Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology was established in 1902. In 1951, under Professor Pan Zuoxin, a nationally renowned ophthalmology expert and founder of the discipline, a teaching and research section was established and began undertaking clinical teaching for the medical school. In 1956, he led the establishment of an ophthalmic pathology laboratory, one of only a few specialist ophthalmology laboratories in China, laying a solid foundation for training ophthalmology professionals and conducting research. Professor Pan pioneered a tarsal-plate transection technique to treat complications of trachoma. The procedure became widely known across China as the “Pan operation.” From then on, the department became a center for ophthalmic care, teaching, and research in eastern Shandong and gained a strong national reputation for its scale, comprehensive range of specialties, overall academic standards, and advanced equipment. In 1978, with State Council approval, ophthalmology became one of the first units authorized to confer master's degrees and began enrolling master's students. In 1998, it was approved as a doctoral degree-granting discipline, becoming Shandong Province's earliest ophthalmology doctoral program and Qingdao University's first doctoral program. In December 2006, the Shandong Provincial Department of Education approved it as a key discipline for development under the province's 11th Five-Year Plan. In August 2007, the Ministry of Education approved it as a national key discipline in ophthalmology. In September 2007, it was authorized to establish Qingdao University's postdoctoral research station in clinical medicine. In September 2011, it was approved as a Shandong provincial key clinical medicine laboratory in ophthalmology for the 12th Five-Year Plan for higher education. In 2015, it was approved as a provincial clinical key specialty.

Through the sustained efforts of several generations, ophthalmology has made rapid progress in its scale, medical services, specialty structure, academic standards, professional training, and medical equipment, with notable achievements in patient care, teaching, and research. It has a strong complement of personnel and has developed into a comprehensive, high-level clinical, teaching, and research team led by doctoral supervisors and supported by many highly qualified mid-career and younger technical professionals. The discipline currently has 41 full-time physicians: 30 hold doctoral degrees and 9 hold master's degrees, so 95.1% have a master's degree or higher. Eight hold senior professional titles and 12 hold associate-senior titles; those at associate-senior level or above account for 48.8% of the total. The team includes one specially appointed Taishan Scholar expert, three doctoral supervisors, and 11 master's supervisors. Three members serve on the editorial board of the Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology, and seven serve on the editorial boards of core journals. The department has a well-structured talent pipeline and energetic academic leaders. Each key specialty is authorized to confer master's and doctoral degrees and serves as a member unit of a national academic group and as the leading unit of a Shandong provincial academic group.

In recent years, the department has undertaken seven National Natural Science Foundation of China projects and more than 20 research projects commissioned by governments, public institutions, and enterprises at provincial and municipal levels. It has received more than 20 provincial and municipal research awards and has served as chief or associate editor of 10 books. In recent years, its staff have published more than 300 papers in publicly available Chinese academic journals, of which more than 40 have been indexed by SCI, MED, or ISTP. The department has introduced 22 new technologies and projects and has more than RMB 3 million in research funding at its disposal. It has established long-term, stable partnerships with relevant organizations in the United States, France, Japan, and South Korea, and has invited prominent scholars to serve as visiting professors. A total of 13 staff members have studied or visited institutions overseas and, after returning, have contributed to the department's development.

The department continues to develop and innovate in its teaching. With support from the National Demonstration Center for Basic Medical Sciences, it was among the first units on campus to introduce multimedia and bilingual teaching, with notable results. Drawing on its advantages as a national key discipline with doctoral-degree authorization and a postdoctoral research station, ophthalmology has continued to develop and has trained a total of 2,400 undergraduate students, more than 200 master's students, and 38 doctoral students. It has held numerous continuing medical education courses and academic exchange events at various levels, served as chief editor of three textbooks published by People's Medical Publishing House, contributed to three nationally planned university textbooks for specialized programs, and undertaken 10 teaching research projects. It has received two Shandong Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation awards and two Shandong Outstanding Master's Dissertation awards; related teaching achievements received the second prize in the provincial graduate education teaching achievement awards. In recent years, the ophthalmology teaching and research section has repeatedly been named an Advanced Teaching Collective and an Advanced Collective for Exemplary Professional Ethics. Several members have been named Outstanding Graduate Supervisors of Shandong Province, Outstanding Graduate Supervisors of Qingdao University, Outstanding Teachers of Qingdao University, and Exemplary Professional Ethics Role Models of Qingdao University.

The hospital invested in building an internationally advanced ophthalmology center and equipped it with advanced medical and research equipment valued at more than RMB 20 million. The laboratory currently covers more than 200 square meters. By applying dynamic scientific management and putting into practice the service philosophy of “the patient at the center and medical quality at the core,” the department has achieved gains in both quality and efficiency. Outpatient visits have increased to more than 160,000, and the department continues to perform high-level, high-quality operations using internationally advanced techniques; it performs more than 4,300 inpatient operations per year.

The discipline follows a system in which an academic leader is responsible for its overall management. Under the university's discipline-development leadership group, the academic leader oversees all aspects of the discipline and is ultimately responsible for its development. The department has several key specialty areas: corneal disease and cataract; ophthalmic pathology; vitreoretinal disease and ocular trauma; medical retina; glaucoma; excimer-laser corneal refractive surgery; strabismus, amblyopia, and orbital disease; and oculoplastics and lacrimal disease. These areas have achieved substantial academic standing in their respective fields in China.

