisting that it was malpractice.
You were the one who explained to the parents that he could die in the worst case scenario
and got their signature on the agreement,
weren't you?
That's correct.
It's not like surgeons are gods.
Sometimes we can't save them even though we did our best.
Whenever a patient dies,
if you accuse the surgeon of malpractice,
who's going to take care of the
suffering patients?
Who's going to take care of them?
You're right.
The video footage of the operation is no longer available now.
The operating surgeon's malpractice
can't be proved simply based on your opinion, Dr. Park.
The funeral has already
been held for the patient.
Anyway,
Park Tae Soo is a resident who's training under me.
It's to be expected since he lacks experience.
I'll teach him well.
Okay.
I think ending this now
might be good for Resident Park Tae Soo as well.
There is...
a video of the operation.
What?
I'm sorry.
Park Tae Soo, you bastard.
I deleted it. How does it still exist?
I took you in even though you didn't attend our university.
Is this how you return the favor?
Do you think you can still survive after this?
Didn't I tell you that I can't raise you, but I can destroy you?
You're finished, too.
Dr. Hwang Jin Chul of cardiothoracic surgery is
banned from doing surgeries for three months.
Dr. Hwang Jin Chul will be responsible for
everything regarding the lawsuit.
Yes, Woo Jin.
The results are in?
What?
It seemed like an emergency case.
It turned out to be your mother.
It's an AAA, isn't it?
[ AAA: Abdominal aortic aneurysm ]
I've never seen one so big.
She's so skinny.
How did she have something so big inside her blood vessel?
Didn't she notice it? It's big enough for you to feel it...
It's an impending rupture.
What?
It's about to burst?
Well...
I think we need to reserve an operation room right now.
What a relief we took a CT scan right away and found this.
I'm sure she'll be fine after the surgery.
Call Doctor now.
Why?
No one's available.
All the doctors are in surgery now.
There's no one?
How about Dr. Hwang Jin Chul?
Right, you guys had the disciplinary meeting today. How did it go?
Did you crush him?
Seriously...
Woo Jin, please watch my mom.
Why does it...
have to be like this?
[ Hwang Jin Chul ]
Doctor,
my mother has a AAA that's an impending rupture.
It was 8 cm according to the CT scan, and she also has high blood pressure.
She needs surgery right away then.
You know that there's a 95% chance that she'll die if the aorta explodes.
Chances of survival grow slimmer the longer you wait.
What are you doing right now?
Yes, Doctor.
I'll reserve an operating room, then.
Thank you, thank you, Doctor.
You should thank the doctor who'll do the surgery.
Doctor,
please do the surgery.
Please do it for...
my mother.
Doctor.
Okay.
Even though you stabbed me in the back,
we still need to save your mother.
Thank you.
Thank you, Doctor.
Schedule the surgery in three months.
You were there, weren't you?
Am I the only one who heard it?
I'm suspended from operating for three months.
It might take longer if the lawsuit is prolonged.
I think I went crazy for a moment.
You didn't make any mistake.
I was wrong about it.
She'll die if she doesn't get the surgery right now.
Since she'll die knowing she has a great son,
she'll feel some comfort from that.
[ Episode 2 will air shortly. ]
[ Episode 2 ]
Tae Soo, how did it go?
Mom, how are you feeling?
Tae Soo.
I felt like my stomach was about to explode,
but now...
my legs are tingling for some reason.
Move your toes. Can you do it?
That's good, Mom.
Tae Soo, her pain is getting worse. Should we get her some painkiller?
- Morphine, 3 ml. - Got it.
We need to take her to the operating room.
Dr. Hwang agreed to operate, right? It's a major emergency.
- I'll have to find someone to operate. - What?
I'm going to...
save my mom.
Her blood pressure is 80, and it's been an hour and a half since she arrived at the hospital.
She needs surgery right now since there's danger of an impending rupture.
Would that be possible?
I'm calling from the ER at Taesan University Hospital.
There's no cardiothoracic surgeon?
It's a 55-year-old female patient with a AAA in danger of an impending rupture.
She needs surgery right now...
Yes, I'll be waiting. Please give me a call.
No? Okay.
[ Taesan University Hospital ]
There's no ICU bed available?
Not even for a single person?
She's in a major emergency right now.
What if she got the surgery first and stayed in the recovery room for now?
Is there a surgeon available?
Okay.
There's no OR available?
It'll take at least an hour if we leave now.
Will there be a room available then?
If everyone says no, what is she going to do?
[ Taesan University Hospital ]
[ Congratulations, Yoo Hyun Il for director position ]
You want to build a hospital in Africa?
I've been thinking about it from the beginning.
That's what Father wanted, too.
If we have one in Africa,
we wouldn't have to transport the children on the plane anymore,
and it'd be good publicity for the hospital, too.
I thought it'd be good.
I'll submit the business plan to the board meeting soon.
It'd be nice if you don't oppose it.
As long as there aren't any issues...
This is my brother's first project as the director of a hospital.
I shouldn't oppose it.
Aigoo.
Thank you, Hyungnim.
