Gastrointestinal Surgery

The Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Peking University People’s Hospital originated from the Gastrointestinal Specialty Group of the General Surgery Department of Central Hospital in 1942 and has a history of more than 70 years. Renowned professors Huang Cuiting, Du Ruyu, Zhang Jiaqing, and Zhu Xueguang successively served as department directors. After 1997, in response to the needs of disciplinary development, the Department of General Surgery was divided according to specialty characteristics into departments including Hepatobiliary Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, the Breast Surgery Center, Surgical Intensive Care, and Minimally Invasive Surgery. Professor Yu Yongxiang served as director of Gastrointestinal Surgery, with Professor Wang Shan as deputy director. In 2003, Professor Wang Shan became director of Gastrointestinal Surgery, with Professor Ye Yingjiang as deputy director. In 2006, Professor Wang Shan became president of People’s Hospital, while Professor Ye Yingjiang served as deputy director. In 2013, Professor Ye Yingjiang became director of Gastrointestinal Surgery.

Gastrointestinal Surgery is currently a National Key Clinical Specialty of the Ministry of Health, a Key Discipline of Beijing, a standardized residency training base in Beijing, and a residency training base of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom and the Hong Kong College of Surgeons.

There are currently 76 medical, nursing, and technical staff members. There are 28 physicians, including 11 with senior professional titles (including 3 professors), 5 with associate senior professional titles, 9 with intermediate professional titles, and 3 with junior professional titles; 46 nurses, including 11 nurses-in-charge, 14 registered nurses, and 21 nurses; and 2 technicians. There are 118 beds, including 56 beds in the 6A ward, 37 beds in Ward 41, and 25 beds in Tong 6B ward. More than 4000 patients are admitted annually on average, and more than 2000 operations are performed. The department provides medical services in the hospital’s 6A ward (surgical treatment ward), Ward 42 (thyroid, anorectal, and comprehensive treatment ward), and Tong 6B (surgical and gastrointestinal endoscopy treatment ward). The main conditions treated include benign and malignant gastrointestinal diseases; general surgical diseases of the thyroid, anorectal region, liver, gallbladder, hernia, and appendix; and others. The department is particularly experienced in the standardized and individualized treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. It maintains a leading position nationally and even internationally in the comprehensive treatment of malignant digestive tract tumors, surgical treatment of colorectal cancer with liver metastases, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery, treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, thyroid and parathyroid nodules, and surgery for complex anorectal and pelvic floor diseases. It was among the earliest in China to develop and promote the multidisciplinary expert group treatment model (MDT model), earning high praise from peers in China and abroad. Gastrointestinal Surgery is grounded in China’s current conditions, keeps abreast of international professional development, and has established a medical model of three-dimensional treatment through multiple channels, means, and methods, comprehensively improving the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment and rapidly and safely relieving the suffering of the broad patient population.