Breast Surgery

The Department of Breast Surgery at Shuguang Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the first breast specialty department established in the Pudong area to integrate medical care, teaching, research, prevention, and health care. It currently has 9 clinical physicians, including 1 chief physician, 3 deputy chief physicians, 3 attending physicians, and 2 resident physicians, all of whom hold master's or doctoral degrees.

Department Features

The department employs advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies from China and abroad. Its main focus is standardized comprehensive treatment of breast cancer centered on surgery, as well as various breast plastic and minimally invasive procedures. It also carries out distinctive integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnostic and treatment programs, providing standardized and precise diagnosis and treatment for breast diseases:

(1) Comprehensive treatment of breast cancer under precise localization:

① The department is equipped with breast color Doppler ultrasound with 3D, elastography, and contrast-enhanced imaging; digital tomosynthesis mammography; breast MRI; and breast PET, among other equipment. It routinely performs ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy of masses and lymph nodes, stereotactic mammographic X-ray biopsy, and Mammotome breast rotational excision procedures to improve the early diagnosis of breast cancer. ② For patients with confirmed breast cancer, individualized surgical plans are developed according to each patient's condition. While ensuring radical treatment, the department maximizes preservation of the appearance and function of the surgical area. Routine procedures include modified radical mastectomy, breast-conserving surgery, functional radical surgery preserving the breast, axilla, and intercostobrachial nerve, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and first- and second-stage breast reconstruction. ③ For operable breast cancer, the department performs endoscopic breast-conserving surgery, gland excision plus reconstruction, and axillary lymph node dissection, thereby reducing surgical trauma and promoting early recovery. ④ After surgery, standardized and individualized chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and molecular targeted therapy plans are formulated based on tumor stage, molecular subtype, and genetic testing results. Traditional Chinese medicine is combined throughout treatment to strengthen the body's resistance, eliminate pathogenic factors, reduce toxicity, and enhance efficacy. ⑤ For locally advanced breast cancer, surgery is performed after downstaging through comprehensive treatment, improving the success rate of surgery and quality of life. ⑥ An implantable venous access port is routinely placed during chemotherapy to reduce vascular reactions and minimize the impact on daily life.

(2) Breast plastic and minimally invasive surgery with humanistic care:

① The department is proficient in performing various breast aesthetic and reconstructive procedures, including post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, reduction mammoplasty, breast lift, breast augmentation, correction of inverted nipples, aesthetic correction of accessory breasts, nipple-areola reduction, and nipple-areola reconstruction. ② For breast fibroadenomas, breast nodules, multifocal breast lesions, and similar conditions, minimally invasive excision is performed using the Mammotone breast rotational biopsy system, treating the breast disease while preserving breast contour. ③ For moderate to severe gynecomastia, minimally invasive excision through a small incision is combined with liposuction to reshape the chest wall. ④ Various breast disease procedures assisted by single-port endoscopy are routinely performed, truly leaving no scars on the breast surface.

(3) Distinctive integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnostic and treatment technologies:

① The “Three-Step Eradication Method for Plasma Cell Mastitis” is used to treat complex nonpuerperal mastitis, resulting in short hospital stays, less pain, and essentially resolving the problem of recurrence. ② The “Six-Step Milk-Block Unblocking Method” is used to intervene in milk stasis (milk plugs). It has been recognized as an “Appropriate Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology of Shanghai,” approved by the China Association of Chinese Medicine as an industry standard and promulgated nationwide, and selected as an international promotion project under the Belt and Road Initiative, bringing good news to new mothers. ③ Noninvasive and minimally invasive treatment is provided for breast abscesses during lactation, preserving breastfeeding function while maintaining an excellent appearance. ④ Traditional Chinese medicine treatment during the perioperative period reduces anesthetic reactions and promotes postoperative recovery.

Achievements

The department undertakes multiple national- and municipal-level scientific research projects and has completed more than 10 research projects of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Municipality, and Pudong New Area. It has published dozens of papers in domestic and international journals. Its staff have served as chief editors, co-editors, or co-translators of 6 monographs. The department has received 1 second prize for Shanghai Science and Technology Progress and 1 Shanghai Award for Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Technology. It undertakes theoretical teaching and clinical instruction in Western Surgery for undergraduate students, seven-year program students, and international students at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is currently a teaching department for standardized training of Western surgery residents and has trained more than 10 postgraduate students. It has previously been recognized as an A-level discipline of Shuguang Hospital and received the hospital's “March 8 Red-Banner Collective” designation.

Department Vision

The Department of Breast Surgery pursues a service philosophy of “people-centered care, with attention to every detail,” providing patients with comprehensive services throughout the process, including precise diagnosis of breast diseases, individualized integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, and humanized rehabilitation.