Urology Ward 3

Urology Ward 3 of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University is divided into two ward areas, A and B, and an outpatient extracorporeal lithotripsy center, with 91 beds in total and 31 medical and nursing personnel; there are 15 physicians: among them, 2 doctoral supervisors, 3 master’s supervisors, 4 chief physicians, 5 associate chief physicians, and 9 physicians with doctoral degrees. There are 16 nurses, including 2 associate chief nurses.

For many years, under the leadership of Director Li Xuedong, our department has actively studied and adopted internationally advanced technologies. Robotic surgery is at the forefront within the province, and more than 1,000 robotic operations have been completed to date. At present, we have successfully performed all types of urological surgery using robot-assisted laparoscopy, including radical nephrectomy for kidney cancer, radical cystectomy for bladder cancer, radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, and others.

Our department’s diagnosis and treatment of urinary stones are at the leading level nationwide, and it is the only stone diagnosis and treatment center in the province. We are proficient in procedures characterized by noninvasive and minimally invasive lithotripsy, such as percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy, and extracorporeal ultrasonic lithotripsy. These procedures are combined with postoperative extracorporeal vibration-assisted stone expulsion, greatly improving the stone clearance rate.

Our department’s laparoscopic minimally invasive technology is at the leading level in the province. We were the first in the province to perform laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, total and partial cystectomy, transurethral laser enucleation of the prostate, transurethral resection of bladder tumors, and other highly difficult procedures.

The department possesses internationally top-tier equipment, including the U.S. da Vinci robotic surgical system and the KangDuo 2.0 robotic surgical system, as well as cystoscopes, percutaneous nephroscopes, laparoscopic systems, multi-energy platforms, plasma resection systems, ureteroscopes, pneumatic ballistic lithotripters, urodynamic testing instruments, physical vibration stone-expulsion machines, stone analyzers, “holmium laser machines,” “blue laser machines,” and a series of other domestically first-rate modern and specialized diagnostic and therapeutic devices.

To better improve the patient experience, our department provides the following high-quality services.

During the perioperative period, we implement “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” (ERAS), namely, a series of optimization measures for perioperative management supported by evidence-based medicine. These measures reduce the physiological and psychological trauma and stress of surgical patients, thereby achieving rapid recovery and improving the patient experience.

We provide every patient who comes for treatment with comprehensive health education, helping patients effectively understand the disease itself and the available treatment methods.

We are gradually promoting various tubeless procedures, in which no stent or ostomy tube needs to be left in place after surgery, such as minimally tract tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotripsy and flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy. These procedures further accelerate postoperative recovery and reduce patients’ postoperative suffering.

With the spirit of the brave, we pursue technical mastery; with the heart of a physician, we aid all living beings; with the soul of a teacher, we pass on education; with the body of a physician, we devote ourselves to society.

Our department was established in November 2012. Under the leadership of Director Li Xuedong, our staff have worked diligently and persevered through hardship for more than ten years, achieving remarkable results.

Clinical work: The number of operations performed by our department has increased year by year, reaching more than 2,400 surgical cases in 2023, with minimally invasive procedures accounting for more than 95%; for many years, we have been committed to developing a multidisciplinary team diagnosis and treatment model (MDT), cooperating with the departments of medical imaging, pathology, and others to provide convenience for patients; in 2015, in cooperation with the Chinese Medical Association, we launched the “Chinese Medical Association County-Level Hospital Talent Training” program and became the only training base in the province; in October of the same year, our department established the “Heilongjiang Provincial Stone Diagnosis and Treatment Center,” one of the first group of more than 10 training bases nationwide, and has now trained more than 100 professionals for hospitals at all levels throughout the province.

Research: Over the years, the department has published dozens of SCI papers, with the highest impact factor reaching 12.02. It has undertaken multiple projects at the provincial level and above, including one National Young Scientists Fund project, and has made tremendous progress. It has also hosted and participated in domestic and international academic exchanges many times, strengthening scholarly exchange and professional interaction among peers nationwide.