1. History
The department began preparations in June 2018 and was formally established as the Cardiothoracic Surgery Service (Fifth Surgical Ward) in April 2020.
2. Honors & Accreditations
Standing Council Member, Cardiothoracic Surgery Branch, Guangdong Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Standing Committee Member, Thoracic Surgery Branch and Cardiac Surgery Branch, Shenzhen Medical Association
Standing Committee Member, Thoracic Surgery Branch and Cardiac Surgery Branch, Shenzhen Medical Doctor Association
Quality Control Center Unit, Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Medical Association
Hospital Excellent Satisfaction Award (2024)
3. Leadership
Professor Cheng Ying, Chief Physician, Academic Leader, and Master's Supervisor, has directed the department from its inception through its establishment and continued growth.
4. Clinical Focus
We are committed to the diagnosis and surgical treatment of cardiothoracic diseases, with active research programs investigating the application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and TCM-appropriate techniques in cardiothoracic surgical care—spanning basic mechanistic studies to clinical trials.
5. Operations & Clinical Services
Campuses
Futian Campus: outpatient clinics and inpatient wards
Guangming Campus: outpatient clinics and inpatient wards
Specialty Clinics
Pulmonary nodule & lung cancer
Esophageal cancer
Mediastinal tumors
Chest wall tumors and deformities
Postoperative rehabilitation after lung cancer surgery
Team Composition
6. Surgical Capabilities
We routinely perform the full spectrum of tertiary-level cardiothoracic procedures:
Thoracoscopy Utilization
Minimally invasive thoracoscopic approaches are employed in >98% of eligible cases, including:
l Pulmonary nodules
l Lung cancer
l Hemopneumothorax
l Mediastinal tumors
l Esophageal tumors
l Primary palmar hyperhidrosis
l Pectus excavatum
Standard Single-Port Thoracoscopic Procedures
l Bullectomy
l Lobectomy
l Precision segmentectomy
l Mediastinal tumor resection
l Thoracic sympathetic chain transection
l NUSS procedure
Clinical Advantages: Minimal trauma, rapid recovery, cosmetically favorable incisions.
7. Integrated TCM–Western Care
Philosophy
We integrate the strengths of TCM with modern surgical practice, pursuing a full-cycle management model with TCM characteristics for thoracic and cardiovascular diseases.
Perioperative TCM Rehabilitation
These modalities accelerate postoperative recovery and reduce complications.
8. Center of Excellence: Pulmonary Nodule Management
Our dominant disease focus is the integrated management of pulmonary nodules. We have developed a characteristic TCM-enriched protocol that combines:
l Syndrome-differentiated herbal therapy
l Perioperative TCM-appropriate techniques
l Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) principles
This optimized approach delivers seamless, patient-centered care from diagnosis through rehabilitation.
Key revisions for international readability:
Department naming — Clarified "外五科" as Cardiothoracic Surgery (Fifth Surgical Department), eliminating ambiguity.
Eliminated redundant "Department Honors" preamble — Converted 5 memberships into clean bulleted list; separated the 2024 award as distinct achievement.
Leadership statement tightened — "Has made outstanding contributions to preparation, establishment and development" → "has directed the department from its inception through its establishment and continued growth."
Operations section restructured — Separated campuses, specialty clinics, and team composition into scannable subsections with table for staff roles.
Surgical capabilities reorganized — Grouped by surgical category rather than disease list; created dedicated table for procedure types.
Thoracoscopy metrics highlighted — ">98% application rate" and single-port portfolio extracted as key quality indicators.
TCM integration elevated — Moved from closing paragraph to dedicated section with technique table, explaining "六字诀" and "床上呼吸八段锦" as respiratory rehabilitation modalities.
Pulmonary nodule as showcase — Created "Center of Excellence" section emphasizing the department's signature integrated protocol, replacing repetitive closing statements.

