Radiology

The Department of Radiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (abbreviated as the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University) was founded in 1957. Professors Qi Jingwu, Zhang Kesui and others from Zhongshan Hospital and Huashan Hospital of the former Shanghai Medical College (now the School of Medicine, Fudan University) moved west to Chongqing and established the Department of Radiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. After 67 years of development through challenges and the efforts of several generations, the Department of Radiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University has become a key medical imaging discipline in Chongqing Municipality, with a rational staffing structure, advanced equipment, standardized management, strong technical capabilities, first-class diagnostic and treatment standards and service capacity, distinctive professional characteristics, strong outreach capacity, and rich disciplinary culture, integrating medical care, teaching and research. Under the leadership of Professor Lü Fajin, the discipline leader, and the discipline management team, with the joint efforts of all staff, the department has pursued reform and innovation and worked tirelessly. By the end of 2023, the Department of Radiology had achieved breakthrough and leapfrog development in discipline development, service capacity, medical services, teaching and research, and regional influence, and had received a series of achievements and honors. It has ranked second for nine consecutive years in Fudan University’s reputation ranking of radiology departments in Southwest China.

The Department of Radiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University is: an authorized doctoral degree-granting site in Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine; an authorized master’s degree-granting site in Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine; an authorized master’s degree-granting site in Medical Technology; the Department and Teaching and Research Office of Medical Imaging Technology; the Teaching and Research Office of Diagnostic Radiology; a National Key Clinical Specialty; a National Standardized Residency Training Base for Radiology; a Competition Base for the National College Student Practical Skills Competition in Medical Imaging Technology; a Test-Question Development Base for the National Competency Assessment of Medical Equipment Users; a Clinical Practical Skills Training Base for Medical Imaging Technology; a Training Base for the Standardized Use of Contrast Media of the Radiologists Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association; the Chongqing Radiology Diagnosis Center; the Chongqing Standardized Residency Training Base for Radiology; a Participating Unit of the Chongqing Municipal Key Discipline Development Project under the 12th Five-Year Plan; and the Chairing Unit of the Southwest Radiology Specialty Alliance.

The Department of Radiology currently has 206 staff members, 9 physicians undergoing standardized residency training, and 30 radiologic technologists undergoing standardized training. There are 67 physicians, 83 technologists, 39 nursing staff members, 2 engineering and technical personnel, 2 natural science researchers, 10 support staff members, and 3 administrative staff members. Among the physicians, 10 hold senior professional titles, 12 hold associate senior professional titles, and 9 have studied abroad. Among the technologists, 4 hold associate senior professional titles and 22 hold intermediate professional titles. Across the department, 34 staff members hold doctoral degrees, 62 hold master’s degrees, and 83 hold bachelor’s degrees; doctoral degree holders account for 46% of the physician group, and those with master’s degrees or above account for 38.5% of the technical group. The department currently has 4 doctoral supervisors and 15 master’s supervisors. Among the medical and technical personnel, 15 hold academic positions in national societies and associations, 2 are Chongqing academic and technical leaders, and 18 hold academic positions in Chongqing societies and associations; personnel with overseas study experience account for 5%. As the department’s staff continues to grow, its overall level is also continuously improving and its structure is becoming more rational.

The Department of Radiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University operates under a “1+4” model, comprising the main hospital, the First Branch, Jinshan Campus, Qinggang Elderly Care Center, and the Remote Radiology Consultation Center. It has a variety of advanced examination and treatment devices, including 15 CT scanners in total, such as the GE Revolution APEX CT, Canon 640-slice Praseodymium Gold CT, Siemens new dual-source SOMATOM Force CT, Philips IQon CT, and Neusoft 128-slice mobile CT; 6 3.0T MR systems, including GE Premier, Pioneer and 750W, United Imaging uMR790, Siemens Skyra, and Philips Ingenia, as well as 6 1.5T MRI systems; 1 DSA hybrid operating room and 12 large flat-panel DSA systems; 3 flat-panel multifunctional systems, 2 ERCP systems, 1 breast CBCT system, 1 dental CBCT system, 1 mobile CT system, 3 flat-panel mammography systems, 12 DR systems, and 1 Haifu focused ultrasound treatment system. In 2010, the hospital established a complete PACS, RIS and remote consultation system, achieving connectivity throughout the hospital, a remote diagnosis and consultation network covering all of Chongqing, and a complete hospital imaging and information technology platform. In 2018, the Southwest Radiology Specialty Alliance, led by the department, was officially established. A total of 152 institutions from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Tibet and Xinjiang joined the alliance. As of December 2023, the Southwest Radiology Specialty Alliance had 168 institutions, including 1 chairing institution, 27 vice-chairing institutions, 47 council institutions and 93 member institutions; there were also 21 hospitals cooperating through remote services.

The Department of Radiology’s research capacity has developed steadily. To date, the department has received approval for 11 national-level projects, undertaken 33 provincial- and ministerial-level projects and 7 department- and bureau-level projects. The annual number of papers published in SCI-indexed journals and Chinese core journals has remained stably above 50. In addition, the department has received 3 provincial-, ministerial-, department- or bureau-level achievement awards and holds 33 national patents. It has received approval for 1 national advanced training program, obtained approval for multiple municipal- and university-level teaching achievement projects, received approval for multiple municipal-, university- and hospital-level educational reform projects, and participated in the compilation of 44 academic monographs and textbooks.

Medical imaging services provided by the Department of Radiology: 1. 24 hours × 7 days: emergency X-ray examinations and bedside emergency X-ray examinations; emergency CT examinations, including non-contrast and contrast-enhanced examinations and one-stop scanning for stroke CTA and CTP; and emergency MRI examinations. 2. Conventional X-ray imaging examinations of all parts of the body, breast X-ray imaging examinations, dental imaging examinations, and various conventional contrast examinations, including gastrointestinal contrast examinations, T-tube contrast examinations, ERCP contrast examinations, and intravenous pyelography. 3. Non-contrast and contrast-enhanced CT examinations of all parts of the body, CTA, CTU, CT coronary imaging, spectral imaging, and various image post-processing procedures. 4. Non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI examinations of all parts of the body, MRA, MRN, MRS, SWI, MR hydrography, including MRCP, urinary tract imaging, MR inner-ear imaging and MR salivary-gland imaging, and various MR functional imaging examinations. 5. CT-guided puncture localization and biopsy. 6. DSA imaging examinations, including DSA coronary imaging, whole-brain vascular imaging and peripheral vascular imaging, as well as radiological vascular and nonvascular interventional diagnosis and treatment. 7. In-hospital clinical medical imaging consultations and consultations on medical imaging examinations from outside hospitals.

Key technologies: 1. CT coronary artery examination technology 2. Three-dimensional DSA interventional navigation technology 3. Breast DR examination and three-dimensional stereotactic localization biopsy technology 4. Magnetic resonance examination technology for bones and joints 5. Examination technology for central demyelinating diseases 6. One-stop examination technology for stroke 7. CT-guided puncture localization and biopsy