The director is in, right?
The chairman is here for a visit.
Is that so?
I'll come back later then.
Aigoo, Chairman.
- Go in. - Yes.
[ Second Quarter Surgery Department Results ] - This is the report
of each department's surgery results for the first half of the year.
Since you became the director,
the results dramatically improved compared to last year.
- Is that so? - Yes.
It seems Dr. Choi Seok Han has been performing many more operations.
We're not sending any patients to him on our end.
What is it then?
Some patients come to him with referrals
and also from other hospitals...
If he gets more operations,
when will we be able to fire him?
The thing is...
The chairman doesn't allow me to fire him.
What is he thinking?
Oh, right.
What happened to the patient I sent?
I'll look into it right now.
Did you start the operation on Ms. Kim?
It's going smoothly.
Press on it! Bastard, press!
Hello?
It's nothing.
I'll call you when I'm done.
What?
Director is coming here?
Hey, buy me some time.
I just need a moment. Please.
Where's Dr. Choi?
Why is he not here yet?
- Bring him here right now! - Okay.
Dr. Choi, what took you so long?
Come, hold this.
They exploded while opening her up.
I can't open or close it. It's impossible.
Dang it!
Director will be here soon. Do it as quickly as possible.
- We don't have time! - Okay.
- Polyp. - Polyp, polyp, polyp!
Let go.
Balloon.
Anesthesiologist, give it just one minute.
Is it necessary to go there?
I'll report to you when it's done.
- Is there something wrong? - Pardon?
No.
I'm sure Dr. Koo is doing a good job.
He's a famous surgeon in our hospital.
Let's go.
I haven't seen him in a while.
Chairman is arriving soon.
I asked him to buy me some time. He's no help at all!
He's gone. Come out.
This is why I hate VIPs.
Something bad always happens.
They even call it a "VIP syndrome."
You know what I mean?
I'll buy you a drink later.
Thank you.
Do you still distribute your business cards to bring in patients these days?
You can't accept an emergency patient?
Is it not possible at all?
Okay. Seriously...
What's going on?
Resident Park's mother has a AAA, but we can't find a hospital for the operation.
No surgeon, OR, or ICU. She'll die while we're making these phone calls.
Someone left a business card recently.
Pardon?
Here it is.
He said he can accept emergency patients if it's an aorta case.
Taesan Hospital?
They said they don't have an operating room.
[ Choi Seok Han ]
Please...
- No answer? - The call is not going through...
Tae Soo, they told me that they don't have an operating room available.
They probably won't accept an emergency patient since they're so busy.
Let's keep looking. Start calling.
Hello?
This is Dr. Choi Seok Han of cardiothoracic surgery at Taesan Hospital.
- Did you call? - Yes, Doctor.
This is Park Tae Soo, a resident in cardiothoracic surgery at Joongsan University Hospital.
There's an emergency patient with a AAA with an impending rupture.
Tell me more.
It's a 56-year-old female patient with high blood pressure and no other conditions.
She came to the ER due to stomach pain two hours ago,
and an abdominal aortic aneurysm that's 8 cm was found on the CT scan.
She's on morphine for the pain,
her blood pressure is 90/60, and her heart rate is in the 90s.
I beg of you, Doctor.
How long will it take to get here?
Two and a half hours. No...
she can be there in two hours.
Come over then.
You don't know what'll happen, so prepare for an emergency before you leave.
Thank you.
Thank you, Doctor!
That's great!
We did it.
- Woo Jin, we're going to Taesan Hospital. - Okay.
Please get ready to transfer her.
- Prepare enough blood, too. - Okay.
Please get an ambulance ready.
Mom, wake up. Don't fall asleep!
- You'll be fine. - One...
Nam Woo Jin, what are you doing?
Were you going to go alone? I'll come with you.
I can't leave you two alone.
What if Section Chief needs you? It'll be a disaster...
Whatever. You should get on, too.
Please send her CT scan to Dr. Choi at Taesan Hospital.
- Please take care of it. - Okay.
One, two, three!
Tae Soo.
Mom.
If I go to a big hospital,
- it'll be expensive. - Mom.
Are you worried about that now?
I make a lot of money!
I told you to go to a hospital if you're in pain. Why didn't you?
This wouldn't have happened if you went earlier.
If your hospital can't cure me,
I can't be treated, can I?
I'm okay.
Don't say that!
You're about to die in front of me.
Tae Soo, what are you saying to her?
Mother.
Tae Soo is frustrated right now. Don't listen to him.
It's not true what he says.
I'm sorry, Tae Soo...
I'm your parent...
but I only make you suffer.
If you're going to say that,
why did you come to our hospital in the first place?
Stop that, seriously!
Mom,
listen carefully.
Until we arrive in Seoul,
you can't fall asleep.
Okay?
You can't do that.
The doctor who'll perform your surgery is in Seoul.
He's waiting for us right now. He'll start as soon as we arrive.
You just need surgery. Don't worry about anything.
Please don't worry about money.
You promised me, okay?
Okay?
Don't fall asleep!
