China's Top Departments: Reproductive Medicine at Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University

For couples in Central Asia (Russian-speaking countries), Southeast Asia, and across the international community facing infertility, Tangdu Hospital's Reproductive Medicine Center in Xi'an offers one of China's most proven fertility programs. Established in September 1999 and accredited for assisted reproductive technology (ART) since 2005, the center has completed 100,488 IVF treatment cycles and helped bring 33,521 babies into the world, with a five-year average clinical pregnancy rate of 60.05%.

At Medora, we've guided international patients through fertility treatment in Xi'an — a city with direct flights across Central Asia and costs far below Western clinics. Here's what you need to know.

About the Hospital

Tangdu Hospital — formally the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University — traces its roots to the Central Hospital founded in Yan'an in November 1939. Today it is a modern Grade III, Class A (三级甲等) hospital integrating medical care, teaching, research, prevention, health care, and rehabilitation, with 3,251 beds, 46 specialty departments, and over 2 million outpatient and emergency visits per year.

Among its signature fields — which include functional brain disease treatment, critical care of severe infectious diseases, and microwave ablation of bone tumors — "human assisted reproductive technology" has been one of the hospital's best-known specialties since its early years.

About the Department

The Reproductive Medicine Center, part of the hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was established in September 1999 and comprises five parts:

• The reproductive medicine outpatient clinic
• A dedicated inpatient ward
• The ART (assisted reproductive technology) center
• A prenatal diagnosis and screening center
• A basic research laboratory

The center covers more than 3,900 m² and operates equipment worth over 38 million RMB. Its team of more than 140 staff is highly credentialed: 87% of the core medical and technical team hold a master's degree or higher.

Academic Standing

In 2005, the center passed review by the former Ministry of Health and became the first ART-accredited medical institution within the Chinese military and the first in Shaanxi Province — a mark of its pioneering role in the field.

Its academic platforms include:

• PLA Institute of Prenatal and Postnatal Care
• PLA Reproductive Medicine Specialty Center
• Military sperm bank
• PLA logistics key laboratory
• Shaanxi Provincial Referral and Treatment Center for Critically Ill Pregnant Women and Newborns
• Shaanxi Provincial Clinical Medical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine and Gynecological Endocrine Diseases

Volume and outcomes (as of May 2022):

• 100,488 IVF treatment cycles completed in total
• 60.05% average clinical pregnancy rate for IVF over the past five years
• 33,521 babies born
• Over 500,000 outpatient visits annually on average over five years; department outpatient volume has ranked first in the hospital for 11 consecutive years

The center's innovation record is equally notable: it offers 20 ART procedures, 13 of them first-of-their-kind within the military or the province; it has introduced 30 new medical techniques in the past five years; and it has performed more than 500 gynecological tumor surgeries with robotic assistance.

Two milestones are archived in the university's history museum: the birth of China's longest-cryopreserved frozen-thawed embryo IVF baby, and the birth of China's first S-PGD IVF baby for X-linked lymphoproliferative disease.

Core Technologies

• IVF-ET ("first-generation IVF"): in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer for tubal factors, ovulation disorders, endometriosis, male oligoasthenospermia, and unexplained infertility
• ICSI ("second-generation IVF"): intracytoplasmic sperm injection for severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and obstructive azoospermia
• PGT ("third-generation IVF"): preimplantation genetic testing for chromosomal abnormalities, single-gene disorders, recurrent miscarriage or recurrent implantation failure, and advanced maternal age. The center performs S-PGD and delivered China's first S-PGD IVF baby for X-linked lymphoproliferative disease. Using third-generation sequencing, it analyzed 138 embryos from 15 couples; one patient received a transfer and gave birth to three healthy babies, with a clinical pregnancy rate of 72.72%
• Artificial insemination (AIH and AID) with husband's or donor sperm
• Minimally invasive reproductive surgery: laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and hydrolaparoscopy for endometrial polyps, intrauterine adhesions, uterine malformations, hydrosalpinx, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome, plus transvaginal/transabdominal repair of cesarean scar diverticulum
• Fertility preservation: cryopreservation and storage of embryos and oocytes, suitable for patients before tumor chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• Supporting techniques: blastocyst culture, laser-assisted hatching, vitrification, and in-vitro maturation (IVM)
• Prenatal diagnosis and screening, genetic counseling, and genetic diagnosis
• Treatment of critically ill pregnant women, with an integrated IVF care model

