Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Department Development History:

When China-Japan Friendship Hospital officially opened, the Department of Otolaryngology was established at the same time. At the beginning, the department brought together key personnel from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking University First Hospital and Beijing Hospital. Under Professor Wang Zhongzhi, it overcame shortages of equipment and gradually introduced microscopes, endoscopes and hearing-testing systems, laying the foundation for modern otolaryngology. During the same period it pioneered vidian neurectomy, sclerotherapy for hemangioma, and endoscopic and microsurgical techniques, rapidly reaching an advanced domestic level and initially forming its specialty profile.

In the 1990s, under directors Yang Jisheng and Zhang Xiaobo, the department entered a period of rapid growth and made important progress in comprehensive treatment of head-and-neck tumors, endoscopic sinus surgery and voice microsurgery. Director Zhang Xiaobo systematically established the theoretical system of voice microsurgery and promoted standardized use of CO₂ laser technology in early laryngeal-cancer treatment, substantially increasing the discipline’s influence.

In 2003 Professor Zhang Qiuhang became the fourth director, and the department entered a period of leapfrog development. The ward expanded, equipment was comprehensively upgraded, and endoscopic transnasal resection of skull-base tumors was introduced relatively early in China, covering the anterior and complex skull-base regions and bringing sinonasal skull-base surgery to an advanced domestic level.

In 2009 Professor Yang Dazhang became the fifth department director. He further strengthened multidisciplinary collaboration and promoted systematic development of head-and-neck tumor repair and reconstruction, endoscopic skull-base surgery, and diagnosis and treatment of sinonasal-orbital diseases. Cooperation with neurosurgery, ophthalmology and other teams established a skull-base surgical collaboration system; overall diagnostic and treatment capability reached a leading domestic level, and international academic conferences were successfully held.

Professor Liu Jianfeng led the department in 2018 and became administrative director in 2021. On the basis of inheritance, he promoted reconstruction and upgrading of the discipline system and officially renamed the department “Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.” Key subspecialties are rhinology and sinonasal/skull-base surgery, head-and-neck tumors, laryngology and voice, and otology (including cochlear implantation). A systematic graduate education program was established. In 2025 the Smell and Taste Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Center was founded, marking the discipline’s entry into a new stage of refinement, specialization and integrated Chinese-Western medicine.

Personnel:

The department director is Liu Jianfeng and the head nurse is Li Yan. There are 7 chief physicians, 3 associate chief physicians, 3 attending physicians and 2 resident physicians; 13 staff members hold doctoral degrees and 2 hold master’s degrees. There are 4 technicians, 1 associate chief nurse, 10 charge nurses and 5 nurses.

Outpatient and ward facilities:

1. The department offers ordinary outpatient and expert clinics at the main site, expert clinics at the main site and Northern District, a special-needs clinic at the main site, and an international clinic in the International Department.

2. Inpatient beds include 42 ordinary beds at the main site and several special-needs beds in the International Department.

3. There are 3 auditory-function examination rooms, 4 endoscopy examination and treatment rooms, 3 treatment rooms, 1 post-cochlear-implant programming room, 1 smell and taste testing room, 1 vestibular-function examination room and 1 laryngopharyngeal-reflux examination room.

Diagnostic and treatment equipment:

Three STORZ nasal endoscopy video-recording systems; 2 OLYMPUS electronic fiber nasopharyngoscopes; 1 PANTAX electronic fiber nasopharyngoscope; 2 LEICA operating microscopes; 1 SHAPLAN CO2 laser treatment system; 2 BIENAIR high-speed surgical drills; 3 MEDTRONIC ENT power systems; 1 MEDTRONIC intraoperative facial-nerve monitor; 2 ARTHOCARE low-temperature plasma treatment systems; 9 comprehensive ENT treatment stations; 1 skull-base vascular ultrasound detector; 2 OLYMPUS electronic stroboscopic laryngoscopes; 3 U.S. GSI Grayson-Stadler pure-tone audiometers; 3 U.S. GSI Grayson-Stadler middle-ear analyzers; 1 U.S. GSI Grayson-Stadler auditory brainstem evoked-potential system; 1 U.S. GSI Grayson-Stadler otoacoustic-emission tester; and 2 smell-test systems.

