Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery

The Department of Liver Surgery at Tongji Hospital was established in the 1950s and is now led by Academician Chen Xiaoping as its academic leader. It is one of China’s three major liver surgery centers and a national key discipline, with overall diagnostic and treatment capabilities ranking among the world’s leading institutions. Centered on “collaborative innovation in medical care, education, and research,” the department has achieved multiple breakthroughs in liver surgery: in 1957, it performed China’s first anatomical liver resection and initiated exploration of liver transplantation; in the 1970s, it pioneered pericardial devascularization and established the gold standard for treating portal hypertension; in the 1980s, Professor Chen Xiaoping proposed the groundbreaking theory that hepatic inflow occlusion for 60 minutes at normal body temperature is safe, advancing innovation in complex liver resection techniques, and took the lead in formulating surgical treatment guidelines for liver cancer; in 2002, it introduced laparoscopic partial hepatectomy and conventional liver transplantation, achieving an internationally low perioperative mortality rate; in 2015, it became one of the first institutions in China to perform robot-assisted liver resection, pioneered key technologies such as intraoperative ICG fluorescence navigation, and incorporated the relevant achievements into international expert consensus, thereby establishing a minimally invasive treatment system centered on robotic liver resection. The department’s distinctive diagnostic and treatment services include anatomical liver resection, living-donor liver transplantation, nonoperative treatment of liver trauma, and combined surgery for liver cancer with portal hypertension. Research achievements in perioperative optimization, such as adjuvant treatment with Huaier Granule and the use of Bifidobacterium longum to promote liver function recovery, have been incorporated into domestic and international guidelines. The department has 163 medical and nursing staff, including 1 academician, 1 national-level talent program recipient, 4 provincial- or ministerial-level talent program recipients, 1 municipal-level talent program recipient, and 32 experts with senior professional titles. It has led more than 100 projects, including those funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; published more than 40 high-impact SCI papers; served as chief editor of authoritative textbooks such as Surgery and Huang Jiasi’s Surgery; received more than 20 major awards, including the National Science and Technology Progress Award; and completed more than 30,000 liver operations. Its technologies have reached more than 60 hospitals nationwide, making it a global benchmark for leading innovation in liver surgery, developing standards, and training talent.