Doctor X hits 20.2% peak rating after successful pediatric surgery

The SBS drama 'Doctor X' reached a peak viewership rating of 20.2% on the 7th following an unprecedented surgery on an 8-year-old child. The successful procedure, involving the external resection and autotransplantation of six organs, has helped the program remain the top-rated show across all channels for five consecutive weeks.

In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X', eight doctors—including Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won), Jang Hee-sook (Lee Jung-eun), Boo Seung-gwon (Son Hyun-joo), Park Tae-gyeong (Kim Woo-seok), Jo Won-jin (Lee Jin-hee), Do Yoon-sik (Kim Yeong-min), Bae Heung-gon (Lee Seong-uk), and Kim Seong-jin (Heo Jun-seok)—joined forces to achieve a historic success by performing an unprecedented "abdominal multi-organ external tumor resection and autotransplantation" on an 8-year-old child. Following this dramatic event, episode 10 of 'Doctor X' reached a peak viewership rating of 20.2%, marking a phenomenal surge. The national and metropolitan rating stood at 17.7%, proving a powerful upward trend. This performance secured the number one spot in its time slot and has remained the top-rated program across all channels for five consecutive weeks. Notably, the 2049 rating reached a peak of 8% and an average of 7.2%, proving its intense popularity among the key demographic.

Unprecedented External Resection Achieved by 8 Doctors and Joining Medical Staff

The 10th episode of 'Doctor X', aired on the 7th, opened with a flashback where Jang Hee-sook reminded Gye Su-jeong of her sense of duty as a physician. Jang Hee-sook stayed by Gye Su-jeong's side to help her focus on the surgery, stating, "For this patient, you are the only one right now, and therefore, you are everything. That is what a doctor is." Returning to the present, Gye Su-jeong poured all her strength into saving the life of 8-year-old pediatric cancer patient Lee Hyun-ah, recalling Jang Hee-sook's teachings. However, even with the addition of Jang Hee-sook and Do Yoon-sik, the medical team was insufficient to handle the surreal surgery, which required removing six organs externally to remove tumors before re-implanting them. As Gye Su-jeong, Jang Hee-sook, Park Tae-gyeong, Jo Won-jin, and Do Yoon-sik fought a difficult battle, Boo Seung-gwon and Bae Heung-gon, who were attending a resident meeting, refused to vote and instead left the meeting to join the surgery. Expressing his conviction while leaving the voting hall, Boo Seung-gwon said, "There is only one place where today's surgery is happening. A small child is lying in a massive operating room. If we are true surgeons, where should we be? This is my choice." Upon their arrival, Do Yoon-sik could not hide his joy, shouting, "Hyun-ah, you lived!" Amidst pressure from the Magnolia Society, Kim Seong-jin, a professor of emergency medicine, also joined the operation. After eight doctors, ranging from the hospital director to interns, united to continue the procedure, they finally achieved the dramatic success of the high-difficulty surgery that was deemed impossible.

Crisis Following Surgical Success and the Patient's Counterattack

The success of the surgery did not resolve all issues. Core members of the Magnolia Society, including Goo Bon-pyeong, raised concerns regarding the risks of the surgery, whether IRB approval had been obtained, and the participation of external medical personnel not authorized by the hospital. However, Gye Su-jeong remained steadfast in her will to save the young life, declaring, "I will make sure Hyun-ah becomes an adult." Boo Seung-gwon also took a firm stand, calling out Goo Bon-pyeong in the observation room by name and declaring, "I will proceed with this surgery to the end by the authority of the director." Following the surgical success, the Magnolia Society took disciplinary action against the medical staff of Guseo University Hospital and notified Gye Su-jeong of her contract termination. The situation took a new turn when Lee Hyun-ah's mother declared she would sue not only the participating doctors but also the main branch of Guseo University Hospital, its branch, and the foundation. This was a counterattack coordinated with Jang Hee-sook. Mentioning that Lee Hyun-ah had been sent to the branch because the main branch claimed there were no more options, the mother sought to hold the hospital and the foundation accountable, which ultimately led the Magnolia Society to suspend the disciplinary measures. Gye Su-jeong, who had always refused any actions for the sake of social ties, had a dinner with the participating doctors and said, "Thank you for your hard work," while Do Yoon-sik confessed, "It feels like a dream what I did today; I saved a person. I saved a child's life."

Shocking Ending and the Appearance of New Character Kim Seung-hyo

At the end of the episode, the appearance of a new character, Kim Seung-hyo, raised tensions to a peak, leaving Gye Su-jeong, Park Tae-gyeong, and Jo Won-jin in shock. Kim Seung-hyo is the founder of 'White Wings,' the medical volunteer organization Gye Su-jeong belonged to, and is a figure respected as a "great benevolence of this era" and a "god" for conducting humanitarian medical activities in third-world countries. Arriving at Guseo University Hospital for a heart transplant, he surprised everyone by designating Jo Won-jin as the guardian and Gye Su-jeong as the operating surgeon. This was followed by a shocking reversal in the character of the "sunny intern" Park Tae-gyeong, which froze the audience: Park Tae-gyeong attempted to suffocate the sleeping Kim Seung-hyo with a pillow. Jo Won-jin, watching this, did not intervene, and the tension exploded when Gye Su-jeong entered late and hurriedly stopped him. At that moment, the episode ended with Kim Seung-hyo opening his eyes and delivering the meaningful greeting, "It's been a long time, Doctor X," heightening curiosity.

Conclusion and Future Development

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Doctor X', produced with a total of 12 episodes, has only two episodes remaining until its conclusion and airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.

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