Corneal disease and cataract specialty. The team has strong technical and research capabilities and has made steady progress over many years. It has achieved notable results in comprehensive clinical care, surgical methods, and theoretical research into corneal disease and cataract, with some work reaching an internationally advanced level. In cataract care, the team has developed particular expertise in timing surgery for congenital cataracts and providing systematic amblyopia training after surgery, managing complex cataracts, and using premium intraocular lenses. Its expertise and surgical volume in treating high myopia and astigmatism and implanting multifocal intraocular lenses rank among the leading levels in China. It performed the first trifocal intraocular-lens implantation for cataract and presbyopia in Shandong Province and the second such operation in China, and it performs more than 1,000 operations a year. The team also provides surgical-skills training for cataract surgeons in Shandong and guides cataract diagnosis and care at lower-level hospitals. In the mid-1980s, with support from a National Natural Science Foundation of China project, the specialty's research team successfully studied long-term preservation of corneal grafts by deep-freeze cryopreservation. The method was applied clinically and, according to the department, has remained at a leading level in China. The Shandong Provincial Health Department approved the establishment of an eye bank. In recent years, the department has partnered with the Qingdao Red Cross to serve as the organization responsible for procuring and storing donated corneas in the Qingdao area, helping make large-scale corneal transplantation possible. It has particular experience in infectious keratitis and high-risk corneal transplantation and has performed corneal transplants for more than 3,000 patients to date. It has hosted national- and provincial-level continuing education courses on infectious corneal disease on multiple occasions, contributing to care for people with corneal disease and blindness. The specialty's current research focus is the pathogenesis of infectious corneal disease. Its six National Natural Science Foundation projects address this topic and have produced interim results, including advances in research into the pathogenesis of fungal keratitis.

Ocular pathology. Established in 1956 under Professor Pan Zuoxin, a nationally renowned ophthalmology expert, this was one of the earliest ophthalmic pathology laboratories in China. The ocular pathology laboratory works closely with clinical ophthalmology and provides reliable pathological diagnostic evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Its technical staff have extensive clinical experience and strong pathology diagnostic skills. To date, it has accumulated nearly 20,000 pathology slides and preserved a wide variety of histopathological specimens and a complete set of pathology records, earning considerable recognition and influence in Shandong and the wider ophthalmology community in China. Several generations of staff have developed the specialty, which has produced leading figures such as Professor Sun Weirong, a nationally renowned ophthalmic pathologist. Over the past decade or more, the team has conducted extensive clinical and basic research into topics including the detection and clinical significance of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes in ocular tumors, fungal keratitis, the causes of cataract, glaucoma pathogenesis, and diabetic retinopathy, with substantial results. Its monographs include the second edition of Ophthalmic Pathology, Atlas of Ophthalmic Pathology, and Ocular Oncology; after evaluation by well-known experts in China, these works were judged to have reached an internationally advanced level. The pathology laboratory also provides teaching and research for clinical ophthalmologists and visiting trainees. It has continued to improve its technical capacity, research and teaching standards, and equipment.

Vitreoretinal disease and ocular trauma. This is one of the hospital's traditional areas of strength. In 1993, the department was among the earlier centers in China to begin vitreoretinal surgery. Over more than two decades, it has trained and recruited ophthalmology experts with many years of experience in vitreoretinal care and research. They have extensive experience and advanced skills in diagnosing and treating fundus diseases. Diagnostic and treatment equipment has continued to improve, and new technologies and methods have expanded. The department has completed more than 10,000 complex vitreoretinal operations, with treatment outcomes reaching an advanced level in China. Its specialty procedures include repair of various types of retinal detachment and vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy, macular holes, epiretinal membranes, complex retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage of various causes, complex ocular trauma, and endophthalmitis. The medical-retina service has continued to develop and comprehensively provides fundus fluorescein angiography, indocyanine-green choroidal angiography, retinal laser treatment, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and anti-VEGF treatment for age-related macular degeneration, among other services. The department has repeatedly hosted continuing education courses in vitreoretinal surgery, helping advance the field across Shandong Province. It has led several provincial and municipal natural-science research projects and conducted innovative research into proliferative vitreoretinopathy and retinal pigment epithelium biological activity. The results include more than 100 papers in international and national core journals.

Glaucoma. This is one of the traditional areas of strength in ophthalmology at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. The team is experienced in minimally invasive glaucoma procedures, including combined trabeculectomy, glaucoma drainage-valve implantation, and combined glaucoma-cataract surgery. These techniques have greatly improved treatment outcomes, relieved patients' suffering, reduced complications, and helped preserve visual function to the greatest extent possible. Drawing on the department's combined strengths, it provides comprehensive, systematic treatment for neovascular glaucoma and other secondary glaucomas and has accumulated extensive treatment experience. It was among the earlier centers in China to carry out early diagnosis and treatment of congenital glaucoma and has conducted systematic exploration in this area. Many children who were at risk of blindness have been saved, and a considerable number have maintained good visual function into adulthood. It has introduced a latest-generation fully automated computerized visual-field analyzer and anterior-segment analyzer described as internationally advanced. Their integrated use and precise interpretation help monitor visual-function damage and disease progression in glaucoma patients and support screening and follow-up of people at high risk of developing glaucoma.

