Gynaecology

(I) Basic information about the department The gynaecology ward currently has more than 40 physicians, of whom more than 20 hold senior titles and over 95% have master's or doctoral degrees. The ward is divided into 6 medical teams, each led by a professor with rich clinical experience. There are 166 beds (139 inpatient beds and 27 chemotherapy beds) and more than 20 operating rooms, each of which can perform abdominal, vaginal and endoscopic surgery; some can demonstrate and broadcast operations for distance teaching, and the operating rooms are equipped with a full set of advanced electrosurgical workstations and other large equipment. The department admits more than 10,000 patients and performs more than 9,000 operations a year, nearly 20% of them for gynaecological malignancies. Each year it rescues more than 500 critically ill patients with a success rate approaching 100%, holds more than 200 consultations for difficult cases and receives several hundred patients with severe or complicated conditions transferred from other hospitals. It can now perform radical and ultra-radical surgery for all kinds of gynaecological malignancies and chemotherapy by all routes, and its results in gynaecological malignancies rank among the best in the country. It achieves marked results in endometriosis, various complex reproductive tract malformations, reproductive tract fistulas, pelvic floor diseases and female reproductive tract infections. It is also among the national leaders in uterus-preserving radical trachelectomy for young patients with cervical cancer, radical hysterectomy with preservation of bladder nerve function, interventional treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy and cervical pregnancy, and video-laparoscopic and hysteroscopic treatment of benign and malignant gynaecological diseases.

There are currently 14 professors, 12 associate professors and more than 20 attending and resident physicians, of whom over 95% have master's or doctoral degrees and over 80% have trained, studied or visited abroad. Several are provincial academic and technical leaders or reserve candidates, and provincial health department academic and technical leaders or reserve candidates; the department hosts the chair and vice-chair of the Chinese Society of Gynaecological Oncology and the chair of the West China Centre. It has 3 doctoral supervisors and 22 master's supervisors and a postdoctoral research station. Gynaecological oncology has been a Ministry of Health key clinical discipline for seven consecutive years; the department has undertaken many high-level research projects of the National Natural Science Foundation, the Ministry of Health and Sichuan Province, won national, ministerial, provincial and municipal science and technology awards on many occasions, and has become a national doctoral programme, a postdoctoral station and the Chengdu Gynaecological Cancer Prevention and Treatment Centre of the China Cancer Foundation. With quality service, sound medical ethics and a high level of medical quality, the staff have won honours such as advanced collective and advanced women's collective from the Ministry of Health and Sichuan Province.

Director of Gynaecology: Wang Ping; Deputy Directors: Shi Gang, Yin Rutie, Zheng Ying.

(II) Introduction to the sub-specialties 1. Gynaecological oncology The gynaecological oncology programme has twice received funding as a Ministry of Health key clinical discipline, has advanced equipment and superb technique, and undertakes consultations for gynaecological cancer surgery and the treatment of difficult cases for hospitals at all levels in western China. It pioneered nationwide total pelvic exenteration (anterior and posterior) with urinary and faecal diversion for recurrent pelvic malignancies, uterus-preserving radical trachelectomy for young cervical cancer patients, and radical hysterectomy preserving bladder nerve function; its diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological tumours are at the national leading level. 2. General gynaecology (1) Endometriosis In recent years the incidence of endometriosis has risen year by year; it can cause dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia and menstrual disorders, and 50% to 70% of patients may develop secondary infertility, seriously affecting women's physical and mental health and quality of life. The department has accumulated extensive experience in the drug and surgical treatment of all types of endometriosis, with a marked increase in symptom relief and pregnancy rates after treatment, and has particular achievements in severe and deep infiltrating endometriosis. (2) Gynaecological pelvic floor diseases Gynaecological pelvic floor diseases such as pelvic organ prolapse, female urinary continence disorders, urinary fistula and faecal fistula seriously affect women's physical and mental health and are often caused by birth trauma, poor development of pelvic floor tissues or degenerative changes. The department has conducted extensive basic and clinical research and introduced new concepts in diagnosis and treatment, achieving good results especially in conservative treatment of mild cases (pelvic floor muscle training, physiotherapy and so on) and surgery for severe cases. With the recent use of gynaecological urology and pelvic floor reconstruction biomaterials, such as tension-free transobturator tape and the Prolift total pelvic floor reconstruction system, the repair of pelvic floor dysfunction has reached a new level. (3) Other gynaecological conditions Correction of reproductive tract malformations, and the diagnosis and treatment of various benign gynaecological tumours and female reproductive tract inflammation, are also widely carried out with rich clinical experience. Extensive and fruitful basic research on the aetiology and pathogenesis of these diseases has laid a good foundation for their cure. In addition, as minimally invasive techniques are increasingly valued by patients and medical staff, the department is at the national forefront in their application, widely performing vaginal hysterectomy, treatment of pelvic floor diseases and correction of reproductive tract malformations with good results. Endoscopy, as a minimally invasive technique, is also widely used and has become a routine method for diagnosing and differentiating pelvic masses, abdominal pain, ectopic pregnancy and abnormal uterine bleeding; the department performs high-quality video-laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, and treats uterine fibroids, ovarian tumours, endometriosis and tubal pregnancy; it also performs hysteroscopic cervical cerclage, endometrial resection, resection of submucous myomas and endometrial polyps. Combined hysteroscopy and laparoscopy is used for conditions such as complex reproductive tract developmental malformations.

