Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology

In 1957, Professor He Yushi, the late ophthalmology expert at our hospital, was the first in China to establish the specialty of strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology. His book Strabismus was the earliest monograph on strabismus in China and remains an important reference work for physicians working in this specialty. To date, the strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology specialty at our hospital has conducted a series of clinical studies and cured large numbers of children with eye diseases and patients with binocular visual dysfunction, particularly patients with difficult and complex strabismus, including even those whose outcomes after multiple surgeries were poor. It has cultivated a strong professional team, including many nationally renowned experts, among them former and current leaders of the National Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Group, members and the secretary of the Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Group, and members of the Visual Physiology Group. Professor Zhao Kanxing, the academic leader of the specialty, is the former chair of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, former president of the Ophthalmologist Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, lifelong honorary leader of the Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Group, and a fellow of the International Academy of Ophthalmology. Professor Zhang Wei, the academic leader of the specialty, is the current leader of the Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Group of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, chair of the Special Committee on Strabismus and Pediatric Eye Diseases of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and a council member of the Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Society. He has undertaken multiple projects related to strabismus and amblyopia and has received awards. He received the inaugural “Tianjin Famous Doctor” award and the Chinese Ophthalmological Society Award. Our hospital cooperates with the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). Since 2008, it has held 3 to 4 training sessions annually, inviting different experts who are AAPOS members to the hospital to give lectures and provide surgical guidance, making it currently the society’s only training base in China for strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology. This has not only trained high-level and highly skilled strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology physicians for China, but has also kept the level of strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology at our hospital at the international forefront.

Department Specialty The influence of this specialty extends throughout the country, and more than 6,000 strabismus correction surgeries are completed every year. More than 80% of patients come from provinces and cities outside Tianjin, and patients from China’s Taiwan region and from abroad also come for consultation and surgery.

Department Staff Several members of the department have been selected for Tianjin’s “131” Innovative Talent Project. The department undertakes National Natural Science Foundation of China projects and high-level talent and project programs in Tianjin’s health and family planning sector, and has received a number of science and technology awards, including the First Prize of the Tianjin Science and Technology Progress Award. All department staff hold doctoral degrees or are currently pursuing doctoral degrees. There are currently 6 chief physicians and 6 associate chief physicians.

Department Projects Over the years, the department has developed clear advantages and distinctive strengths in the clinical treatment of strabismus and amblyopia, particularly in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of difficult-to-treat, complex strabismus, such as vertical rotational strabismus. It is at the forefront in China and has authoritative influence. It was the first in China to perform nystagmus null-zone transposition surgery to correct the compensatory head posture caused by idiopathic nystagmus and improve visual function in the main visual field used in daily life. The department developed a new surgical method—direct-vision oblique muscle surgery—for complex, difficult-to-treat strabismus, with reliable efficacy and few complications. It is the first medical institution in China to perform this type of surgery and has performed the largest number of such procedures. This filled a gap in China, and the department is at the domestic leading level.