Expert Team

• Prof. Wang Xiaohong (王晓红) — Chief physician, professor, and doctoral supervisor; Director and academic leader of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tangdu Hospital, Director of the PLA Institute of Prenatal and Postnatal Care, and Director of the PLA Reproductive Medicine Specialty Center. She is a standing committee member of the Chinese Medical Association's Reproductive Medicine Committee, vice chair of the PLA Family Planning and Eugenics Committee, and a standing committee member of the Shaanxi Medical Association's Obstetrics and Gynecology Branch. A selected Air Force high-level talent and core expert of the national ART technical management expert pool, she has more than 27 years in obstetrics and gynecology and 20 years focused on reproductive medicine and ART.
• Prof. Xiao Xifeng (肖新峰) — Chief physician and professor, ward director of the Reproductive Medicine Center; specializes in the surgical diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including reproductive surgery (laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, hydrolaparoscopy), infertility and ART, genetic counseling, and prenatal screening and diagnosis.
• Prof. Wu Yuanming (吴元明) — Associate professor and doctoral supervisor; specializes in genetic counseling and genetic diagnosis of various diseases.
• Dr. Liu Fang (刘芳) — Associate chief physician; specializes in reproductive endocrine disorders (polycystic ovary syndrome, recurrent miscarriage, menopausal syndrome), diagnosis and standardized treatment of immune-related miscarriage, and infertility.
• Dr. Huang Jianlei (黄建磊) — Associate chief physician with 17 years in assisted reproduction.
• Dr. Li Mao (李茂) — Associate chief physician specializing in the treatment of various female infertility conditions.
• Dr. Zhang Shun (张顺) — Attending physician and medical doctor, specializing in male infertility.
• Other core members include Di Man, Kang Weiwei, Hai Li, He Xiao, Yang Hongya, and Li Jianbo.
• Other chief physicians in obstetrics and gynecology: Yin Guowu (high-risk pregnancy, gynecologic minimally invasive surgery), Huang Fei (pelvic floor repair, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery, fertility preservation in young women with malignancy), Yang Menggeng (eugenics and infertility), and Cao Guangyu (common obstetric and gynecologic diseases).

Note: titles and clinic schedules are subject to the hospital's official announcements.

Suitable Conditions

• Female infertility (tubal factors, ovulation disorders, endometriosis, adenomyosis, etc.)
• Male infertility (oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, obstructive azoospermia, reproductive tract obstruction, etc.)
• Reproductive endocrine disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome
• Recurrent miscarriage and recurrent implantation failure
• Chromosomal abnormalities and single-gene disorders (candidates for PGT)
• Advanced maternal age and diminished ovarian reserve
• Patients needing fertility preservation (e.g., before tumor chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
• Reproductive surgery-related conditions (endometrial polyps, intrauterine adhesions, uterine malformations, hydrosalpinx, ovarian cysts, etc.)

Address and Contact

Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University No. 1 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China Tel: +86-29-84777777 Website: tdwww.fmmu.edu.cn

International patients usually fly into Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY); the hospital is about a 40-minute drive away. Tangdu routinely receives international patients and can arrange medical interpreters for English-, Russian-, and Arabic-speaking patients. Remote consultations with medical records and imaging can be arranged before travel.

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For international patients exploring fertility treatment in China, you may also want to read about gynecology at the Red House (the Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University) and reproductive medicine at Sun Yat-sen First Affiliated.

At Medora, we specialize in connecting international patients with China's top reproductive medicine centers. If you're considering fertility treatment at Tangdu Hospital, contact us for a free consultation and treatment plan review.