Clinical specialties:

1. Rhinology–sinonasal skull-base surgery

1) Tumors: nasal and anterior skull-base tumors, infratemporal-fossa tumors, sellar and parasellar tumors, petrous-apex cholesterol granuloma, cranio-nasal communication tumors and clival tumors. Tumor pathology includes nasopharyngeal carcinoma (recurrent), olfactory neuroblastoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, schwannoma, pituitary tumor, meningioma, chordoma, chondrosarcoma, craniopharyngioma and arachnoid cysts;

2) Inflammation and specific inflammation: nonallergic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, nasal polyps, deviated nasal septum, IgG4-related disease and inflammatory pseudotumor;

3) Infection: intracranial and orbital complications of sinusitis, invasive sinonasal fungal disease and allergic fungal disease;

4) Congenital disease: meningoencephalocele, congenital cranio-nasal communicating sinus cysts and congenital malformations;

5) Sinonasal-orbital diseases: decompression for traumatic optic neuropathy, superior-orbital-fissure decompression, orbital-apex decompression, orbital decompression for Graves’ ophthalmopathy, endonasal dacryocystoplasty and intraorbital tumors;

6) Cerebrospinal-fluid rhinorrhea, traumatic skull-base fractures, and orbitofrontoethmoid complex injuries;

7) Correction of deviated nasal septum;

8) Minimally invasive intranasal neurectomy for allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis;

9) Diagnosis and treatment of smell and taste disorders; in 2025 the multidisciplinary Smell and Taste Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Center was established.

2. Otoneurology

1) Ear microsurgery, otoneurosurgery, lateral skull-base surgery and endoscopic ear surgery, including cochlear implantation; surgical treatment of otitis media and hearing reconstruction; ear-malformation repair; hearing reconstruction for otosclerosis; vertigo-related surgery; Eustachian-tube balloon dilation; resection of temporal-bone and lateral skull-base tumors; and resection of petrous-apex masses;

2) Otology diseases: diagnosis and treatment of vertigo, including repositioning treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and treatment of vestibular migraine and Ménière disease; diagnosis and treatment of sudden deafness and other hearing disorders; and diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus;

3) Clinical genetic testing and genetic counseling for deafness;

4) Noninvasive correction of neonatal auricular morphology.

3. Laryngology and head-and-neck science

The head-and-neck surgery group performs open surgery for head-and-neck tumors from the skull base down to the upper mediastinum, and repairs head-and-neck tumor defects with free vascularized tissue flaps.

Specific operations include voice microsurgery, such as surgery for vocal-cord polyps, vocal-cord nodules, Reinke’s edema and laryngeal injection laryngoplasty; CO2-laser minimally invasive laryngopharyngeal surgery, such as resection of precancerous laryngeal lesions and early laryngeal cancer and arytenoidectomy for bilateral vocal-cord paralysis; partial and total laryngectomy; neck dissection; total laryngopharyngoesophagectomy for advanced hypopharyngeal cancer invading the cervical esophagus or primary cervical esophageal cancer; cosmetic small-incision minimally invasive thyroid surgery; endoscope-assisted noninvasive removal of cervical thyroid masses; radical surgery for thyroid carcinoma invading adjacent organs; infratemporal-fossa tumor resection; parapharyngeal-space tumor resection; carotid-body tumor resection; jugular-foramen tumor resection; salivary-gland tumor resection; resection of malignant tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, tonsil and tongue base; cervical-root surgery; surgery for upper cervical tracheal tumors and cervicothoracic-junction tumors; recurrent-laryngeal-nerve repair and reconstruction; and free-tissue-flap transplantation, including forearm, anterolateral-thigh, gracilis, groin, fibula, thoracodorsal-artery-perforator and latissimus-dorsi flaps.

4. Surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (snoring)

Children’s snoring is treated with procedures such as ion radiofrequency ablation for tonsillar and adenoid hypertrophy; adults may undergo correction of deviated nasal septum, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and plasma-volume reduction of the tongue base.

5. Endocrine surgery

Surgical treatment of primary, secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism (more than 200 cases/year); refined surgery for benign and malignant thyroid and parathyroid tumors; endoscopic thyroid surgery through oral and axillary approaches; surgery and comprehensive treatment for advanced thyroid cancer invading the mediastinum, larynx or trachea; and functional reconstruction of the airway.

