Book Description:

The red line on the floor outside the operating room is a "forbidden zone" that ordinary people must not cross. Here, the professionalism, confidence, and frustration of physicians intersect with the helplessness, vulnerability, and resilience of patients, staging the joy of rebirth alongside the helplessness of having to give up!

Crossing this "red line" presents a series of challenges and a profound entrustment of life for both doctors and patients... At times, physicians hesitate and falter fearfully before the red line; at other times, they boldly cross it. Choosing between "steadfastness" and "challenge" is a highly agonizing and contradictory struggle. — Chang Jin-Gheane, Professor of Surgery, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University

I approached the operating table and took on the responsibility. One of my hands felt the slight vibration of the surgical instruments, while the other was placed gently on the patient to confirm the site. With a scalpel, I made an incision in the skin and cut down, entering the patient's body to complete the work and suture. Afterward, I walked slowly down the long corridor, crossed that red line on the floor outside the operating room, and approached the waiting family members.

This kind of life is an exhilarating tug-of-war between challenge and reward, hardship and achievement. Witnessing a brave patient recover after a grueling surgery brings a rush of excitement akin to scoring a touchdown in American football—a feeling shared by residents, students, and myself alike. Conversely, cases that do not go well leave me in agony and self-blame, causing heartbreaking pain for the patients, their families, and me.

I know of some surgeons who refuse to operate on AIDS patients, and I have always held those colleagues in contempt. How can these individuals accept only high incomes and prestigious status while refusing to bear any risk? The courageous dedication of past medical heroes now floats vividly in my mind.

Surgeons, please remember: what patients want is not just your skill, expertise, status, and appearance. What I, as a patient, and all patients truly want from you is a human gaze—one filled with comfort, compassion, and sincerity—and above all, putting your heart into it.

About the Author:

Richard C. Karl

Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He is a frequent contributor to the St. Petersburg Times and a columnist for Flying magazine. He currently resides in Tampa.