Pain Medicine

In 1990, our hospital opened a pain outpatient clinic; in 1998, it began preparations for establishing a pain ward; and in 2001, it officially opened the Department of Anesthesiology (Pain Ward). At that time, there were 6 beds; the number was expanded to 11 in 2005, and in 2010 the unit was officially named the “Department of Pain.” In September of the same year, the number of beds was expanded to 30. The outpatient premises cover 90 m², with services provided throughout the day from Monday to Friday, and a “Renowned Professors’ Clinic” is also available. There are currently 11 pain specialists and 11 nurses, including 1 chief physician and professor, 5 associate chief physicians, 3 attending physicians, and 2 resident physicians; 4 hold doctoral degrees and 6 hold master’s degrees. The department’s main equipment includes: 1 set of Max-more transforaminal endoscopy equipment, 1 set of SPINENDOS transforaminal endoscopy equipment, 1 set of ArthroCare plasma equipment, 1 Herrmann ozone generator, 1 Cosman nerve radiofrequency treatment device, 1 portable color Doppler ultrasound unit, 2 sets of miniature disc nucleus pulposus rotary cutters, 1 nerve stimulator, 1 CT scanner (shared), and 1 shock-wave device.

Research and innovation are the engine of our survival and development. Our hospital’s Department of Pain began with “nerve block techniques” and has survived and developed through the continuous introduction and development of new projects and technologies. It has received funding for 4 research projects from the Anhui Provincial Department of Education and Department of Health. Among them, the project “Targeted injection of collagenase for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation” received the Second Prize of the Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award in 2003. The core technologies currently performed include transforaminal endoscopic removal of the nucleus pulposus, low-temperature plasma ablation of the nucleus pulposus, collagenase disc lysis, bone-cement vertebroplasty, spinal cord stimulation, radiofrequency ablation of the trigeminal ganglion, balloon compression, and more than ten other procedures.

Our department places great importance on external exchanges and maintains long-term friendly relationships with many renowned pain-specialty departments at home and abroad, with regular exchanges for mutual progress.

Discipline leaders:

Wang Likui: Director of the department. Associate chief physician, associate professor, PhD, supervisor of master’s students, Chair of the fourth term of the Painology Branch of the Anhui Medical Association, Standing Committee Member of the Pain Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Committee Member of the Painology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Committee Member of the Painology Branch of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine.

Chen Jiahua: Chief physician, professor, master’s supervisor, Jianghuai Famous Physician, young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contributions in Anhui Province, former director of the Department of Pain, Chair of the first and second terms of the Painology Branch of the Anhui Medical Association, and Committee Member of the Painology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association. The project “Targeted injection of collagenase for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation” that he carried out received the Second Prize of the Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.