6. Diagnosis and research of esophageal and laryngopharyngeal-reflux diseases.

Existing specialty clinics:

Specialty clinic for smell and taste disorders

Specialty clinic for thyroid, parathyroid and head-and-neck tumors

Specialty clinic for laryngology and voice

Specialty clinic for tinnitus, deafness and genetic counseling

Specialty clinic for otitis media

Specialty clinic for pediatric ENT diseases

Specialty clinic for allergic rhinitis

Pediatric sleep-disordered breathing

Neonatal auricular molding

Specialty clinic for vertigo, tinnitus and deafness

Scientific research achievements:

1. Research projects:

1 general project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; 2 National Natural Science Foundation youth projects; 2 general projects of the Beijing Natural Science Foundation; 5 Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security projects supporting outstanding scientific activities of overseas scholars; 1 Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission project for distinctive capital medical services; 1 key teaching project of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine; 2 teaching-research projects of Peking University Health Science Center; 2 China-Japan Friendship Hospital Young Talent Program projects; 6 internal projects of China-Japan Friendship Hospital; 1 seed project of the China-Japan Hospital Elite Program; 2 seed-training projects of that program; 1 Wu Jieping Medical Foundation grant; and 2 teaching projects of China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

2. Participation in 7 domestic diagnostic and treatment guidelines for otolaryngology–head and neck surgery diseases:

1) Expert consensus on diagnosis and treatment of smell disorders (2018);

2) Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of epistaxis (2014);

3) Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (2012, 2015, 2018, 2024);

4) Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of pediatric allergic rhinitis (2010, 2022);

5) Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis (2009, 2015, 2022);

6) Expert consensus on diagnosis and treatment of laryngopharyngeal-reflux disease (2015, 2022);

7) Expert consensus on voice-function assessment (2024).

3. Eleven academic books:

1) “Therapeutics of Otolaryngology” (chief editor, 1997, Joint Publishing House of Peking Union Medical College and Beijing Medical University);

2) “500 Questions for Attending Physicians in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery” (chief editor, 2000, Peking Union Medical College Press);

3) “English Ward Rounds and Discussion—Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery” (chief editor, 2000, People’s Military Medical Press);

4) “Diagnosis and Differential Diagnosis in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery” (associate chief editor, 2001, Peking Union Medical College Press);

5) “Voice Microsurgery” (chief editor, 2005, Peking Union Medical College Press);

6) “Fundamentals and Clinical Practice of Olfaction” (associate chief editor, 2010, People’s Health Publishing House);

7) “Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery” (Volumes 1 and 2) (chief translator, 2017, Tianjin Science and Technology Translation Publishing Company);

8) “Key Surgical Techniques in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery—Rhinology” (associate chief translator, 2019, Science Press);

9) “Key Surgical Techniques in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery—Skull-Base Surgery” (associate chief translator, 2019, Science Press);

10) “Challenges in Rhinology” (chief translator, Tianjin Science and Technology Translation Publishing Company);

11) “Treatment of Parathyroid Diseases” (associate chief editor).

4. Academic papers: more than 300 in total, including 45 SCI papers.

Teaching:

Five-year teaching base of Peking University Health Science Center

Teaching base of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Beijing resident physician ENT training base

Beijing general-practitioner training base

Master’s training site for otolaryngology–head and neck surgery of Capital Medical University

Master’s graduate training site of Peking University Health Science Center

Master’s admissions site of Peking Union Medical College

Master’s admissions site of the Clinical Research Institute of China-Japan Friendship Hospital

Master’s and doctoral admissions site for integrated Chinese-Western otolaryngology of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Honors:

Second prize of the 2019 Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award for “Establishment, promotion and application of innovative diagnosis and treatment technologies for smell-disorder diseases,” ranked fifth;

Third prize of the 2012 Beijing Science and Technology Award for “Establishment and application of a system for the mechanisms, assessment and treatment of smell disorders,” ranked second;

Third prize of the 2013 China-Japan Friendship Hospital Medical Award—microsurgical organ repair and reconstruction;

Third prize of the 2015 China-Japan Friendship Hospital Medical Award—endoscopic transnasal management of anterior and lateral skull-base lesions and sinonasal-orbital diseases.

Other important matters:

Counterpart support has been provided more than 10 times, including to local hospitals in Xinjiang, Tibet, Chifeng, Yulin and Tumed Right Banner.

Location in the hospital:

Main-site ENT outpatient clinic: Building B, fourth floor

Northern District outpatient clinic: Building A, third floor

International outpatient clinic: International Department outpatient building, Room 212

Main-site ordinary ward: west side of Building A, 11th floor

Special-needs wards: International Department inpatient buildings K1 and K3

Department telephone numbers:

Main-site outpatient clinic: 010-84205362

Main-site ward: 010-84206192

Northern District outpatient clinic: 010-84206654

International outpatient clinic: 010-84206439