Expert Homecoming Injects New Vitality into Orthopedic Development
Expert Homecoming Injects New Vitality into Orthopedic Development
Amid the vigorous wave of development in China's orthopedic medical field, the Orthopedics Department of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital is rising with an ambitious posture. The return of Zhang Huawei, an elite in the orthopedic field, has injected powerful momentum into the department, significantly enhancing this already highly promising team.
Previously, under the leadership of core experts such as Chief Physician Wang Shizhong, Chief Physician Su Anping, Chief Physician Xu Degang, and Associate Chief Physician Yang Qianzi, the Orthopedics Department had laid a solid foundation—proficient not only in the diagnosis and treatment of routine orthopedic diseases but also venturing into the realm of complex surgeries, providing a robust base for subsequent technological breakthroughs. At that time, the hospital's service radius was still largely confined to Wuwei City and its surrounding areas. While its orthopedic level was leading within the region, it had not yet formed a national influence.
The turning point began with the deployment of the hospital's Heavy Ion Center. After ten years of construction and five years of clinical practice, the Heavy Ion Center achieved breakthroughs in efficacy for malignant tumor treatment, attracting cancer patients from across the country, including those with challenging conditions such as pelvic sarcoma, retroperitoneal sarcoma, and inguinal sarcoma. The tumors in these patients were either massive or closely adjacent to major blood vessels, nerves, and vital organs, making surgical resection extremely difficult and high-risk; many had been told that surgery was "not possible" at other hospitals.
To support heavy ion therapy and provide patients with more precise comprehensive treatment plans, the hospital's Orthopedics Department faced unprecedented challenges. Confronted with the "forcing function" of complex cases, the team did not retreat but instead rose to the challenge, making arduous and strenuous efforts: from overcoming surgical technical hurdles to exploring multidisciplinary collaboration models, a series of groundbreaking achievements continuously emerged. These successes included the world's first surgery isolating a tumor and organ for heavy ion therapy, the world's first anterior approach total lumbar spondylectomy with 3D-printed reconstruction, and the world's first anterior approach C2 vertebroplasty with bone cement. They also performed other complex and high-difficulty surgeries such as mandible splitting, sternum splitting, thoracotomy, and anterior approach total spine surgery, filling multiple global, national, and regional technical gaps. The completion of the region's first distal radius tumor segment resection with 3D-printed wrist joint reconstruction and Gansu Province's first tibial osteosarcoma segment resection with allograft bone reconstruction marked a leap forward in the department's technical capabilities. Today, their technology for anterior approach en bloc spondylectomy with 3D-printed reconstruction for spinal tumors has reached top domestic levels, with surgical patients coming from all over the country.
On August 21st, a volunteer medical team composed of experts from renowned domestic hospitals such as Peking University International Hospital and Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, after gaining an in-depth understanding of the orthopedic surgery details, unanimously evaluated that the department's technical level has entered the national advanced rank.
From regional leadership to national top-tier, from routine diagnosis and treatment to technological breakthroughs, the Orthopedics Department of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, with expert leadership as its sail and the synergy of heavy ion therapy as its oar, is embarking on a new era of comprehensive orthopedic oncology care. It strives forward with determination towards the goal of becoming a "National Team in Orthopedics," continuously contributing to the development of China's orthopedic medical cause.
Case 1: Anterior Approach C2 Vertebroplasty with Bone Cement
Patient Zhang, male, 38 years old, presented with intense pain and inability to get out of bed due to lung cancer metastatic to the C2 vertebra. Bone cement vertebroplasty is a conventional treatment for spinal metastases, offering immediate stability, complete pain relief, and tumor eradication. However, vertebroplasty for a high cervical level like C2 lacked established global cases. Director Yang Qianzi, after meticulous planning, ultimately successfully performed the world's first anterior approach C2 vertebroplasty with bone cement. Postoperatively, the patient's pain was completely relieved, and he was able to ambulate
Case 2: L5-S1 Vertebral Tuberculosis Lesion Debridement and 3D-Printed Reconstruction
Patient Liu, female, 60 years old, suffered from L5-S1 vertebral tuberculosis, which had caused incomplete paralysis of both lower limbs and inability to walk. Director Yang Qianzi designed a procedure via a midline abdominal approach to remove the diseased vertebrae and perform 3D-printed reconstruction. The advantages of this surgery include preserving the stability of the posterior spinal column, allowing thorough debridement of the lesion, complete spinal cord decompression, and providing immediate stability through 3D-printed reconstruction. Postoperatively, the patient's lower limb function recovered, and she was able to walk.
Case 3: Retroperitoneal Paraganglioma
Patient Ma, male, 24 years old, was diagnosed with a retroperitoneal paraganglioma. The tumor was encased by the inferior vena cava, abdominal aorta, renal vessels, and pancreas, making the surgery extremely challenging. After a multidisciplinary hospital-wide discussion, the surgery was successfully performed by Director Yang Qianzi, resulting in complete tumor resection. The patient has recovered and returned to work.
Case 4: Sacrococcygeal Chordoma: Tumor and Organ Isolation for Heavy Ion Therapy
The traditional treatment for sacrococcygeal chordoma primarily involves surgical resection. However, this approach carries risks such as intraoperative damage to sacral nerves leading to bowel and bladder dysfunction, a very high postoperative recurrence rate, necessitating multiple surgeries, and potential severe disability. Since the deployment of heavy ion therapy, our hospital has adopted a globally pioneering technique involving tumor isolation from pelvic organs with gauze padding during heavy ion therapy. To date, 50 cases have been treated with this method, achieving a local control rate of 100% and no cases of nerve injury complications. It is considered one of the best indications for heavy ion therapy.
Case 5: Tibial Osteosarcoma Resection and Allogeneic Bone Reconstruction
Patient Wang, 21 years old, was diagnosed with tibial osteosarcoma and faced the risk of amputation. After consultation, the hospital decided to administer neoadjuvant chemotherapy first. Once the tumor was localized, limb-salvage surgery was performed using allogeneic bone composite with an intramedullary nail while preserving the epiphysis. The patient recovered completely and has been followed for 10 years without any complications.
Case 6: Pelvic Osteosarcoma
Patient Wang, a 36-year-old female from Anhui Province, was diagnosed with a pelvic tumor. Local hospitals deemed the tumor too large, involving major pelvic vessels, and inoperable. She subsequently came to our hospital seeking heavy ion therapy. However, due to the tumor's large size and unclear boundaries with pelvic organs, heavy ion therapy posed significant challenges. After a full hospital discussion, it was concluded that surgical opportunity existed. A decision was made to perform hemipelvectomy with pelvic and hip joint reconstruction. The surgery was successfully performed by Director Yang Qianzi. The successful execution of such procedures marks our hospital's attainment of a domestically leading level in the treatment of pelvic tumors.
Preliminary Review: Zhang Lihong
Final Review: Zhang Jie