Renji crowned world's biggest pediatric liver transplant center for 10 straight years
From zero to first in the world, Shanghai's Renji Hospital has spent about 20 years becoming the biggest children's liver transplant center in the world by holding the record of the largest annual surgeries in 10 consecutive years. Its patients' long-term survival is also among the best in the world.
In addition to a focus on its own development, Renji Hospital has helped train medics in Malaysia to help that country build its medical team to carry out children's liver transplant surgery.
"We also helped Japan, South Korea, Singapore, many Western countries, and China's Hong Kong, Taiwan in the field," Dr Xia Qiang, president of Renji Hospital, told a forum at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine about medical innovation and development on Thursday.
Dr Xia Qiang shares his experience with medical students at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.
Xia was newly elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering last month due to his contributions and achievements in children's liver transplants.
"I went to Renji Hospital to set up the medical team to do adult liver transplants in 2004," he said. "My mentor came to Renji from Taiwan to guide me to conduct the first pediatric liver transplant in 2006, when a new door was opened to me. But it was such a big medical challenge at that time.
"We decided to focus on children's liver transplants since then. We spent six years in the laboratory and finally in clinical practice. I had thought of giving up when most of my animal experiments failed. It was my faith that supported me to continue.
"We conquered all the difficulties and failures to receive the final success. Many of my patients have become adults, including university students, athletes, and teachers. I am so proud that they are able to enjoy a healthy life because of my team."
Nearly 3,000 children suffer from liver failure due to various congenital diseases in China every year. If not treated, the mortality rate is over 90 percent. Liver transplant surgery provides new hope and a chance of survival for such children, according to experts.
Xia said he shared his own experience with medical students in order to encourage them to adopt innovation and persistence in their medical careers.
