Thyroid Surgery

1. Discipline overview

The Department of Thyroid Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University was founded in 2012 and was the first clinical discipline in Shandong Province to focus on thyroid tumours while integrating clinical care, research and teaching.

Through the unremitting efforts of all staff, the department has advanced by leaps and bounds in scale, medical service, academic standing, staff development and medical equipment, and has achieved notable success in care, teaching, research and public recognition.

2. Professional team

The department has a strong team: a high-level group for care, teaching and research built around a core of highly qualified young and middle-aged technical talents and covering all relevant specialties. It currently has 14 full-time physicians, all with a master's degree or above — 5 hold doctorates and 9 master's degrees. There are 3 with senior professional titles and 4 with associate senior titles, 7 in total at associate professor level or above, accounting for 50% of the staff, and 4 master's supervisors. The discipline leader is in the prime of his career, holds a senior professional title, has considerable academic standing in the field and serves on several national thyroid-related academic societies.

3. Clinical specialities

(1) Thyroid surgery The department applies internationally advanced concepts of thyroid tumour surgery and treats patients with thyroid disease according to standardised, regulated, refined and individualised principles. This is reflected in an in-depth command of regional cervical anatomy, a thorough understanding and implementation of precision surgery, and innovative improvement of function-preserving techniques, which have set the direction for the development of thyroid surgery. It uses a new body of operative theory and technique based on protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid function and on minimally invasive access through a low, small incision at the base of the neck: direct intraoperative identification and protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroids is the most direct way to avoid injury to them, greatly improving outcomes and reducing the probability of serious complications. Techniques such as not dividing the strap muscles and intracuticular cosmetic suturing are used in thyroid surgery, so that surgical trauma is small, the scar is cosmetically pleasing and recovery is quick.

For advanced thyroid cancer the department places particular emphasis on individualised treatment and function-preserving surgery. It performs combined organ resection and reconstruction in patients with advanced differentiated thyroid cancer, with satisfactory results. In thyroid cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis it uses a modified neck dissection through a transverse incision with multi-functional preservation: the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroids are meticulously identified and protected, and the sternocleidomastoid muscle, accessory nerve, internal jugular vein and superficial cervical structures — including the external jugular vein and the cutaneous branches of the cervical plexus — are preserved, maintaining function while improving appearance.

The work currently carried out includes the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant thyroid tumours and the surgical treatment of giant goitre and retrosternal thyroid tumours. With the continuous development of minimally invasive techniques, endoscopic thyroid surgery and neck dissection are being introduced step by step. Intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring and the use of nanocarbon have made thyroid surgery more refined and accurate and are particularly helpful for preserving function in patients undergoing reoperation. Targeted therapy, which has broad prospects, will bring benefits to patients with thyroid tumours.

(2) Parathyroid surgery

The incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism is rising; its main causes are parathyroid adenoma, hyperplasia and parathyroid carcinoma. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is usually caused by hypocalcaemia of various origins stimulating parathyroid hyperplasia and hypertrophy with excessive parathyroid hormone secretion, and is seen in chronic kidney disease, osteomalacia, intestinal malabsorption syndrome, vitamin D deficiency and disorders of vitamin D hydroxylation. Conventional surgery for hyperparathyroidism is well established in our hospital, and multidisciplinary collaboration has improved — and will further improve — the professionalism and standardisation of parathyroid surgery. With the continuous development of minimally invasive techniques, endoscopic parathyroid surgery will be introduced step by step, maximising cosmetic results while safeguarding safety and efficacy.

4. Medical technology

The department practises scientific management and strictly implements the service philosophy of "patients at the centre, medical quality as the core", achieving both quality and efficiency. It continues to strengthen discipline building, adheres to professional development, boldly innovates in technology and talent training and has carried out much creative work; it currently performs nearly 2,500 inpatient operations a year.

5. Research and teaching

In recent years the department has published several dozen academic papers in peer-reviewed journals in China and abroad. It continually introduces new techniques and new projects, and in teaching practice it pursues development and innovation and works diligently, with notable results.

6. Visitor guide

(1) Department locations Outpatient clinics — Shinan Campus: 6th floor, Outpatient Building; West Coast Campus: 3rd floor, Outpatient Building. Wards — Shinan Ward: 3rd floor, Dexing Building; West Coast Ward: 22nd floor, Building A, Ward Building.

(2) Enquiry telephone 0532-82911371