Thyroid and Hernia Surgery Department

The Thyroid and Hernia Surgery Department of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is characterized by minimally invasive surgery, combined acupuncture-and-medication anesthesia, and treatment integrating traditional Chinese medicine. The department currently has 36 beds and is equipped with advanced imported medical equipment, including a 3D laparoscope, a recurrent laryngeal nerve monitor, an ultrasonic scalpel, a vascular laser therapy device, a tumor radiofrequency therapy device, and an intraoperative high-frequency ultrasound examination device, among others. The physician team currently consists of 8 members: 1 chief physician, 2 deputy chief physicians, 4 attending physicians, and 1 resident physician. All have postgraduate-level education. Several are members of the Shanghai Medical Association, and one serves as deputy chairperson of the Thyroid Branch of the Shanghai Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

Medical Services

The department performs surgical treatment for various thyroid and parathyroid diseases, various hernias, and abdominal wall tumors. It mainly provides comprehensive, integrated treatment for various thyroid masses, parathyroid tumors, and various hernias, including inguinal hernias, umbilical hernias, lumbar hernias, incisional hernias, parastomal hernias, hiatal hernias, linea alba hernias, pelvic floor hernias, obturator hernias, and other types of external abdominal hernias. The department also undertakes related surgical procedures for other general-surgery diseases, including diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary system, pancreas, and other areas, with all such treatment meeting standardized treatment standards.

Medical Specialties

In the field of hernia and abdominal wall surgery, the department has extensive experience in treating routine inguinal hernias and various complex abdominal wall defects and severe abdominal wall infections, as well as in performing one-stage abdominal wall reconstruction after surgery for giant abdominal wall tumors. For giant abdominal wall masses and abdominal wall defects, it performs biologic mesh repair, the component separation technique, and the endoscopic component separation technique. The inguinal hernia procedures performed under acupuncture anesthesia are characterized by no need for fasting or urinary catheterization before or after surgery, no need for dressing changes or suture removal, and low complication and recurrence rates. This type of surgery is economical, has broad indications, and places relatively low demands on patients’ physical condition. In particular, even elderly patients with severely poor cardiopulmonary function can undergo it. Laparoscopic hernia repair is also a major feature of the department. Compared with traditional surgery, this procedure causes less trauma, produces less postoperative pain, and allows a shorter return-to-work period. It leaves no obvious incision, minimizes injury while providing good cosmetic results, and has a lower recurrence rate. It is suitable for patients with reasonably good physical condition and relatively favorable financial circumstances. Laparoscopic surgery also offers greater advantages for incisional hernias and parastomal hernias, providing patients with diverse treatment options.

For thyroid and parathyroid diseases, the department performs radiofrequency ablation of thyroid and parathyroid tumors, small-incision excision of benign tumors, and endoscopic cosmetic surgery. It also performs elective standardized cervical lymph node dissection, modified cervical lymph node dissection, functional cervical lymph node dissection with preservation of the cervical plexus nerves, surgical treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism, and parathyroid transplantation. The quality of surgery and treatment outcomes have reached an advanced level in China. Preoperative diagnostic confirmation is aligned with international standards. The department has introduced new technologies, including ultrasound-guided needle biopsy and liquid-based cytology examination, bringing the rate of definitive preoperative diagnosis to above 98%. With regard to hoarseness, referred to in the source as this [unclear term] serious complication of thyroid disease, the department took the lead in China in introducing the most advanced intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitor available internationally and in using an ultrasonic scalpel, greatly reducing the likelihood of complications after thyroid surgery. It also performs recurrent laryngeal nerve exploration and anastomosis for hoarseness caused by postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, achieving very good results in treating hoarseness.

Surgical procedures for related general-surgery diseases can also be performed either by open surgery or by minimally invasive laparoscopic resection. The procedures are standardized, lymph node dissection is thorough, and postoperative patient survival rates are significantly improved.

Perioperative integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment is a major feature of the department. Acupuncture anesthesia is well established in practice. The adjunctive use of perioperative Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, and other traditional Chinese medical treatments effectively reduces postoperative pain, urinary retention, wound edema, and other discomforts, thereby accelerating patients’ postoperative recovery.

General outpatient clinic of the Thyroid and Hernia Surgery Department: all day, Monday through Friday. Outpatient Building, 2nd floor, Surgical Clinic Area, Room 10.

Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Thyroid and Hernia Specialty Clinic: all day Tuesday.

Expert clinic hours: Sun Jiuyun — Monday morning Sha Yingying — Tuesday morning Xuan Liang — Friday morning