The Pediatric Third Department (Pediatric Surgery Department) of the Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children (Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University), or CQHCWC, in Southwest China's Chongqing, officially opened on Nov 11, following three months of trial operations.

In cooperation with the Obstetrics Department and Fetal Medicine Center, the department will provide one-stop medical services in obstetrics and pediatrics for pregnant women and children.

The Pediatric Third Department of the CQHCWC [Photo/CQHCWC]

I. An overview of the department

Established in 2022, the Pediatric Third Department (Pediatric Surgery Department) of the CQHCWC currently has 43 beds. It includes sub-specialties such as children's general surgery, urology, thoracic surgery, and orthopedics, and is able to provide treatment for all kinds of complex diseases such as critical cases affecting newborns. The department has strong technical capabilities, with one chief physician, one deputy chief physician, one doctoral-degree-holder, and seven master's-degree-holders. Chief physician Guo Chunbao, head of the department, is a well-known professor in the fields of neonatal surgery and pediatric surgery.

The team at the Pediatric Third Department has worked closely with Chen Gongli's team at the Fetal Medicine Center to establish the MDT (multidisciplinary team) diagnosis and treatment model. They have also established a consultation mechanism with well-known experts in various fields at home and abroad to carry out the diagnosis and treatment of birth defects, as well as neonatal and childhood diseases, offering "antenatal-intranatal-postpartum" technical support and one-stop services for all children.

Doctors of the Pediatric Surgery Department do an operation. [Photo/CQHCWC]

II. Business and technical expertise

The current diagnosis and treatment services include but are not limited to the following:

General diseases in children: Indirect inguinal hernia, abdominal tumor, acute abdomen illnesses such as intestinal obstruction and appendicitis, umbilical vitelline duct malformation, choledochal cysts, Hirschsprung's disease, etc. The success rate of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery is about 80 percent. Children with indirect inguinal hernia, hydrocele, cryptorchidism, appendicitis, or ovarian tumors can all be treated using laparoscopic surgery, which is quick and safe with fast recovery time, suture-free incisions, and no scarring, greatly minimizing the pain experienced by children.

Neonatal surgical diseases: Neonatal enterocolitis (NEC), meconium peritonitis, gastroschisis omphalocele, esophageal atresia, perforation of gastric wall muscle defect, hypertrophic pyloric obstruction, intestinal malrotation, intestinal atresia, anal atresia, etc.

Urinary system diseases in children: Circumcision, concealed penis, penile-scrotal fusion, hypospadias, hydrocele, cryptorchidism, Wilms tumor, adrenal tumor, hydronephrosis, etc. With short hospitalization time, no need to wait for beds, and timely operations, the department offers the most convenient services to children and their parents.

Orthopedic diseases in children: Comprehensive treatment of trauma and orthopedic diseases include common limb fractures and dislocations, hand trauma, developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), polydactyly (toe) deformity, congenital muscular torticollis, congenital clubfoot, genu varus (O-shaped leg), genu valgus (X-shaped leg), internal rotation of the foot (toe in), external rotation of the foot (toe out), scoliosis, synovitis, cervical subluxation, pediatric stenosis tenosynovitis (trigger finger), ganglion cyst, popliteal cyst, and subcutaneous mass of limbs. The treatment focuses both on functional and cosmetic recovery and restoring the natural appearance of patients, satisfying both children and their parents.

Other childhood infectious diseases, tumors, traumas, burns, scrotal emergencies and other diseases that require surgical intervention.

Fetal genetic counseling, disease screening, birth structural deformities, intrauterine diagnosis and treatment. Follow-up management and intrauterine surgical treatment of diseases such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, fetal intestinal malformation, abdominal and pelvic mass, biliary atresia/dilation, fetal without gallbladder, and fetal urethral valve.

Advanced equipment of the Pediatric Third Department of the CQHCWC [Photo/CQHCWC]

III. Disciplinary equipment

The department is equipped with fetoscopes, children's gastroscopes, colonoscopes, cystoscopes, laparoscopes, thoracoscopes and other inspection and treatment equipment. It also has two world-leading German Storze 3D laparoscopic integrated operating rooms and an endoscopic training center. The department is well-known among its domestic counterparts for its leading technology and consistent quality, and its technical level ranks among the best in the domestic fetal surgery and pediatric surgery fields. It carries out more than 200 cases of minimally-invasive fetal treatment every year, and has the most cases, treats the widest range of diseases, and has the most advanced treatment techniques of any center in the country.

