Gastroenterology

The Department of Gastroenterology (Spleen and Stomach Disease Department) of Shuguang Hospital carries forward the heritage of renowned Shanghai TCM physicians. It was founded by Huang Wendong, Zhang Boyu, and Zhang Gengmei and, under the leadership of Professor Cai Gan, the first recipient of the National Renowned TCM Physician title, has developed into one of the first key specialties designated by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a key specialty under the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, and a national TCM advantage specialty. The department has strong overall capabilities and ranks among the leaders nationally in academic influence in TCM spleen-and-stomach disease.

The department adheres to the philosophy of “TCM as the foundation, mastering TCM and understanding Western medicine.” It has developed four distinctive areas: prevention and treatment of early digestive tract cancer; diagnosis and treatment of functional gastrointestinal diseases; diagnosis and treatment of pancreaticobiliary diseases based on ERCP; and integrated Chinese-Western medicine treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. It has established a standardized and individualized integrated Chinese-Western medicine diagnosis and treatment system. Its TCM strengths are prominent. Relying on a pattern-differentiation and treatment system, it uses in-house preparations such as E-lian Granules and Qingwei Mixture to precisely intervene in chronic atrophic gastritis and precancerous gastric lesions; sequential TCM medication to increase the Helicobacter pylori eradication rate; decoctions and herbal pastes to regulate constitutions and effectively reduce postoperative recurrence of colorectal polyps; and combined oral Chinese and Western medicines with distinctive TCM enemas to overcome the limitations of Western medicine alone and improve the treatment outcomes of ulcerative colitis.

The department emphasizes both Chinese and Western medicine and is equipped with advanced instruments including gastroscopes and colonoscopes, ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound, and capsule endoscopy. It is proficient in high-end endoscopic procedures such as complex ERCP and minimally invasive treatment of gastrointestinal polyps. It has developed innovative integrated Chinese-Western medicine minimally invasive protocols, using oral, topical, and enema TCM interventions to effectively prevent and treat complications such as post-ERCP pancreatitis, and providing individualized treatment for acute and chronic pancreatitis, biliary stones, and postoperative biliary strictures, thereby significantly improving patients' symptoms and quality of life.

Both the eastern and western campuses have outpatient and inpatient services. The talent structure is well established, with multiple nationally recognized TCM inheritance experts and master's and doctoral faculty. The department has strong research capabilities, leading more than 20 national, provincial, and municipal projects, publishing more than 200 papers, compiling more than 30 monographs, and winning multiple national and Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Awards. It serves patients with high-quality integrated Chinese-Western medicine diagnosis and treatment.