It's nice to stare at my son's
face for such a long time.
Hello.
I'm looking at the CT scan right now.
It had already ruptured and the blood is leaking.
I hadn't noticed that.
Isn't her stomach inflating?
She must be bleeding a lot.
I'm not sure about that.
It doesn't look so abnormal.
It's a miracle that she's alive now.
She won't make it here. Go back and operate.
We can't go back.
She can't be operated on even if she went back.
We'll get there no matter what. Please make sure to...
save her.
She'll die on her way here!
She'll make it there alive no matter what.
I'll wait.
Okay.
Don't worry.
It'll be fine.
She needs blood.
A AAA rupture case will be arriving before five.
Please prepare for an emergency operation.
[ Cardiovascular Cath Lab ]
[ Filming ]
One more stent and we'll be done.
My chest is...
feeling tight all of a sudden.
I'll call the cardiac surgeon.
It's okay. It's not a big deal.
Her feet are cold.
Woo Jin, there's warm saline inside the heating cabinet, right?
Here they are.
Woo Jin, how far away are we?
Driver, how far away are we?
We're almost there. We'll be there soon.
We're almost there.
That crazy bastard. What kind of driving is that?
Mom!
Mom, can you hear me?
- Mom! - Mother!
The saturation is dropping.
Woo Jin, we need to intubate.
Okay.
I'll do it. I'll do it.
Woo Jin, hurry.
- Hurry up! - All right. Okay.
Here we go. Pull.
It went in nicely.
The saturation is going up.
Hello?
How is she?
Doctor,
just now, the blood pressure went up to 150
and it's lower than 40 now, and the heart rate went up to 140,
and now it's falling suddenly.
It's a secondary attack. You have a scalpel?
Yes, I do.
Open her up right now and grab her aorta.
What?
That's the only way right now. Hurry and open her up.
You going to kill the patient?
What?
We'll open up her chest.
Get the instruments ready.
What?
Open her chest here?
Betadine.
Are you crazy?
Geez!
Scalpel.
Geez, seriously!
Scalpel!
Geez...
Tae Soo...
Seriously!
I... I got it.
I got it!
Woo Jin, blood.
Hurry up and give me blood!
Nurse, blood please!
- Woo Jin, how far away are we? - We'll be there in 10 minutes.
We'll transfuse the blood now.
We'll arrive in 10 minutes!
A patient will arrive in 10 minutes.
Be prepared.
- Dr. Goo. - Yes?
- Go down and bring in the patient. - Yes, sir.
Who is it?
What kind of patient?
This room is open.
Dr. Choi!
Director, what brings you here?
You'll have to perform an emergency surgery.
An urgent patient is arriving soon.
This time, too...
Is it someone you received after passing out your business card?
You didn't have any patients, Dr. Choi.
How did you manage to have more patients?
I understand you.
It's also beneficial to Taesan Hospital
for you to do surgeries through such means.
However...
if there's an urgent patient within the hospital,
shouldn't you operate on that patient first?
She has an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
If I don't operate on her, she'll die.
Her survival rate is below 5% even with the surgery.
Why operate on a patient who'll die anyway!
My patient's coronary artery burst.
He'll live as long as we operate on him.
Who do you think should be operated on?
The patient, who's been travelling here for two hours, has put her faith in me.
Tell her to go to another hospital.
Director.
You think I'd have just any doctor operate on my patient?
This is an opportunity for you as well, Dr. Choi.
I'm sorry.
Does it...
sound like I'm making a request, Dr. Choi Seok Han?
[ Emergency Room ]
How did this happen?
Take this and go upstairs.
We're from Joongsan Hospital.
- What are you doing? Hurry! Hurry! - Slowly...
Slowly...
Okay, slowly...
Again. We'll turn as much as we can.
Let's go.
OR #20 on the left side at the end.
Mom... we're almost there. You did good.
Here, here, over here...
Tae Soo.
Tae Soo!
An urgent surgery came up. You have to take her to another hospital.
You must be kidding.
Where do we go now!
Dr. Choi Seok Han.
Dr. Choi Seok Han!
An urgent patient came up within the hospital.
What are you talking about?
Do you know how we got here?
Can't you see this?
I did as you told me! You said you'd wait for us!
I'm sorry.
You're sorry?
How can you...
say that right now?
You think we came all the way here to hear that?
Please leave.
If we leave, she'll die!
Shut up and operate on her now!
Shut up and operate!
We'll begin. Scalpel.
What are you doing? Huh?
Are you crazy?
Stop it now! Stop!
You told us to come!
Isn't this too harsh?
Do you know how we got here?
Can't you see this?
Dr. Goo Dong Joon.
I mean...
No!
- Don't touch it. - You can't!
- Don't touch! - I'm sorry.
- If she dies... - Don't touch this!
If my mom dies, you're all dead!
Doctor! Don't push it.
Doctor!
Doctor...
Please save my mom!
Doctor!
Please save my mom, Doctor!
Doctor, stop it.
Doctor!
How can you call yourselves doctors!
You call yourselves doctors?
Mom...