Medicina della Riproduzione

The Department of Reproductive Medicine of Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital (also known as Zhejiang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine) has been highly renowned in the Hangzhou area for diagnosing and treating infertility since the 1970s. The hospital established its Institute of Infertility Research in 1995 and its Center of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Reproductive Medicine in 2001. It is a national TCM-Western medicine collaborative “flagship” department; a National Health Commission clinical key specialty; a key specialty of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans; a member of Zhejiang disciplinary alliances; a Zhejiang key specialty for male diseases and infertility; a Hangzhou Category-I key discipline (Reproductive Medicine); a peak-discipline development institution; the Hangzhou Center for diagnosis and treatment of infertility; the leading institution of the Hangzhou endometriosis alliance; and a base for assisted reproductive technology (artificial insemination with husband’s sperm) approved by the Zhejiang Provincial Health Department. With strong support from health authorities and the hospital, it developed rapidly and reached a leading level in Zhejiang.

The department has 1 national TCM inheritance instructor, 2 provincial and 1 municipal renowned TCM physicians, 13 senior-title personnel, 18 master’s and doctoral degree holders, 2 discipline leaders and 2 reserve leaders. It is the chair institution of the relevant reproductive-medicine branches. Director Ding Caifei studied under Professor Zhang Lizhu, China’s “mother of IVF,” and is the academic heir of Chief Physician Bao Yanzhong. Nearly 100,000 infertility visits are treated annually, and nearly 40,000 complete records have been established.

The department advocates “harmonizing yin and yang and achieving natural conception,” integrating Chinese and Western medicine, joint diagnosis of men and women, internal and external treatment, and harmony of body and mind. Its directions include ovulation disorders, abortion-related diseases, sexual medicine and male diseases. It has TCM Gynecology, TCM Andrology, a reproductive laboratory and a specialty ward. It developed “Yin-Yang Balance Acupuncture” and “Yulin Acupuncture.” More than 20 hospital preparations and agreed prescriptions are used, including Zhuyun Decoction, Yijing Formula, Huajing Decoction and Yishen Angong Formula. Hysteroscopy and laparoscopy are combined with more than 10 appropriate TCM techniques, including warm moxibustion, umbilical therapy, auricular points and retention enemas, for tubal infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian cysts, intrauterine adhesions, endometriosis, diminished ovarian reserve, anovulatory infertility, recurrent spontaneous abortion, vomiting of pregnancy, sleep disturbance in pregnant women, male oligoasthenospermia, chronic prostatitis, ejaculatory disorders and ED. Nursing uses balanced fire cupping and Fuyang cupping to regulate yin-yang, channels, metabolism and immunity, and to treat diminished ovarian reserve, repeated implantation failure and preconception subhealth.

Research includes over 50 approved projects, more than 20 completed and more than 20 ongoing projects: 1 National Natural Science Foundation project, 4 provincial natural-science projects, 7 Provincial Administration of TCM projects, 8 Municipal Health Commission projects and 6 Municipal Science and Technology Commission projects. Awards include 2 second and 5 third Zhejiang TCM Science and Technology Innovation prizes and 5 third Hangzhou Science and Technology Progress prizes. Nearly 200 papers were published, including over 100 in first-level journals and 12 indexed by SCI; 6 monographs and 4 invention patents were completed. Sixteen annual national continuing-education sessions were held; over 40 master’s students were trained and over 100 European and American students supervised.

Long-term cooperation exists with Peking University Third Hospital, Dongzhimen Hospital, the Guangdong and Jiangsu provincial hospitals of Chinese medicine, the affiliated hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University. There are 2 Hangzhou Qianjiang specially appointed experts: Professor Luo Songping and Professor Jiang Hui, director of the Reproductive Center of Peking University Third Hospital. Studios of Xia Guicheng, Bao Yanzhong, Li Yueqing and Ding Caifei have been established.