Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine

The Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Health Hospital was formerly the “Traditional Chinese Medicine Outpatient Clinic,” established in 1960. In 2014, the Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine was formally established. Adhering to the principle of “holistic syndrome differentiation, integrated prevention and treatment, inheritance of the national essence, and integration of Chinese and Western medicine,” it inherits and develops the essence of traditional Chinese medicine while organically integrating it with modern medicine, thereby establishing a distinctive path for new Chinese medicine.

The department draws on the diagnostic and therapeutic principles of TCM—its “holistic concept” and “treatment based on syndrome differentiation”—regards prevention and treatment as equally important, and advocates the “treating disease before it arises” philosophy of “preventing disease before its onset and preventing progression once disease has developed.” It specializes in treating menstrual disorders caused by endocrine disturbances, polycystic ovary syndrome, perimenopausal syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis (dysmenorrhea), uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and other Zhengjia disorders involving pathological masses, as well as complications after radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery for gynecologic tumors. It has distinctive approaches to treating recurrent implantation failure, improving premature ovarian failure, and preventing and treating recurrent miscarriage.

To meet clinical and patient needs, in addition to traditional Chinese herbal decoctions, the department has developed various dosage forms, including granules, tonic medicinal paste formulas, and pills. It also specially prepares self-made products for women, including external-application packs, formulas for external washing and sitz baths, medicinal plasters, and aromatherapy sachets. In addition, it applies a variety of distinctive treatments that are “simple, convenient, inexpensive, and effective,” such as acupuncture and moxibustion, acupoint catgut embedding, fumigation and enemas, and auricular acupoint pellet pressing, continuously enriching the department’s TCM treatment offerings.

By combining oral Chinese herbal treatment with external therapies, the department has established a series of treatment areas in which it has particular strengths: acupuncture combined with medication to improve ovarian function, reproductive potential, and IVF success rates; Chinese herbal medicine combined with acupuncture, hot compresses, or enemas to improve the endometrial microenvironment and pelvic inflammatory environment, soften indurations and disperse nodules, resolve masses, and relieve pain; Chinese herbal medicine combined with acupoint application to improve hyperemesis gravidarum, eliminate subchorionic hematomas, stop bleeding, and support pregnancy; Chinese herbal medicine combined with acupuncture or acupoint catgut embedding for weight management and menstrual regulation; specialty Chinese herbal teas for insomnia, dispelling dampness, and improving complexion; and specialty Chinese herbal sachets for calming the spirit, repelling mosquitoes, strengthening the spleen, preventing epidemics, and more.

The department currently has 3 associate chief physicians, 4 attending physicians, and 2 resident physicians; among them are 1 doctoral supervisor, 3 PhDs, and 3 master’s degree holders. Over the past three years, the department has received 2 National Natural Science Foundation of China grants, 7 projects from the Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, 1 key integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine project under the Health Commission’s Three-Year Action Plan, 2 Health Commission projects on integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and 3 hospital-level projects, with approved funding totaling approximately RMB 2.66 million. It has published a total of 14 papers in core journals in China and abroad. It is a Shanghai collaborative base for standardized training of TCM specialist physicians in TCM gynecology and a mentor-apprentice training base for community physicians.

The department’s members uphold the humanistic care of TCM practitioners and emphasize the quality of teaching and services in TCM gynecology. They have received honors including the second prize in the 8th National Young Teachers’ Basic Teaching Skills Lecture Competition and the hospital’s “Innovative Service Brand” honors in 2018 and 2021, among others.