Gastroenterology

The Department of Gastroenterology of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, consists of the digestive ward, outpatient clinic, digestive endoscopy center and gastrointestinal function laboratory. It has specialized clinics for early digestive cancer, colonic polyps, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, biliary and pancreatic diseases, liver disease and others. The ward has 44 beds. The department has 21 physicians and 44 nurses and technicians, including 7 senior professionals; annual outpatient visits exceed 160,000 and annual admissions exceed 2,500. It has strong medical, teaching and research capabilities.

It is a national training base for specialist and subspecialist physicians designated by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, a clinical pharmacology base of the Ministry of Health, and has master’s and doctoral programs. It has long undertaken extensive clinical teaching, organized 10 municipal continuing-education programs, and accumulated rich teaching experience. After introducing China’s first endoscopy simulation trainer, it established a standardized digestive-endoscopy training system centered on multiple simulators. It also teaches doctoral and master’s students, undergraduate clinical medicine students and international students at Capital Medical University, and undertakes numerous research projects, including National Natural Science Foundation projects.

To meet patients’ needs, the gastroenterology outpatient clinic operates throughout holidays, with weekend specialist clinics. Routine gastroscopy and colonoscopy appointments are available in about one week, and painless examinations in about two weeks. A 24-hour emergency endoscopy green channel and integrated “emergency–emergency endoscopy–ward” system treat many patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, foreign bodies and obstructive jaundice.

The endoscopy center has domestically advanced equipment and performs electronic gastroscopy, colonoscopy, enteroscopy, duodenoscopy, electronic ultrasound endoscopy and capsule endoscopy, as well as many therapeutic procedures. It completes more than 20,000 digestive endoscopic examinations and over 1,500 endoscopic treatments annually, including minimally invasive resection of digestive tumors, such as early gastrointestinal cancer and submucosal tumors, and endoscopic treatment of pancreaticobiliary disease. Procedures include EMR, ESD, IDUS, EUS-FNA, ERCP, MBM, placement of metal and plastic stents, and band ligation and sclerotherapy for bleeding esophageal and gastric varices due to cirrhosis.

The department motto is “Virtue and excellence in skills,” and its spirit is “rigorous, solid, united and dedicated.” Generations of staff have built a highly qualified, technically skilled, united, hardworking and selfless medical and nursing team. We will uphold our mission, remain true to our original aspiration, advance with determination, pursue professional excellence, integrate medical care, teaching and research, highlight our specialty and develop comprehensively and coordinately, providing patients with the highest-quality services.

1. Screening and endoscopic treatment of early digestive cancer: early diagnosis of esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer; endoscopic treatment of early cancer (endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)); esophageal or intestinal stent placement for advanced digestive tumors. 2. Diagnosis and treatment of critical digestive diseases: 24-hour emergency endoscopic treatment of massive gastrointestinal bleeding and management of acute severe pancreatitis. 3. Intestinal disease: diagnosis and treatment of small-intestinal disease, capsule endoscopy, double-balloon enteroscopy and intestinal microbiota transplantation. 4. Endoscopic ultrasonography: examination of submucosal digestive lesions, gallbladder and pancreas, and mediastinal lesions; ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA). 5. Hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases: endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone extraction, common-bile-duct drainage, pancreatic-duct drainage, and metal or plastic common-bile-duct stent placement. 6. Gastrointestinal motility disorders: diagnosis and treatment of constipation; peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for achalasia; percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for dysphagia; endoscopy-guided esophageal dilation for benign esophageal stenosis.

Introduction to the Department of Gastroenterology:

The department also includes a digestive intensive care unit, with 8 ICU beds. It has clinics for fatty liver, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcer disease, Parkinson disease–related constipation, constipation, follow-up and other specialties. Under Professor Zhang Mei, the department head, optimization of the professional structure has produced renowned experts and academic leaders, forming a sound talent echelon. There are 21 physicians and 45 nurses and technicians; 95% hold master’s or doctoral degrees and 6 have senior titles. The department is strong in medical care, teaching and research.

It makes full use of its expertise in elderly and severe digestive diseases, completing more than 30 major research projects on digestive diseases in older adults. It led the National Alliance for the Prevention and Control of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in the Elderly, established a data platform, attracted more than 100 hospitals, held over 10 large, high-level academic activities and involved more than 1,000 medical personnel, greatly increasing its academic influence.

The gastroenterology ICU is one of Beijing’s largest. Following standardized diagnosis and treatment, precision medicine and multidisciplinary cooperation, it specializes in gastrointestinal hemorrhage, acute severe pancreatitis, cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy and sepsis. Its comprehensive assessment and management of critically ill elderly patients with digestive disease and multiple-organ failure are distinctive, maximizing protection of their lives.

The endoscopy center and gastrointestinal function laboratory have advanced equipment for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment and functional testing. Their 24-hour emergency channel provides an integrated “hospital emergency–emergency endoscopy–digestive ICU” system for many patients with gastrointestinal bleeding.

Endoscopy projects: 1. Routine gastrointestinal endoscopy; 2. Painless gastrointestinal endoscopy; 3. Endoscopic treatment of early cancer; 4. Endoscopic resection of gastrointestinal polyps; 5. Endoscopic submucosal dissection; 6. Endoscopic mucosal resection; 7. Foreign-body removal; 8. Pigment-enhanced magnifying endoscopy; 9. Capsule endoscopy; 10. Endoscopic hemostasis, including injection, sclerotherapy, hemostatic clips, argon coagulation, tissue glue, spraying and others.

Functional tests: esophageal manometry and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring; anorectal manometry; 13C breath test for Helicobacter pylori; hydrogen breath test; gastrointestinal transit test.

The department pursues morality and skills, and adheres to rigor, solidity, unity and dedication. Through generations of effort it has created a high-quality, technically excellent, united and dedicated medical-care team. It will continue to improve departmental strength and social influence and provide the best medical services.