IV. Multidisciplinary joint outpatient clinic

This department develops individualized diagnosis and treatment plans for patients by senior experts from multiple disciplines through joint discussion, especially for the diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases involving multiple disciplines such as fetal abnormalities, complex cardiac developmental malformations, and cloacal developmental malformations. In the MDT model, the Pediatric Third Department has sub-specialties such as general surgery, urology, thoracic surgery, and orthopedics. Before treatment, patients can be comprehensively evaluated by experts from obstetrics, gynecology, clinical nutrition, radiology, fetal medical center and other related departments, who will jointly formulate a scientific and standardized treatment plan.

Advantages of MDT

1. Minimize misdiagnosis and mistreatment of patients;

2. Shorten the time for diagnosis and treatment of patients;

3. Increase the selectivity of treatment plans and formulate the best treatment methods;

4. Improve the prognosis of patients, while avoiding the burden of continuous referral and repeated examinations to the patient's family.

V. Expert introduction

Guo Chunbao: Doctor of Medicine, Professor/Chief Physician

Guo was a visiting scholar to Japan and the United States. He is a member of the Hepatobiliary Professional Group of the Society of Pediatric Surgery of the Chinese Medical Association, and a member of the Organ Transplantation Branch of the Chongqing Medical Association. He has presided over and completed one project for the National Natural Science Foundation of China and three projects for the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and also participated in several joint projects. Guo has published more than 100 Science Citation Index (SCI) papers, including in the Annals of Surgery, British Journal of Surgery, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Translational Research and other top journals. He has obtained one national invention patent and two utility model patents, and has served as editor-in-chief or co-editor for many textbooks and books. He has been invited to many hospitals to give academic reports and surgical demonstrations.

Zeng Defeng: Deputy Chief Physician

Zeng is a member of the Chongqing Pediatric Surgery Expert Committee. Engaged in pediatric surgery clinical work for 20 years, he is committed to minimally-invasive pediatric surgery, and has abundant experience in the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal digestive tract malformations, pediatric acute abdomen, penile deformities, children's burns and scalds, and children's tumors. He is adept at the diagnosis and treatment of critically-ill and difficult-to-treat pediatric surgery cases. Service commitment: save lives with technique and endow health with care.

Xia Bingshan: Master of Medicine in Pediatric Surgery

A graduate of the Department of Pediatrics, Chongqing Medical University, Xia is committed to research on pediatric urinary diseases. He is good at the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric urinary diseases such as hydrocele, hypospadias, hydronephrosis, cryptorchidism, urinary tract infection, phimosis, hidden penis, frequent urination, enuresis, calculi, urinary tract tumors, labial adhesions, etc. He can skillfully use minimally-invasive techniques such as laparoscopy to diagnose and treat multiple common diseases through pediatric surgery, such as inguinal hernia, appendicitis, hemangioma, lymphatic cyst, etc. He is capable of offering quick and accurate treatment in surgical emergencies. Xia has served as an editor on one textbook, and was selected as an outstanding case in the Chinese Medical Case Repository. He has also published two core journal papers, and presided over one scientific research project.

Chen Guoqiang: Master of Medicine in Pediatric Surgery

A graduate of the Department of Pediatrics, Chongqing Medical University, Chen is committed to the comprehensive treatment of diseases in pediatric orthopedics and requiring orthopedic surgery. Chen excels at the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases requiring pediatric surgery such as inguinal hernia, hydrocele, appendicitis, etc., and is especially strong in the comprehensive treatment of children's trauma and congenital deformity diseases such as pediatric stenosis tenosynovitis (trigger finger), ganglion cyst, congenital muscular torticollis, DDH, polydactyly (toe) deformity, common limb fractures and dislocations, hand trauma, synovitis, and cervical subluxation. Chen has published several articles in national core journals.

VI. Guidance

Clinic hours: Monday to Friday all day, Saturday and Sunday morning

Expert clinic: Monday, Thursday, Saturday morning

Appointment registration method: follow the official WeChat account of CQHCWC - medical service - appointment registration - specialist appointment registration - Ranjiaba Branch - Pediatric Surgery Clinic

Address: Clinic 5, Pediatric Outpatient Clinic, Area D, First Floor, Outpatient Department

Ward tel: 023-60354526/60354539