Strabismus, amblyopia, and orbital disease. The strabismus and amblyopia group, a member unit of the relevant professional committee, has earned a strong reputation in China and has academic standards described as advanced nationally. The diagnosis and treatment of amblyopia and certain types of strabismus are at a leading level in China. Patients and parents trust the department’s clinical care and professional conduct; no medical accidents or disputes have occurred. Patients seeking care have come from across China, including Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Fujian, Gansu, the three northeastern provinces, and Hong Kong. The department was among the earlier centers in China to perform inferior oblique myectomy under direct visualization; it has good surgical results, causes less trauma, and avoids many complications. It was also among the earlier centers to perform the full range of strabismus procedures then practiced in China and internationally, including operations for complex and unusual forms, vertical rectus-muscle surgery, and nystagmus. It actively performs microsurgical strabismus procedures, which involve less surgical trauma. For intermittent exotropia, it designs an appropriate surgical plan for each patient based on the type of strabismus, age, work situation, and other factors. Individualized surgery not only corrects near and distance deviation but, importantly, also creates conditions for binocular vision to develop or be regained.

Early treatment is best for amblyopia, and early detection is key to treatment. The department has repeatedly held national- and provincial-level continuing medical education courses in strabismus and amblyopia, training many eye-care professionals. It has also used news media and public lectures to raise public awareness of strabismus and amblyopia, substantially lowering the age at which these conditions are diagnosed and treated. Ophthalmology professionals from across China have praised these efforts. The department states that they have contributed to training specialists in strabismus and amblyopia in China, improving overall diagnosis and treatment, and supporting the country's work to prevent and treat blindness.

Orbital disease. Orbital surgery is high-risk and technically demanding, and relatively few hospitals can perform it. Since 2006, the department has strengthened this specialty group. It reports that tumors have been completely removed in treated patients, with satisfactory results and no serious complications. In particular, for excision of orbital cavernous hemangiomas through a transconjunctival fornix approach, surgeons choose the shortest route to the tumor, avoiding disturbance to orbital structures and injury to the eyelids and eyeball. This reduced an operation that previously took one to two hours to 10 to 15 minutes. It also reduces the extensive trauma and visible postoperative scarring associated with an orbital approach through a facial skin incision. The procedure is minimally invasive and has achieved favorable social and economic benefits.

Excimer-laser corneal refractive surgery. The ophthalmology excimer-laser treatment room was established in 1995. The hospital was the first in Qingdao and among the early hospitals in China to perform excimer-laser corneal refractive surgery. It is a coordinated specialist surgical team with strong technical skills and good equipment. Over nearly 20 years, its diagnostic and treatment standards have consistently been among the leading levels in China, and patients' surgical outcomes and safety have reached the best level. The hospital follows the latest international developments and has an Eagle Vision Cool-Eye excimer-laser refractive treatment system and specialized preoperative examination equipment. Based on each patient's examination results and occupational characteristics, the team can perform several individualized procedures to meet different patients' needs for improved visual quality. These include SBK customized ablation (sub-Bowman's keratomileusis), LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis), LASEK (laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy), F-CAT (Q-value-guided customized surgery), and T-ACT (corneal-topography-guided customized surgery). The department describes this as truly tailoring treatment to the individual eye and aims to give each patient a more satisfactory visual result after surgery.

Oculoplastics and lacrimal disease. The oculoplastics specialty was developed as a distinct area from the department's existing services. Guided by fundamental theories of ophthalmology and plastic surgery and by modern aesthetics, it performs a wide range of reconstructive and cosmetic procedures involving the eyelids and face. Its scope includes correcting abnormalities and deformities of the eye, its adnexa, and adjacent structures; improving and restoring function; and aesthetic improvement, with the aims of restoring function and enhancing appearance. Members of the specialty have studied at well-known cosmetic and reconstructive surgery centers, including Beijing Tongren Hospital. The team now performs many ocular plastic and cosmetic operations, including correction of congenital and acquired ptosis and excision of benign and malignant eyelid tumors combined with reconstructive surgery. The operations have good surgical outcomes, cause less trauma, avoid many complications, and have achieved favorable social and economic benefits.

The lacrimal service focuses on diagnosing and treating various lacrimal diseases, including inflammation, trauma, tumors, and congenital abnormalities. It has accumulated extensive clinical experience in diagnosing and treating lacrimal disease and selects an appropriate, targeted treatment according to the cause, helping many patients with lacrimal disease regain eye health. Professor Wang Chuanfu, an ophthalmology expert currently working in this specialty, has more than 50 years of experience in ophthalmic clinical care, teaching, and research. He has extensive experience and distinctive insights in treating lacrimal diseases, especially congenital obstructive lacrimal disease in newborns and young children. Patients come from across Shandong Province, and parents trust his clinical skills and professional conduct.