Since the inception of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Union Hospital in the 1930s, it collective goal has been to provide patient care that is compassionate, timely and state-of-the art. After 90 years of development, the department has become one of the leading centers for chest diseases in China and was awarded the national key clinical specialties in 2011. Dr. Yongde Liao, a national well-known expert in this area has becomethe director in 2019.

The close affiliation with Trauma Surgery, Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Respirology, and Gastroenterology allows the staff to provide the highest level of comprehensive care for all thoracic disorders. It provide state-of-the-art multidisciplinary cancer therapy for the patients.

The department just started Lung Transplant Program this year, which has shown a very promising future.

The 33 surgeons at the Department of Thoracic Surgery include 5 chief physicians, 7 associate chief physicians, 14 attendings and 7 residents, and they provide services in Main Campus, Cancer Centre and West Campus, performed more than 3000 operations each year. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are emphasized when it is appropriate, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic surgical approaches.

Medical Specialties

The department supports and cares for patients along their journey through many health conditions including:

•Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mediastinal tumors, chest wall tumors, and mesothelioma

•Benign upper digestive disorders, such as diaphragmatic hernia, paraesophageal (hiatal) hernia

•Congenital anomalies of the tracheobronchial tree, esophagus, and chest wall (pectus excavatum)

•Myasthenia gravis, hyperhidrosis

Minimally invasive procedures accounted for more than 80% of all operations. It regularly does VATS for lung modules and also performs procedures using Uniportal VATS which is chest surgery performed through one small incision between the ribs.

Research and Education

The Department of Thoracic Surgery has rich experience in scientific research. The Department has successively undertaken key projects of NSFC. So far, It has undertaken 4 key projects of NSFC and more than 10 provincial and ministerial funds.

More than 100 papers have been published in professional journals at home and abroad, including Sci Transl Med, Transplantation, Ann Thorac Surg, J Thorac Cardiov Sur.

At present, several clinical trials have been carried out, including clinical observational and prospective studies related to lung cancer, randomized controlled studies of esophageal cancer under thoracoscope, randomized controlled studies of lung surgery related to spontaneous breathing and non-intubation anesthesia, and randomized controlled studies of immunotherapy for esophageal cancer.

So far, the department has trained hundreds of thoracic surgeons all over the country, and most of them have matured into leaders of other centers and hospitals.