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Medical Frontiers

Medical Frontiers

Breakthroughs, new diagnostics and complex procedures reported by Chinese hospitals.

All storiesInternational patient stories (11) Oncology (35) Neurology & neurosurgery (26) Cardiology & heart surgery (14) Rare & hard-to-treat diseases (48) Orthopedics & sports medicine (3) Endocrine (1) Infectious disease (1) ENT & hearing (1) Organ failure & transplant (6) Rheumatology & immunology (1) Eye (2)

138 stories

Peking University Third Hospital Completes World's First Full-Process Digitally Assisted Surgery for Congenital Cervical Scoliosis

Rare & hard-to-treat diseases

Peking University Third Hospital Completes World's First Full-Process Digitally Assisted Surgery for Congenital Cervical Scoliosis

The orthopedics team led by Zhou Feifei utilized 17 years of expertise to complete the world's first full-process digital surgery integrating 3D reconstruction, virtual planning, robotic assistance, and 3D-printed prosthesis for precise correction of this rare cervical deformity.

Peking University Third Hospital

First Patient in Jiangsu's First Brain-Computer Interface Clinical Ward Reaches One-Year Follow-Up

Neurology & neurosurgery

First Patient in Jiangsu's First Brain-Computer Interface Clinical Ward Reaches One-Year Follow-Up

Follow-up of the hospital's first semi-invasive brain-computer interface surgery patient from 2025 showed significant right-hand function improvement. The patient can now independently hold a cup to drink and practice eating with a spoon, achieving brain function remodeling.

Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University

Shandong Completes First Invasive Brain-Computer Interface Surgery, High Paraplegia Patient Expected to 'Control Objects with Mind'

Neurology & neurosurgery

Shandong Completes First Invasive Brain-Computer Interface Surgery, High Paraplegia Patient Expected to 'Control Objects with Mind'

Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital successfully performed Shandong Province's first invasive wireless BCI system implantation surgery; ultra-flexible microelectrodes were placed in the motor cortex of a high-paraplegia patient, with 256 channels accurately collecting signals post-surgery, enabling potential mind control of external devices. Implemented in the hospital's dedicated BCI clinical research ward, the project recruits nationwide patients with fees waived.

The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital)

The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC Completes Anhui's First Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Extended Resection of Thyroid Isthmus Cancer with Bilateral Central Lymph Node Dissection

Oncology

The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC Completes Anhui's First Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Extended Resection of Thyroid Isthmus Cancer with Bilateral Central Lymph Node Dissection

The thyroid surgery team successfully performed the province's first robot-assisted procedure of this kind, filling a technical gap while achieving radical tumor resection, functional preservation, and cosmetic outcomes.

The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Anhui Provincial Hospital)

First Da Vinci Robot-Assisted Gynecological Surgery Successfully Performed in Southern Xinjiang

Rare & hard-to-treat diseases

First Da Vinci Robot-Assisted Gynecological Surgery Successfully Performed in Southern Xinjiang

Hospital President Professor Jiang Hua led the first Da Vinci robot-assisted total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy in southern Xinjiang, filling a local technology gap and providing standardized training for regional medical staff.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University

Understandable Pre-op, Less Suffering Intra-op, Clear Post-op: Shanghai Chest Hospital Builds Digital One-Stop Thoracic Surgery SystemVideo

Oncology

Understandable Pre-op, Less Suffering Intra-op, Clear Post-op: Shanghai Chest Hospital Builds Digital One-Stop Thoracic Surgery System

Cheng Xinghua's team published research in JAMA Surgery, the world's first to confirm the value of augmented reality (AR) navigation combined with AI in early lung cancer surgery. It significantly alleviates patient pain and anxiety, reduces complications, and establishes a digital one-stop system for pre-, intra- and post-operative care.

Shanghai Chest Hospital

World's First Prescription! Brain-Computer Interface Enters Clinical Application at Huashan Hospital

Neurology & neurosurgery

World's First Prescription! Brain-Computer Interface Enters Clinical Application at Huashan Hospital

The hospital issued the world's first prescription and performed the first implantation of an approved implantable brain-computer interface. The system acquires epidural EEG signals to aid hand grasp recovery in spinal cord injury patients, advancing cutting-edge technology into real-world clinical care.

Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University

Robot-Assisted Cerebral Angiography Successfully Conducted in Beijing

Neurology & neurosurgery

Robot-Assisted Cerebral Angiography Successfully Conducted in Beijing

The Department of Neurosurgery at the First Medical Center utilized the PANVIS-A® cerebrovascular intervention robot to complete Beijing's first cerebral angiography for a left internal carotid artery ophthalmic segment aneurysm, opening a new chapter in precise cerebrovascular disease management.

People's Liberation Army General Hospital

Tangdu Hospital Performs Western China's First 128-Channel Brain-Computer Interface Implantation Surgery

Neurology & neurosurgery

Tangdu Hospital Performs Western China's First 128-Channel Brain-Computer Interface Implantation Surgery

The neurosurgery team successfully implanted a domestic BeiNao-1 flexible cortical electrode in a quadriplegic patient with cervical spinal cord injury, establishing a wireless bridge between brain signals and external devices. This marks a substantial breakthrough in the clinical application of brain-computer interfaces in western China.

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (Tangdu Hospital)

AI Innovation Benefits Hospitals in 44 Countries WorldwideVideo

Rare & hard-to-treat diseases

AI Innovation Benefits Hospitals in 44 Countries Worldwide

The 'EndoAngel' AI system developed by Professor Yu Honggang's team is the world's first applied across all digestive endoscopy scenarios. Deployed in over 1,000 hospitals in 44 countries, it has detected more than 130,000 early cancers and precancerous lesions, greatly reducing miss rates.

Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University

Wei Yong Team from Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Pioneers Laser-Free Surgical Model for BRVO with Vitreous Hemorrhage

Rare & hard-to-treat diseases

Wei Yong Team from Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Pioneers Laser-Free Surgical Model for BRVO with Vitreous Hemorrhage

The world's first prospective randomized controlled trial showed that intraoperative anti-VEGF drug treatment can replace laser as a superior option after vitrectomy for BRVO combined with vitreous hemorrhage, refreshing understanding of rebleeding mechanisms.

The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University

HKU-Shenzhen Hospital Successfully Applies World's First Approved Solid Tumor CAR-T TherapyVideo

OncologyInternational patient story

HKU-Shenzhen Hospital Successfully Applies World's First Approved Solid Tumor CAR-T Therapy

HKU-Shenzhen Hospital applied the world's first approved solid tumor CAR-T therapy to an American patient with advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, resulting in significantly reduced tumor markers and near complete remission. Approved by China's NMPA, it provides a breakthrough option for solid tumor patients.

The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital

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