Kandra surgeon question

[DoctaDajman]

I remember a scene where Melaan reached into Marasi and basically plugged a hole as well as grew some graft for an organ. But I worry this may be the mendela effect working on my poor mind this morning. 

Can a kandra grow grafts of any soft tissue organ for a person and mimic the typing enough for it to take?  What is the extent of this?  Can a kandra reach into a person and grow back all of their injuries (non bone related) for them leaving a nicely patched skin graft at the end?  Can a kandra grow and give someone a blood transfusion in a pinch as well?  

Thinking of making a beefy field surgeon of a kandra and curious what lengths they can heal other people. 

Obviously other methods in the cosmere can heal faster but a kandra with some bendalloy filled harmonium cubes might make for a devestatingly effective healer no?  

[BigBadBagsworth He/him/his]

In Tress and the Emerald Sea,

 

 

Spoiler

a Kandraa named Ulaam is the ship's surgeon, and I pressume that that's exactly what he's there for; there aren't any wounds bad enough that he would need to do that, so he always just used ointments, but it makes sense for him to be able to do what you describe.

 

[Treamayne]

1 hour ago, DoctaDajman said:

Melaan reached into Marasi and basically plugged a hole as well as grew some graft for an organ. But I worry this may be the Mandela Effect working on my poor mind this morning

BoM Ch 21

Spoiler

“How is it?” Waxillium’s voice asked. Marasi opened her eyes to see him leaning over, and she found herself blushing at her state of near-nudity. Of course. Her final emotion would be embarrassment because of damned Waxillium Ladrian.

“Hmm?” MeLaan asked, pulling her arm out, the flesh forming back over her crystalline bones. “Oh. I caught a hole in the intestines, as you’d guessed. Sewed that up tight, using some catgut I made from some spare intestines I had brewing. I patched it with some of my flesh, grafted on.”

“She’ll reject the flesh.”

“Nah. I took a bite and replicated her skin. Her body will think it’s hers.”

“You ate part of me?” Marasi said.

“Wow,” Waxillium said. “That’s … wow.”

“Yeah, well, I’m incredible,” MeLaan said. “Excuse me.” She reached her hand out the open side of the flying vehicle, then dropped a stream of something vile. “Had to slurp up things inside there to clean everything out. The safest way.” She eyed Marasi. “You owe me.”

“Is that the part of me you … um … ate?” Marasi asked.

“No, just what was leaking,” MeLaan said. “That grafted patch over the wound should hold until you heal on your own—I melded it to your veins and capillaries. It’s going to get itchy, but don’t scratch it, and let me know if it starts to go necrotic.”

Hope that helps

[DoctaDajman]

16 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

BoM Ch 21

  Hide contents

“How is it?” Waxillium’s voice asked. Marasi opened her eyes to see him leaning over, and she found herself blushing at her state of near-nudity. Of course. Her final emotion would be embarrassment because of damned Waxillium Ladrian.

“Hmm?” MeLaan asked, pulling her arm out, the flesh forming back over her crystalline bones. “Oh. I caught a hole in the intestines, as you’d guessed. Sewed that up tight, using some catgut I made from some spare intestines I had brewing. I patched it with some of my flesh, grafted on.”

“She’ll reject the flesh.”

“Nah. I took a bite and replicated her skin. Her body will think it’s hers.”

“You ate part of me?” Marasi said.

“Wow,” Waxillium said. “That’s … wow.”

“Yeah, well, I’m incredible,” MeLaan said. “Excuse me.” She reached her hand out the open side of the flying vehicle, then dropped a stream of something vile. “Had to slurp up things inside there to clean everything out. The safest way.” She eyed Marasi. “You owe me.”

“Is that the part of me you … um … ate?” Marasi asked.

“No, just what was leaking,” MeLaan said. “That grafted patch over the wound should hold until you heal on your own—I melded it to your veins and capillaries. It’s going to get itchy, but don’t scratch it, and let me know if it starts to go necrotic.”

Hope that helps

Yes that is the quote I was thinking of. 

My curiosity is only piqued more however. 

MeLaan did after great job patching Marasi up in this scene but I wonder about skill. Could a kandra with more advanced training and skill perhaps knit up the entire way and grow the parts of flesh in a way to better simulate the longer-term process of healing? 

Thinking about a kandras ability to close up and fill in thier own flesh, could they do that for another person? Is it a misunderstanding on my part to think that the kandras healing is complete? Perhaps she describes the itching because she has experienced it herself as she regrows and mends? Kandra dont have to feel sensations that are uncomfortable for them though because they can reroute their nervous system or shut down nerves right?  

I have to @Trusk'our just because kandra. 

[Treamayne]

13 minutes ago, DoctaDajman said:

MeLaan did after great job patching Marasi up in this scene but I wonder about skill. Could a kandra with more advanced training and skill perhaps knit up the entire way and grow the parts of flesh in a way to better simulate the longer-term process of healing? 

Presumably, the physical side of healing is assisted by grafting matching organ/flesh material - but that does not solve the issue that the material is not Connected to the person's spiritweb, where real Cosmere healing happens. There is likely to be an Identity issue involved. (The Emperor's Soul Spoilers)

Spoiler

Much like Shai's discussiong of the Table and the Wall - true Cosmere healing would require enough time for the body to consider the foreign amterial as part of itself on Cognitive and Spiritual levels as well. You don't Forge a table top as separate from the Table, because it all one thing - as perceived by itself and others. Likewise, a Skin Graft require time to go from "Marasi's guts with a MeLann graft" to "Marasi's healed guts."

At least, that was how  I interpreted that scene - time was required to complete the healing process, and until that had happened, it was still foreign material in the body (just with a much lower likelihood of rejection). MeLaan even calls out the possibility of Necrosis. 

Edited June 2, 2025 by Treamayne
SPAG

[DoctaDajman]

32 minutes ago, Treamayne said:

Presumably, the physical side of healing is assisted by grafting matching organ/flesh material - but that does not solve the issue that the material is not Connected to the person's spiritweb, where real Cosmere healing happens. There is likely to be an Identity issue involved. (The Emperor's Soul Spoilers)

  Reveal hidden contents

Much like Shai's discussiong of the Table and the Wall - true Cosmere healing would require enough time for the body to consider the foreign amterial as part of itself on Cognitive and Spiritual levels as well. You don't Forge a table top as separate from the Table, because it all one thing - as perceived by itself and others. Likewise, a Skin Graft require time to go from "Marasi's guts with a MeLann graft" to "Marasi's healed guts."

At least, that was how  I interpreted that scene - time was required to complete the healing process, and until that had happened, it was still foreign material in the body (just with a much lower likelihood of rejection). MeLaan even calls out the possibility of Necrosis. 

Okay. This makes sense as well. I hadn't considered the cognitive portion of it. So in the end, the likely peak surgical intervention from a kandra is just a better version of what the best trauma surgeons could pull off today. The difference being that the kandra could create a perfect match for tissue sampling. 

I was thinking a more practiced kandra might be able to grow out even the microscopic connective tissue and somehow adhere it. But that is likely a limit that will exist based on normal human physiology and the tissues growing at that smaller level on their own. 

Edit: 

I assume that the extent to which a kandra can perform surgery will grow as medicine progresses.  Kandra will likely be large driving factor in medicine and surgical techniques. I imagine a dedicated surgeon in a ship may have been able to replicate or even surpass MeLaans patch and stitch job as well. 

Edited June 2, 2025 by DoctaDajman