Gastroenterology 1

Gastroenterology Department 1 currently has a professional medical team consisting of 17 physicians, all of whom have at least a master’s degree. Seven hold doctoral degrees, and six hold the title of chief physician, including one doctoral supervisor and five master’s supervisors. The department carries out advanced clinical, teaching, and research work.

I. Minimally invasive digestive endoscopic treatment techniques: With the support of the advanced equipment at the Digestive Endoscopy Center, the department actively performs the treatment of various digestive tract diseases.

(1) Endoscopic surgery for early gastrointestinal tumors: The department performs ESD and EMR for early gastrointestinal cancer, STER for submucosal tumors, and POEM for achalasia of the cardia. Nearly 1,000 related procedures are performed annually, achieving “super minimally invasive” treatment with rapid recovery, minimal pain, and low cost.

(2) Endoscopic treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases based on ERCP technology, including common bile duct stone extraction, nasobiliary drainage for obstructive jaundice, and stent drainage for biliary strictures;

(3) Diagnosis and treatment of diseases under enteroscopy. This is the only enteroscopy diagnosis and treatment unit in southern Liaoning;

(4) Diagnosis of submucosal tumors of the digestive tract under endoscopic ultrasonography, diagnosis of mediastinal and biliopancreatic system diseases, and puncture drainage;

(5) Sclerotherapy and ligation for portal hypertensive bleeding, and various hemostatic treatments for non-portal-hypertensive bleeding, improving the efficiency of hemostasis and saving critically ill patients;

(6) Various interventional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: balloon dilation of digestive tract strictures, stent placement, placement of intestinal obstruction tubes, placement of triple-lumen nutrition tubes, percutaneous gastrostomy, emergency gastroscopic removal of digestive tract foreign bodies, capsule endoscopy, and others. The department has established the Southern Liaoning Early Gastrointestinal Tumor Medical Alliance, optimized the working model for early gastric cancer screening, strengthened collaboration and two-way referral mechanisms between general hospitals and community health service centers, and further improved the “three-in-one” chronic disease prevention and control model involving disease prevention and control institutions, medical institutions, and community health service institutions. A big-data platform for the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of early upper gastrointestinal cancer in southern Liaoning has been established, with compatibility and integration with the information system of the National Alliance of Early Digestive Tract Cancer Prevention and Treatment Centers.

II. Liver diseases: The department treats liver diseases caused by various factors, including autoimmune liver disease, drug-induced liver injury, and fatty liver disease. Routine liver biopsy and pathological examination are performed for liver diseases that are difficult to diagnose. The department proposed the concept of “functional pathology” of the liver and guides clinical medication according to the characteristics of pathological injury, making the diagnosis and treatment of such diseases more professional and standardized. For end-stage liver disease, the department has established comprehensive treatment methods, including blood purification therapy, concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, stem cell therapy, and standardized medication. Combined with endoscopic treatment of portal hypertensive bleeding, these approaches improve the success rate of emergency treatment for various complications, maximize improvements in patients’ quality of life, and prolong survival.

III. Gastroenterology Department 1 not only actively carries out clinical work but also attaches importance to advances in basic research. It actively conducts research on the pathogenesis and treatment of metabolic and autoimmune liver diseases and early gastrointestinal cancer. These projects have received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, the Liaoning Provincial Doctoral Research Initiation Fund, the Beijing Bethune Charitable Foundation, the Beijing Medical Award Foundation, and other funding programs. The department also undertakes the teaching of undergraduate students, master’s students, and visiting physicians, emphasizing individualized instruction and clinical skills training. More than 30 postgraduate students have been trained over the past three years.