Reproductive Medicine

The Department of Reproductive Medicine of Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital (also known as Zhejiang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine) has been highly renowned in the Hangzhou area for diagnosing and treating infertility since the 1970s. The hospital established its Institute of Infertility Research in 1995 and its Center of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Reproductive Medicine in 2001. It is a national TCM-Western medicine collaborative “flagship” department (Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Gynecology); a National Health Commission clinical key specialty (TCM Gynecology); a key specialty of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans; a member institution of the Zhejiang Obstetrics and Gynecology Discipline Innovation and Transformation Alliance; a member of the Zhejiang TCM Gynecology Discipline Alliance; a Zhejiang key specialty of integrated TCM and Western medicine for male diseases; a Zhejiang renowned specialty of integrated TCM and Western medicine for infertility; a Hangzhou Category-I key discipline (Reproductive Medicine); a Hangzhou peak-discipline development institution; the Hangzhou Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility with Integrated TCM and Western Medicine; the leading institution of the Hangzhou Alliance for Integrated TCM and Western Medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis; and a base for assisted reproductive technology (artificial insemination with husband’s sperm) approved by the Zhejiang Provincial Health Department. With strong support from the provincial and municipal health commissions and the hospital, the department has developed rapidly over the years and reached a leading level in Zhejiang in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of infertility.

The department emphasizes talent-team development and currently has a team combining senior, middle-aged and young professionals: 1 national-level TCM inheritance instructor, 2 provincial-level renowned TCM physicians, 1 municipal-level renowned TCM physician, 13 senior-title personnel, 18 master’s and doctoral degree holders, 2 discipline leaders and 2 reserve discipline leaders. It is currently the chair institution of the Reproductive Medicine Branch of the Chinese Sexology Association’s Committee of Integrated TCM and Western Medicine and of the Hangzhou Branch of Integrated TCM and Western Reproductive Medicine. Discipline leader Director Ding Caifei studied under Professor Zhang Lizhu of Peking University Third Hospital, renowned in China as the “mother of IVF,” and is the academic heir of Chief Physician Bao Yanzhong, a national TCM inheritance instructor. Her team’s integrated treatment methods attract many patients from Zhejiang and elsewhere. Nearly 100,000 infertility patient-visits are treated annually, and nearly 40,000 complete medical records have been established.

The department advocates the diagnostic and treatment concept of “harmonizing yin and yang and achieving natural conception,” with the characteristics of “integrating Chinese and Western medicine, jointly diagnosing men and women, applying internal and external treatment, and harmonizing body and mind,” and puts people first. Its main directions are prevention and treatment of ovulation-disorder diseases, abortion-related diseases, and sexual medicine and male diseases using integrated TCM and Western medicine. It has TCM Gynecology, TCM Andrology, a reproductive laboratory and a specialty ward. Combining traditional TCM treatment, it developed “Yin-Yang Balance Acupuncture” and “Yulin Acupuncture” to regulate male and female reproductive functions and treat difficult infertility disorders. More than 20 hospital preparations and agreed prescriptions have been developed, including Zhuyun Decoction, Yijing Formula, Huajing Decoction and Yishen Angong Formula. Centered on infertility, it conducts multiple technologies integrating modern and traditional medicine, including hysteroscopic and laparoscopic surgery combined with more than 10 appropriate TCM techniques such as warm moxibustion, umbilical therapy, auricular points and retention enemas. These cover common diseases and difficult disorders in integrated gynecology, andrology and reproductive medicine that affect reproductive health. It was among the first in Zhejiang to use combined hysteroscopy-laparoscopy and a four-part TCM therapy for tubal infertility, and to use a “new non-hunger fasting therapy plus Yulin Acupuncture” for obese polycystic ovary syndrome; laparoscopy plus warming-yang and resolving-stasis therapy for ovarian cysts; hysteroscopy plus kidney-tonifying and essence-filling therapy for intrauterine adhesions; Sangen Decoction plus TCM retention enema for endometriosis; liver-tonifying, kidney-benefiting and yin-nourishing therapy for diminished ovarian reserve; warming-yang and blood-breaking therapy for infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome; extraordinary-point acupuncture for anovulatory infertility; integrated treatment for recurrent spontaneous abortion; acupoint application for vomiting of pregnancy; TCM sachets for restless sleep in pregnant women; Baoshi Yijing Formula for male oligoasthenospermia; and a TCM prostate-draining and turbidity-guiding method based on summarized etiological theories of chronic prostatitis. Tuina, daoyin and massage treat prostatitis and ejaculatory disorders; kidney-tonifying, liver-soothing and collateral-unblocking therapy treats ED. The nursing team uses balanced fire cupping to balance yin and yang, unblock channels, promote metabolism and regulate immunity, and Fuyang cupping to treat diminished ovarian reserve, repeated implantation failure and male and female preconception subhealth.

The department has strong research capacity, with more than 50 approved projects, over 20 completed provincial/ministerial and department/bureau-level projects, and over 20 ongoing projects: 1 National Natural Science Foundation project, 4 provincial natural-science projects, 7 Provincial Administration of TCM projects, 8 Municipal Health Commission projects and 6 Municipal Science and Technology Commission projects. It has won 2 second prizes and 5 third prizes of the Zhejiang TCM Science and Technology Innovation Award and 5 third prizes of the Hangzhou Science and Technology Progress Award. Nearly 200 academic papers have been published, including more than 100 in first-level journals and 12 indexed by SCI; 6 academic monographs have been published and 4 invention patents granted. It has held 16 annual sessions of the national continuing-education program “Research Progress in the Integrated TCM and Western Prevention and Treatment of Declining Male and Female Fertility,” trained more than 40 master’s students and supervised more than 100 visits by European and American international students.

The department also maintains long-term close cooperation with Peking University Third Hospital, Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated with Zhejiang University. It currently has 2 Hangzhou Qianjiang specially appointed experts: Professor Luo Songping of the First Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Professor Jiang Hui, director of the Reproductive Center of Peking University Third Hospital. It has established the Xia Guicheng National Master of Chinese Medicine Studio, the Bao Yanzhong National TCM Inheritance Instructor Studio, the Li Yueqing National Renowned TCM Physician Work Station and the Ding Caifei Zhejiang Renowned TCM Physician Studio.