The Department of Thoracic Surgery in Peking University People’s Hospital

    The Department of Thoracic Surgery in Peking University People’s Hospital was established in 1952 by the renowned Chinese Surgeon, Professor Gu Yuzhi. It is one of the first separated specialty department in thoracic surgery in China. Not long after its establishment, the department was capable to perform lobectomypneumonectomy (only very few healthcare facilities in China during that period could perform these types of procedures). In 1960, the first esophageal replacement with colon was preformed in this department. In 1977 autogenous lung transplantation for end stage lung cancer patients, the innovative procedure represented the high technique in Chinese thoracic surgery science.

    In the year of 2000, the department’s development entered a new stage. The new department chief, Dr. Wang Jun, recipient of the highest honor in the world’s thoracic surgery, Graham Fellow of American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), is the founderleader of China’s minimally-invasive thoracic surgery. Under Dr. Wang’s leadership, the Center of Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery was established in the People’s Hospital in 2000. Over the last decade, almost all minimally invasive thoracic surgeries were first conducted herethen carried out to nationwide. Through continuous post-graduate education programs, the Center has trained 80% of China’s minimally-invasive thoracic surgeons. Continuous introductionimprovement of new techniques have made the department the nation’s center of excellent. The Center now has 8 professors, 3 associate professors,4 attending physicians. Nearly 1500 operations under general anesthetic are performed here each year. It has absolute competitive advantages in complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy in lung cancer treatment, the most advanced technique in the world; it also has major achievements on the minimally invasive treatment of bulky tumors, hyperhidrosisRaynauds syndrome. The department also undertakes multilayer educationcontinuous education projects of the Peking Universitythe Chinese Medical Association. It is also the key proposition unit of National Medical Examination Center. In 2005, the department established the “Laboratory of Thoracic Oncology”, which is now leading several research projects including grants from National Nature Science Foundation of ChinaBeijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission,has over 300 research publications both in Chinainternationallyhas authored more than 10 books.