Introduction

The Department of Thoracic Surgery of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital was established as an independent entity from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2014, assuming a pivotal role as one of the key clinical disciplines of the hospital. Renowned for its expertise in treating chest trauma and thoracic tumors, the department holds global prominence in surgical therapy for chest trauma and stands at the forefront of complex chest wall tumor resection and chest wall reconstruction within China. Particularly adept in minimally invasive corrections of chest wall deformities such as complex pectus carinatum and funnel chest, the department excels in innovative approaches. Procedures such as robot-assisted and thoracoscopic minimally invasive thoracic tumor excisions (including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, cardia cancer, and mediastinal tumors), alongside a spectrum of general thoracic surgeries, have become standard practice within the department.

Specialties

1. Minimally invasive surgery: Leveraging its distinctive expertise in early diagnosis and minimally invasive surgery for pulmonary nodules, the department has established a multidisciplinary integrated outpatient service. Proficient in robot-assisted and thoracoscopic segmentectomy, pulmonary lobectomy, radical resection of pulmonary carcinoma, and radical surgery for esophageal carcinoma, the department also excels in uniportal or single utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and subxiphoid approach resections of mediastinal tumors. Additionally, it offers ultra-minimally invasive uniportal and tubeless thoracoscopic surgery for palmar hyperhidrosis, demonstrating its comprehensive capabilities in minimally invasive techniques.
2. Chest trauma: Annually, the department attends to and treats the highest number of chest trauma patients globally. Renowned for its excellence in minimally invasive rib fracture surgery, the department maintains a leading position worldwide, with its clinical research consistently meeting the latest international standards. Pioneering the establishment of surgical indication and the criteria of minimally invasive surgery for rib fracture named “Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Standard”, its contributions have garnered widespread recognition. Moreover, the department has spearheaded the establishment of China Chest Injury Research Society and has played a pivotal role in organizing and authoring two national-level consensus documents: the "Chinese Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Rib and Sternal Fracture Surgery" and the "Chinese Expert Consensus on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Venous Thrombus Embolism associated with Chest Trauma".
3. Chest wall lesion excision and chest wall reconstruction: Through extensive research into the diagnosis and excision of both benign and malignant chest wall tumors, the department emphasizes the importance of radical excision during primary surgeries for malignant lesions to improve prognosis and reduce recurrence rates. Employing innovative techniques and artificial materials such as titanium plates and Dacron patches, the department has devised a versatile reconstruction method capable of addressing various chest wall defects. Drawing patients with giant and complex chest wall tumors from across China, the department consistently achieves favorable outcomes through surgical interventions. Notably, both the quality and quantity of surgeries performed by the department each year rank at the forefront in China.
4. Correction of chest wall deformity: Renowned for its expertise in correcting chest wall deformities such as complex pectus carinatum and funnel chest in adolescent patients, the department specializes in employing various minimally invasive techniques, including the NUSS procedure as well as other operations. These procedures ensure safe interventions with minimal trauma and consistently yield satisfactory outcomes.