SOLVED. Sci-Fi: A physician with detachable metallic arms is abducted an forced to heal the dictator of a small planet

[Nathanael]

I think this is a stand-alone novel. The physician is one of a few who voluntarily amputated their forearms and had them replaced with metallic prosthetics, enabling him to enter a trance, drop the metal arms and perform surgery with his phantom hands. This turns out to be a psychologically traumatic experience for the patient, so the program was short-lived and drove the main character to drinking.

At one stop he is abducted by an "angel", a woman wearing a combat suit head to toe made out of the same metal as his arms. It makes her incredibly strong and nigh-invulnerable. She takes him to a small planet ruled by a cruel dictator where he is forced to perform surgery in an attempt to save the dictator's life.

I read this around 1999.

Any ideas?

[Nathanael]

I've literally been looking for this for YEARS, and now I'm proud to say I solved it!

Flesh and Silver by Stephen L. Burns!

[Bargle]

Clicky for book.
Flesh and Silver by Stephen L. Burns