Paediatric Surgery

Pediatric Surgery

I. Department Overview The Department of Pediatric Surgery of Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center is a pediatric surgery specialty in southern China with exceptionally strong technical capabilities, a broad scope of diagnosis and treatment, and outstanding overall strength. It has a long history of nearly 60 years. In particular, after the establishment of Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, the specialty developed more rapidly and comprehensively and brought together professionals from multiple fields. The department currently has 7 subspecialties and 1 surgical laboratory, with a total of 30 beds. It also comprises a Fetal Medicine Center, a Heart Center, and an Endoscopy Training Center.

The department’s overall capabilities in clinical diagnosis and treatment and scientific research are at the leading level in China. Building on the solid foundation laid by such nationally renowned senior directors as Huang Yikuan, Zhang Huidong, and Wu Liankang, and after 60 years of unremitting effort, the department has established a well-structured team with a balanced distribution of ages, professional titles, and educational backgrounds. It has developed a talent pipeline composed primarily of young and middle-aged physicians, together with clinical doctors and researchers who each have particular strengths in clinical practice, teaching, and research. In 2013, it was designated a National Clinical Key Specialty by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. In 2010, it was designated a Guangdong Provincial Pediatric Surgery Specialty Residency Training Base.

II. Major Honors In 2013, the department became part of the National Health and Family Planning Commission’s Key Specialty Development Program (Clinical Key Specialty), ranking 6th nationwide among specialties.

In 2013, it jointly published the book Diagnostic and Treatment Processes for Pediatric Surgical Diseases with the People’s Military Medical Press. It also established standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols, patient-visit guidance, and disease information booklets for common pediatric surgical diseases, implementing homogeneous and standardized management of disease diagnosis and treatment. In terms of clinical pathway management, it was at the forefront nationwide. More than 30 pediatric surgical diseases are currently managed through clinical pathways. The book Clinical Pathways for Common Pediatric Surgical Diseases, jointly published with the People’s Medical Publishing House, will soon be officially published and distributed.

III. Composition and Scale The Department of Pediatric Surgery comprises 7 subspecialties—Neonatal and Fetal Surgery; General Surgery (Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgery); Surgical Oncology; Cardiothoracic Surgery (Cardiac Surgery and Thoracic Surgery); Urology; Orthopedics; and Neurosurgery—as well as an independent pediatric surgery laboratory.

More than 300 beds are currently open. Each year, the department treats 11,007 patient visits, records 157.13 million specialty outpatient visits, performs 9,500 specialty operations, and provides 10,000 expert outpatient visits. The physician staffing structure is appropriate and the department is fully equipped. It has considerable experience and a high level of expertise in diagnosing and treating common, rare, difficult, and critically severe pediatric surgical diseases.

IV. Academic Activities and Research In recent years, the department has received more than 10 research grants and 5 awards, including the Soong Ching Ling Pediatric Medicine Award and the Guangdong Science and Technology Progress Award. It has published 118 research and clinical papers, including 11 SCI papers.

In 2012, the research project “Study of the Pathogenesis and Clinical Treatment of Congenital Esophageal Atresia” received the Third Prize of the 2012 Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Award.

In 2012, the research project “Study of the Pathogenesis and Clinical Treatment of Congenital Esophageal Atresia” received the Second Prize of the 2012 Guangzhou Science and Technology Award.

In 2011, the research project “Experimental Study of the Pathogenesis and Prenatal Treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia” received the Sixth Soong Ching Ling Pediatric Medicine Award.

In 2008, the research project “Experimental Study of the Pathogenesis and Prenatal Treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia” received the “Third Prize of the 2007 Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.”

In 2007, the research project “Experimental Study of the Pathogenesis and Prenatal Treatment of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia” received the “Second Prize of the 2006 Guangzhou Science and Technology Progress Award.”

The department has successively participated in organizing and successfully held the following academic conferences: 2014 National Pediatric Surgery Academic Conference 2014 Guangdong Medical Association Pediatric Surgery Academic Conference and China Pediatric Surgery Forum 2014 National Academic Symposium on Minimally Invasive Surgery 2014 Annual Meeting of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Group of the Pediatric Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association 2013 China–United States Symposium on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases 2014 China–United States Symposium on Fetal Surgery 2014 National Pediatric Surgery Forum 2014 China–Australia Pediatric Surgery Academic Forum 2014 Sixth National Academic Conference on Neonatal Surgery

V. External Exchanges The Department of Pediatric Surgery of the Municipal Women and Children’s Medical Center has established regular exchange and training programs with world-renowned children’s hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Kansas, to train highly qualified pediatric surgery professionals. It actively supports young physicians in undertaking further study and training at internationally renowned children’s medical centers in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Japan. At the same time, it is further strengthening the development of interdisciplinary professionals who combine clinical expertise with management skills, thereby promoting the long-term, stable, and leapfrog development of pediatric surgery.

VI. Overall Objectives To build a first-class clinical key specialty in pediatric surgery in China and a nationally first-class pediatric surgery diagnosis, treatment, and research center integrating clinical care, scientific research, and teaching.