China's Top Departments: Thoracic Surgery at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital

Basic Information

• Full Name: Thoracic Surgery Department, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital (Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital)
• Hospital Address: No. 507 Zhengmin Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
• Department Level: National Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai Key Discipline, Shanghai "Priority Among Priorities" Key Discipline
• Department Established: 1953
• Hospital Established: 1933
• Hospital Grade: Grade 3A (Top-Tier) Specialist Teaching Hospital

Overview

The Thoracic Surgery Department of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital was founded in 1953 and has performed over 100,000 thoracic surgeries to date. It currently operates 8 general wards, 2 special-needs wards, and 2 intensive care units, with 525 beds and 26 state-of-the-art operating rooms equipped with intraoperative CT, C-arm, and Da Vinci robotic systems.

The department is the supporting unit of the Shanghai Lung Transplantation Engineering Technology Research Center. In 2021, it performed over 21,000 surgeries, making it the world's largest general thoracic surgery center with the highest volume of minimally invasive procedures globally.

For over a decade, it has ranked among the top three in general thoracic surgery on the "China Hospital Best Specialty Reputation Ranking" (2nd place in 2020-2021). It ranks in the national top three in the China Hospital Science and Technology Metrics evaluation and has been #1 nationally in thoracic surgery internet influence from 2017-2022.

Expert Team

• Senior Attending Physicians & Above: 28
• Professors & Associate Professors: 15
• PhD Supervisors: 11
• Master's Supervisors: 12
• 1 National Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talent Project awardee
• 2 National Natural Science Foundation Distinguished Young Scholars
• 2 National Natural Science Foundation Excellent Young Scientists
• 2 AATS Members (American Association for Thoracic Surgery)
• 2 FRCS Fellows (Royal College of Surgeons of England)

Notable Experts: Prof. Ding Jiaan, Prof. Jiang Gening, Prof. Zhu Yuming, Prof. Chen Chang (current hospital president)

Core Expertise & Specialties

1. Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery — World-Leading

• Uniportal VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery)
• Subxiphoid VATS
• Minimally invasive surgery rate increased from 12.5% to 95.3% — world-leading
• Single-port thoracoscopic lobectomy, segmentectomy, and complex procedures

2. Comprehensive Lung Cancer Treatment

• Early diagnosis with advanced imaging and biomarkers
• Minimally invasive surgery (VATS, robotic-assisted)
• Targeted therapy based on molecular profiling
• Immunotherapy and combination strategies
• Multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach

3. Lung Transplantation — Pioneer Center

• Over 300 lung transplant procedures since 2003
• Asia's first re-transplant
• China's first living-donor lobar transplant
• Supporting unit of Shanghai Lung Transplantation Engineering Technology Research Center

4. Tracheal Surgery — Innovative Techniques

• China's first novel carinal reconstruction
• Artificial tracheal replacement
• Complex tracheal and carinal tumor resection and reconstruction

5. Mediastinal Tumors & Chest Wall Surgery

• Leading innovative techniques for complex mediastinal tumors
• Chest wall resection and reconstruction
• Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis

6. Refractory Empyema

• Asia's first pedicled myocutaneous flap transplantation for chronic empyema
• Comprehensive management of complicated pleural infections

Research & Achievements

• Chinese Medical Science and Technology Awards (First, Second, Third prizes)
• Shanghai Science and Technology Progress First Prize
• 69 national patents (11 invention patents)
• Since the 13th Five-Year Plan: 247 national-level projects, 232 NSFC grants
• 1,516 SCI publications including:
  • 2 in Nature
  • 3 in CELL
  • 2 in NEJM
• 2019 National Science and Technology Progress Second Prize

International Presence

The department is an EACTS (European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery) Thoracic Surgery Training Center and the recommended training site for the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons' Uniportal VATS program.

• Over 800 senior surgeons from 76 countries have trained here
• The department conducts rounds and clinical work entirely in English
• Hosts live surgical broadcasts across multiple continents
• Active collaboration with international thoracic surgery centers

About the Hospital

Founded in 1933 as the Chengxiang Sanatorium on the historic Ye Family Garden, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital covers 101,000 m² with 126,000 m² of building space. It has 1,200 approved beds, 13 clinical departments, and 11 ancillary departments.

The hospital holds 4 National Key Clinical Specialties:

1. Thoracic Surgery
2. Oncology
3. Respiratory Medicine
4. Occupational Disease

It ranks #42 on the Fudan version of China's Best Hospitals Comprehensive Ranking and is one of China's largest and most advanced pulmonary disease specialty hospitals.

Plan Your Visit

• Appointments: Hospital official channels or through ChinaMed Select
• Address: No. 507 Zhengmin Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China
• Phone: +86 21 65115006
• Hospital Website: www.shsxykyy.com

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Need expert thoracic surgery care? Contact ChinaMed Select for a free, personalized consultation. We'll review your condition and imaging, connect you with the right thoracic surgery team at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, and coordinate your entire journey — from medical record translation to post-operative follow-up.