Echocardiography

【History】

The Department of Echocardiography of Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University and Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (hereinafter referred to as the Department), was established in 1984 as one of the earliest echocardiographic centers in China. Professor Jiang Leng, then-vice president of Zhongshan Hospital and a renowned cardiovascular expert, was its founder.

After more than 30 years of continuous exploration, accumulation and hardwork, the Department has grown into a key national imaging discipline, as well as an important part of the Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai Cardiovascular Clinical Medical Center, Shanghai Ultrasound Quality Control Center, and the Institute of Ultrasound Medicine and Engineering of Fudan University. It is ranked No.3 in the list of the best specialties of ultrasound medicine by the Hospital Management Institute of Fudan University, and is also a key discipline in the "985" project of Fudan University.

Prof. Jiang Leng was the first director (1984-1990), the second director was Prof. Shen Xuedong (1991-1999), and the current director is Prof. Shu Xianhong (2000-present).Prof. Shu serves as the chairperson of the Echocardiography Committee of Chinese Ultrasound Doctors Association, the deputy director of Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, the deputy director of Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, and the head of Cardiovascular Group of Ultrasound Branch of Shanghai Medical Association. She also serves as a member of the Echocardiography group of Ultrasound Medicine branch of the Chinese Medical Association.

The department has a total of 28 medical staff, including 18 PhDs,and 6 masters; 9 consultants, 11 attendings, and 8 fellows; 3 doctoral supervisors, and 3 master degreesupervisors; 12 members of the Chinese Communist Party, and 1 member of other democratic parties; 2 doctors of minority ethnic groups.

【Specialized Medical Treatment】

Since its establishment, the Department has taken the lead in carrying out a number of new technologies in China. Its overall level of clinical practice, medical education and scientific research is also in a leading position in China. It routinely carries out transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, stress echocardiography, intraoperative echocardiographic monitoring in cardiac surgery and interventions, etc. The diagnostic concordance between echocardiography and surgery has reached over 99.6%, which is at the world's advanced level, and more than 98% of the patients can be exempted from invasive cardiac catheterization and directly undergo surgical procedures.

The Department has more than 20 high-end echocardiographic systems such as Philips EPIQ 7C, Philips EPIQ5, Philips Elite, Philips IE 33, GE E95, etc. The Department completes more than 200,000 routine cardiac echocardiograms, bedside echocardiograms and intraoperative echocardiograms and more than 10,000 transesophageal echocardiograms every year, which are not only a huge number of cases, but also difficult and complex ones. In recent years, the team has been the first in China to carry out echocardiographic guidance of transcatheter mitral valve clamping, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation, and transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion. And in 2012, it took the lead in China to carry out echocardiography consultant outpatient clinic, and in 2015, it opened valve disease MDT clinic, and now the echocardiography consultant outpatient clinic is held 4 times a week, and the senior echocardiography consultant outpatient clinic is held 4 times a week; more than 50,000 referral echocardiograms are performed and diagnosedevery year. The workload is ranked first in Shanghai and East China, and top in the country.

A series of echocardiographic diagnosis and treatment technology have been put into practice as the first or earliest in China including:

Color Doppler blood flow imaging in 1985 (world’s first in 1983);

In 1987, the study of continuous Doppler quantification of pulmonary arterial hypertension was carried out (world’s first in 1985);

In 1988, transesophageal echocardiography was carried out (the application of which began to be popularized abroad in 1984), and intraoperative echocardiography was applied in the same year (at the same time as abroad);

In 1991, the development of intravascular ultrasound imaging system (world’s first in 1989);

In 1994, the development of ultrasound ablation of atherosclerotic plaques system (world’s first in 1989);

In 1995, the application of three-dimensional voxel reconstruction echocardiography(world’s first in 1992);

In 1997, carrying out the study of extracorporeal ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction;

In 1999, conducting research on transvenous acoustic enhancing agent for opacification (first conducted abroad in 1997);

In 2002, a study of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (first conducted abroad in 2001);

In 2003, a study on the application of tissue Doppler technology in cardiac resynchronization therapy (first conducted abroad in 2002);

In 2003, myocardial strain and strain rate imaging (at the same time as abroad);

In 2004, carrying out intracardiac echocardiography assisted radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation (carried out abroad in 2003);

In 2005, application of real-time three-dimensional evaluation of myocardial contraction resynchronization (at the same time as abroad);

In 2006, application of two-dimensional myocardial strain and strain rate imaging (at the same time as abroad);

In 2006, research on two-dimensional myocardial strain and strain rate imaging usingvelocity vector imaging (at the same time as abroad);

In 2007, the study of speckle tracking imaging for the evaluation of myocardial torsion with transesophageal real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (first conducted abroad in 2005); 

In 2008, carrying out the evaluation of cardiac synchronization by ultrasound combined with other imaging methods (at the same time as abroad);

In 2009, research on blood flow vector imaging to evaluate cardiac function;

In 2010, the first to carry out echocardiography-monitored of percutaneous aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in China;

In 2011, using real-time 3D echocardiography to evaluate right ventricular segmental function;

In 2012, application of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging;

In 2012, the first to carry out echocardiography-guided percutaneous mitral valve clamping (Mitraclip) in China;

In 2013, the first to carry out echocardiography-monitored percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) in China;

In 2014, carrying out echocardiography-monitored percutaneous left atrial appendageoccclusion;

In 2014, conducting echocardiography-monitored transapical aortic valve replacement (TA-TAVI)

In 2015, the first in China to conduct quantitative studies on myocardial layering strain;

In 2015, practicing echocardiography-monitored percutaneous closure of ventricular aneurysm (first abroad in 2006)

In 2016, the first in China to apply real-time 3D echocardiography quantification of coronary height.

In 2017, the world’s first study of echocardiography 3D printing to assist diagnosis and treatment of mitral valve disease.

In 2018, the first echocardiography-guided transapical ValveClamp mitral valve clamping in China, and the global broadcast of the Vavleclamp procedure at the China Interventional Therapeutics Congress

In 2019, the first echocardiography-monitored transcatheter prosthetic mitral valve replacement in China

The first transcatheter mitral valve "valve-in-ring" replacement under echocardiography monitoring in China, 2019

In 2020, the first echocardiography-monitored SAPIEN 3 TAVI surgery in Shanghai

In 2021, the first echocardiography-monitored domestic ventricular assist device (HeartCon) implantation in East China

In 2021, the first echocardiography-monitored TAVI surgery in Xiamen Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

In 2021, the first echocardiography-guided transcatheter K-clip tricuspid valve intervention in China.

1987, the first transesophageal echocardiography in China by Prof. Jiang Leng and Prof. Cao Qiling, reported on September 10, 1987 by CCTV.