History

On December 2nd, 1950, former superintendents of Zhongshan Hospital Prof. Shen Kefei and Dr. Shi Yuquan successfully accomplished the first case of craniotomy for glioma resection in China. Such news was published on the front page of Shanghai News. The department was honored by the State Council Information Office for the staff’s excellent performance in the rescue efforts of Hong Kong Press Delegation from the major car accident in 1993.

Overview

Neurosurgery Department of Zhongshan Hospital is National Key Discipline, Ministry of Health Specialist Physicians Training Pilot Base, Endoscopic Navigator Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Technique Training Center. The department is also vested to grant Ph.D. degree. The department (including branch hospitals) boasts 21 professional medical staff, including 2 chief physicians, 8 associate chief physicians, 7 attending physicians, 3 resident physicians and 1 technician. The department also has 1 Ph.D. supervisor and 1 master supervisor. The department has 68 beds, receives and treats over 1500 patients every year and carries out over 1000 surgical operations. The department is equipped with 3 sets of microscope, 3 sets of neuroendoscopy, 4 pneumatic drills, 2 Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSAs), 1 navigation system and 3 Digital Subtraction Angiography(DSA).

The department carries out diagnosis and treatment of most neurosurgical diseases, including central nervous tumors, functional neurosurgery, neurovascular intervention, spinal diseases and traumatic brain injury. Under the leadership of Director Zhang Xiaobiao, the department features endoscopic navigator minimally invasive neurosurgery technique and performs operates a number of challenging and innovative surgical operations in succession. These achievements have been highly appreciated by peers at home and abroad. We independently developed multiple neuro-endoscopic surgical instruments which won the silver prize of the 23rd Shanghai Excellent Invention Award and bronze prize of National Invention Exhibition. Over 10 articles related to endoscopic clinical techniques have been published in SCI journals. The department has successfully held 4 sessions of Shanghai Endoscopic Navigator Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Forum and Neuro Endoscopic Workshop since 2011. Overall our neuro-endoscopic techniques have reached the leading level in China and advanced level in the world.

Clinical Features

Our service features minimally invasive treatment of intracranial tumors, intraspinal tumors, cerebrovascular diseases, cranial nerve diseases. The department adopts minimally invasive techniques to carry out complex intracranial aneurysms, craniopharyngioma, complex pituitary tumor, high cervical spinal cord intramedullary tumor, brain stem, third ventricle, cavernous sinus, tumors in clival region and other difficult neurosurgical operations. Our endoscopic navigation minimally invasive technique is at national forefront and has reached the advanced level in the world. The department also carries out craniotomy and intervention to treat various cerebrovascular diseases.

Pioneering Work

Internationally: endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach for third ventricular craniopharyngioma resection, parietal occipital interhemispheric precuneus approach for trigone ventricular tumor resection, evaluation of skull base midline tumors with 3D-FIESTA sequential MRI, Endoscopic endonasal transodontoidal resection with posterior reunion in the treatment of skull base depression, Burkitt lymphoma in third ventricle and lateral ventricle.

Domestically: endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach for third ventricular craniopharyngioma resection, endoscopic endonasal  transodontoidal resection techniques, middle skull base Meckel’s cystic tumor resection, multilayer reconstruction with Gasket‐seal combined with nasal septal flap for high flow cerebrospinal fluid leak.

In Shanghai, systematically carried out and expanded the use of endoscopic endonasal surgical approach to treat pituitary tumor and other skull base diseases.

Advanced Devices and Equipment

The department is equipped with neuronavigator system, neuroendoscopy, microscopic neurosurgery equipment, Medtronic pneumatic drill, CUSA, specialized neurosurgery table manufactured in Switzerland and surgical image processing system. We also got many patents of surgical equipments independently developed by ourselves.

Teaching Achievements

As one of the top teaching hospitals, we have assumed due responsibility and trained numerous medical students, graduates with master’s degree, PhDs and visiting physicians. We also hold many sessions of neuronavigator endoscopic skull base surgery advanced workshops and continuing education programs.

Scientific Research

The department is responsible for many research projects of Shanghai that involve neuroendoscopy, neuronavigator and neuroimaging application and basic research on pituitary adenoma and glioma.

International Communication 

The department has maintained frequent communication and cooperation with neurosurgical professors from famous hospitals in Europe, America, Japan and Australia. International physicians from Germany, America, Malaysia have also come to study in our department.