The Department of Thoracic Surgery of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University was founded in 1952. After continuous efforts by several generations in the past nearly 70 years, it has evolved into a very famous and comprehensive department in China, with high academic influence, remarkable characteristics and great contributions to the development of thoracic surgery in Shandong Province. It was awarded as the key clinical discipline of Shandong Province at the first place in 2015, ranked at the 5th in National Hospital Internet Influence Ranking - the department most trusted by patients and the 8th in Annual Chinese Hospital Science and Technology Influence Evaluation Ranking in 2016. There are 54 medical staff and four parts of wards, including outpatient center, inpatient ward, intensive care unit and special examination room. Currently, the there are two inpatient wards and 120 beds, including the ward of Thoracic Surgery (Surgery for Esophageal diseases) and the the ward of thoracic surgery (Pulmonary surgery). The annual number of inpatients and operations are both more than 2000. The annual number of rescuing critically ill and difficult patients is more than 200, the average rate of bed utilization is 105.6%, the annual number of outpatient visits is nearly 24,000.

 

At present, there are 23 doctors, including 9 professors, 4 associate professors, 3 attending physicians and 7 resident physicians in the department. 2 are doctoral supervisors and 6 are master supervisors. 19 doctors have achieved Ph.D degree. There are 1 Taishan scholar, 1 professor enjoying Special Government Allowances of the State Council, 1 fellow of China branch of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus, 1 fellow of Chinese Medical Doctor Association of Thoracic Surgeons, 1 fellow of Thoracoscope Committee of Chinese Medical Doctor Association of Endoscopic Physicians, 1 fellow of Minimally Invasive Surgery Branch of Chinese Research Hospital Association, 1 fellow of Thoracic Surgery Branch of Chinese Research Hospital Association, 1 fellow of Thoracic Surgery Branch of China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Healthcare, 6 medical accident appraisal expert database experts in Health Commission of Shandong province and Jinan, 1 chief examiner of national qualifications of medical practitioners skill examination. Tian Hui, as the academic leader in the department, is a well-known expert in Shandong Province and won the Second prize of Science and Technology progress of Shandong Province twice, the Third Prize of Science and Technology Progress of Shandong Province once, etc.. At present, he is in charge of one project funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, one project funded by Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, one project of Shandong University Postdoctoral Fund, three projects funded by Health Commission of Shandong Province, etc..

 

Thoracic surgery is characterized by high risks and strong professionalism. The department has a history of glory, taking the lead in the 1950s in the province to perform the thoracic anastomosis after esophageal cancer resection, intrathoracic lung resection, surgical treatment of benign esophageal diseases and some complicated operation, such as the joint sleeve resection of bronchus and pulmonary artery and colon-esophagus anastomosis after esopahgectomy etc.. Recently, the operation for the patients with old age (one patient at the age of 90), severe diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, mediastinal lymph node metastasis and advanced age, which were previously considered as contraindication of operation, have been successful. Now nearly all the thoracic diseases could be performed by minimally invasive surgery in the department, such as biopsy, resection of pulmonary bulla, pulmonary wedge resection, resection of lung benign lesions, segmentectomy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy, esophageal leiomyoma enucleation, esophageal cyst resection, mediastinum tumor resection, extended thymoma resection, combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic radical esophagectomy, subxiphoid lung surgery, electromagnetic navigation-guided lung nodules marking and biopsy, sympathetic nerve amputation to treat palmar hyperhidrosis, etc..

 

The Department of Thoracic Surgery is in charge of the clinical courses and internship of 8-year doctoral program, 7-year master program, 6-year English class, undergraduate class in the Department of Medicine, the Department of Health and the Department of Nursing and other department in Shandong University. The teaching forms contains typical clinical case discussion, teaching rounds, lectures and other systems for interns. The department also compiled the teaching outline, teaching CD, teaching materials, handouts and so on to have better teaching results. Five doctors were awarded with the honorary titles of Excellent Teachers by the National Health Commission, Shandong Province or Shandong University. The department encourages and supports young doctors to participate in project application. In the past five years, there have been many new projects, including 2 national projects, 8 provincial and ministerial projects, 5 hospital projects, and many new awards, including 5 awards from Science and Technology Department of Shandong Province and 6 awards from the Health Commission of Shandong Province. Molecular biology research on esophageal cancer and lung cancer, esophageal stent research, animal experimental research on cardiopulmonary and organ transplantation, and clinical and experimental research on substitutes for esophagus and trachea have been carried out successively. Some of the scientific research achievements have been gradually applied in clinical practice. In the past five years, there are 29 works published by People's Medical Publishing House, Science Publishing House, Shandong Science and Technology Publishing House and Hebei Science and Technology Publishing House. More than 50 works have been published in journals at or above the provincial level, among which more than 40 are SCI papers with a total of impact factor at 100.

 

The staffs in the department participate in international academic exchange each year. There were 5 people successively participating in the 10th, the 11th Asia-Pacific cancer conference, the tumor seminar between China and Japan, China and Japan chest experts research conference, international cardiothoracic academic conferences, international meeting for the study of lung disease, and published many academic papers in these conferences. Five members of the department have exchanged in the United States, Canada and Japan for short-term research, training and academic exchange. At present, the department of thoracic Surgery has formulated the development plan for the next five years. Besides strengthening the specialties and advantages of the department, some advanced equipment and new technologies will be applied in clinical practice. The basic and clinical research laboratory of thoracic surgery is planed to be built to promote the development of basic and clinical research. International experts in thoracic surgery will be invited to our department for a short-term visit and exchange. Meanwhile, physicians in our department will be sent abroad for study and training. The staffs will make efforts to promote the department into a first-class modern department in the future.

 

At present, there are 1 Eurinbass fiberoptic bronchoscopy and fiberoptic esophagoscope, 2 Bear 1000 ventilators, more than 20 ecg monitoring equipment and 1 cryogenic refrigerator, 1 Eurinbass electronic gastroscope, 1 electronic bronchoscope, 3 video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical equipment and 1 electromagnetic navigation bronchoscope. Now we are actively building a basic and clinical research laboratory for thoracic surgery.