On April 28th, within the operating rooms of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, a minimally invasive multi-valve heart surgery was underway, led by Chief Cardiothoracic Surgeon Cui Yong. The surgical team comprised Chief Anesthesiologist Yan Meijuan, Chief Cardiopulmonary Circulation Specialist Hu Zhibin, Chief Echocardiography Specialist Wang Jing, and key personnel from the operating room and cardiac surgery departments.
The surgery concluded successfully as planned, with the patient regaining consciousness immediately.
Beginning precisely at 9:00 AM, the procedure lasted 2 hours and 9 minutes. Upon opening the aorta, Ms. Xue's heart immediately regained its vitality and resumed beating. The surgery achieved complete success, with all aspects proceeding smoothly according to plan.Following the procedure, the patient regained consciousness immediately, was alert and oriented, with all vital signs stable. En route from the operating room to the intensive care unit, she was already able to communicate normally with her family, filling them with overwhelming joy and emotion.
It is understood that Ms. Xue, aged 57 and residing in the Greater Khingan Range of Northeast China, had experienced chest tightness and shortness of breath after minimal physical exertion for many years. Last year, she was diagnosed at a specialized cardiac hospital with "rheumatic heart disease involving severe combined lesions of both the aortic and mitral valves."Doctors informed her that a median sternotomy valve replacement surgery was necessary to cure her condition. This presented a difficult decision for Ms. Xue and her family.
Crossing Half of China for Treatment: A Wise Choice
During this year's Spring Festival, Ms. Xue and her family began searching online for information about double-valve and multi-valve surgery treatments.They learned that the Cardiac Surgery Department at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital offered minimally invasive procedures that avoided large incisions, and had a precedent for treating multiple valves in a single operation. After gathering this information, Ms. Xue obtained contact details for Director Cui Yong and called to inquire about various specifics. Ultimately, after careful deliberation, she boarded a southbound train in late April this year. Traveling 3,000 kilometers across most of China, she arrived in Hangzhou.
Two hours after the surgery, Director Cui Yong visited the patient in the intensive care unit. By then, Ms. Xue was already chatting and laughing. She remarked, "I truly made a wise choice. Despite traveling 6,000 miles, I experienced what high-level medical expertise and service truly mean."
Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Surgery: Cutting-Edge Technique Leading the Nation
According to Director Cui Yong, minimally invasive heart valve surgery is a relatively new technique developed in recent years. Its greatest advantage lies in avoiding the need for open-chest surgery, making it a minimally invasive treatment method.Traditional cardiac surgery requires a median sternotomy incision up to 20 centimeters long, resulting in significant trauma, heavy bleeding, and slow recovery. Patients typically require hospitalization for over a week post-surgery, with most needing blood transfusions.Minimally invasive surgery achieves comparable outcomes to traditional methods while offering advantages such as reduced tissue damage, minimal blood loss, faster recovery, lower infection risk, aesthetically pleasing incisions, and shorter hospital stays. This makes it increasingly popular among patients. The recent minimally invasive multi-valve heart surgery proceeded seamlessly, with rapid anesthesia recovery adding further distinction. Globally, only a handful of hospitals currently achieve this level of treatment proficiency.
Over the past three years, under the leadership of Director Cui Yong, the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital has achieved major breakthroughs in minimally invasive heart valve surgery techniques. Through continuous exploration and practice, they have developed a unique surgical approach: the incision is made in the right armpit, measuring only 4-5 centimeters in length. This discreet location ensures the wound is virtually invisible when the arm is lowered, delivering outstanding cosmetic results.Currently, Dr. Cui's team can safely and efficiently perform simultaneous repairs on up to three valves. The oldest patient treated was 81 years old. Their surgical success rate and clinical outcomes stand out as exceptional in China and rank among the world's most advanced. Dr. Cui Yong's Professional Background Dr. Cui graduated from China Medical University and earned his Doctorate in Surgery from the Second Military Medical University. He has dedicated his career to cardiovascular surgery.From 2010 to 2012, he pursued advanced clinical training at the University of Alberta Heart Centre in Canada. During this period, he underwent rigorous, formal cardiac surgery training and served as primary surgeon for over 300 cardiac procedures in Canada. Upon successful completion of assessments, he received dual North American university-accredited clinical fellowship certificates in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery.He is currently a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Canadian Society for Cardiac Surgery, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and the Canadian Critical Care Society. Dr. Cui specializes in treating complex and critical cardiac surgeries, including minimally invasive thoracoscopic valve surgery, minimally invasive mitral valve repair, aortic valve repair, and aortic valve replacement.He excels in coronary artery bypass grafting for elderly and complex coronary artery disease patients, great vessel surgery, valve replacement/repair for severe valvular disease, atrial fibrillation maze procedures, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and surgical correction of complex congenital heart defects.