(III) Clinical work Adhering to patient-centred care and on the basis of respect, understanding and concern for patients, the department implements quality service and responsible holistic nursing, emphasises medical ethics education and serves patients wholeheartedly; patient satisfaction exceeds 95%. In 2011, dozens of red envelopes were registered and refused, totalling 63,000 yuan, and the department received 9 banners and 63 letters of praise. It continuously strengthens the implementation of medical quality management systems, the writing of medical documents and skills assessment, and firmly manages medical quality: no medical record was lost during the year and the rate of grade-A records reached 100%. In 2011 it treated 13,157 patients and performed 9,599 operations, including 1,235 cancer operations; bed occupancy was 123.2%, the average length of stay 5.4 days and the cure rate 94.1%. Critically ill and complicated patients make up a large share of admissions; the department maintains a consultation system for critically ill and difficult cases, consulting at any time, drawing on collective wisdom and proposing optimal diagnostic and treatment plans. During the year it rescued 509 patients and held 213 consultation discussions for severe and complicated cases.

(IV) Research and academic activities 1. Research The department undertakes many projects, including the National Major Science and Technology Special Fund, the National Natural Science Foundation, the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Special Fund, and provincial and enterprise-funded projects. In 2011, 30 research projects were approved for gynaecology, with total funding of 6.28 million yuan, including one National 973 Programme project and one sub-project, one National Natural Science Foundation project and one Youth Fund project, and 9 ministerial and provincial projects. Staff participated in writing 3 academic monographs and in translating 2; 5 invention patents were obtained. One research result won a third prize for scientific and technological progress of Sichuan Province. 2. Papers An average of nearly 100 papers is published each year, including high-quality papers indexed by SCI, EI and Medline; in 2011, 73 papers were published, 18 of them in SCI journals. 3. Academic exchange In October 2011 the department hosted the 12th National Gynaecological Oncology Academic Conference. During the year staff took part in 11 international academic activities and 56 national ones, with 19 conference presentations. 4. Medical education The department has 38 doctoral and 90 master's students in training; a monthly multidisciplinary clinicopathological conference (CPC); monthly departmental teaching rounds; regular thematic academic discussions for medical students, visiting physicians and postgraduate students; academic lectures every Wednesday afternoon; and annual teaching of Ministry of Health and provincial continuing education programmes. 5. Health education (1) Application of gynaecological endoscopy in gynaecological diseases; (2) prevention and treatment of candida vaginitis; (3) prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer; (4) prevention, diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis; (5) diagnosis and treatment of uterine fibroids; (6) introduction to female sexually transmitted diseases; (7) hormone replacement therapy for patients with gynaecological malignancies; (8) prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer; (9) assessment and repair of pelvic floor dysfunction.

(V) Affiliated institutions The department has three affiliated institutions: 1. West China Academic Training Centre of the Chinese Society of Gynaecological Oncology In 2005 the gynaecological oncology centre became one of the five national gynaecological oncology academic training bases certified by the Gynaecological Oncology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, namely the West China Gynaecological Oncology Academic Training Centre, responsible for training, certification and academic exchange for gynaecological oncologists in northwestern and southwestern China. 2. Ministry of Health Training Base for Gynaecological Endoscopic Diagnosis and Treatment Techniques At the 17th Chinese Endoscopists Conference, the Ministry of Health announced the first 15 hospitals nationwide that had passed acceptance as Ministry of Health endoscopic diagnosis and treatment training bases and issued certificates; the gynaecological minimally invasive centre of this hospital was one of them and the only gynaecological endoscopy training base in southwestern China. The base has first-class domestic teaching and medical equipment, rich clinical teaching resources, strong faculty and a sound organisational and management structure, fully guaranteeing standardised and rigorous training. Endoscopic diagnosis and treatment in gynaecology began here in the 1980s; after more than 20 years of development, a digital intelligent endoscopic operating room was established in 2003, with first-class domestic surgical equipment and strong technical strength. In recent years endoscopic surgery has developed rapidly, with an average of more than 6,000 operations a year, and more than 60% of gynaecological operations can be completed endoscopically. Gynaecological diseases currently treated endoscopically include early cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory masses and pelvic adhesions; endometrial polyps, uterine septum, reproductive tract malformations, intrauterine adhesions, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, displaced intrauterine devices and intrauterine foreign bodies. 3. Ministry of Health Pilot Base for Specialty Physician Training (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University is a Ministry of Health-affiliated three-A tertiary women's and children's hospital, the largest in western China, and the teaching hospital of a key university of the Ministry of Education. Both paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology are national key disciplines, with master's and doctoral degree authorisation and postdoctoral stations. In 1993 the hospital was approved by the Ministry of Health as a pilot hospital for standardised residency training, and paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology were approved as residency training bases. On 28 December 2006 the hospital passed the on-site assessment for the Ministry of Health specialty physician training pilot base with excellent results, becoming one of the first batch of such hospitals, and paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology became the only Ministry of Health paediatric and obstetric-gynaecological specialty physician training pilot bases in western China. On 7 December 2007, at the re-assessment, Ministry of Health experts and leaders fully affirmed the pilot work and highly praised the training, management and policy follow-up. Since 1993 the hospital has conducted standardised residency and specialty physician training in accordance with Ministry of Health regulations, aiming to build a national first-class training base for maternal and child health specialists; it has gradually established a sound organisational system, built an excellent teaching platform, formulated a series of scientific and humane management rules, and laid a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the residency and specialty bases, training large numbers of obstetric-gynaecological and paediatric specialists with solid theoretical foundations and strong clinical, teaching and research abilities. Continuously accumulating experience and innovating, in 2004 the hospital launched the 3+2 model social-person residency and specialty physician standardisation programme, openly recruiting social-person residency trainees nationwide. Today the social-person residents trained in obstetrics and gynaecology have become an indispensable force on the hospital's clinical front line.