China's Top Departments: Cardiovascular Surgery at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University
Founded in 1957 and home to China's first open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (1958). A National Key Discipline, the PLA Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute and a qualified national heart-lung transplantation center, ranked No. 6 in cardiac surgery nationally and No. 1 in Northwest China (Fudan ranking), with about 4,700 cardiac surgeries and 126 heart transplants completed annually.
What matters most on this page
Short answer:Founded in 1957 and home to China's first open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (1958). A National Key Discipline, the PLA Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute and a qualified national heart-lung transplantation center, ranked No. 6 in cardiac surgery nationally and No. 1 in Northwest China (Fudan ranking), with about 4,700 cardiac surgeries and 126 heart transplants completed annually.
Key points
- China's First Open-Heart Surgery Under CPB (1958)
- Fudan #6 Nationally, #1 in Northwest China
- ~4,700 Cardiac Surgeries/Year — Top 3 in China
- 126 Heart Transplants · Asia's First Heart-Liver-Kidney Transplant
If you or a loved one is facing a heart condition — coronary artery disease, aortic dissection, a heart valve problem, or a congenital heart defect — the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Xijing Hospital is one of the most experienced cardiac surgery centers in China.
Founded in 1957, the department performed China's first open-heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass in June 1958 — a landmark in the history of cardiovascular surgery in China. Today it is a National Key Discipline (Cardiothoracic Surgery), the PLA Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, a national "211 Project" key discipline, a national qualified center for heart-lung transplantation, and China's first minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery training base.
In the Fudan University national hospital ranking, the department ranks No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in Northwest China in cardiac surgery. The department is located at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University — a top-tier Grade IIIA general hospital and one of China's Top 100 Hospitals.
At Medora, we help international patients navigate Xijing's cardiovascular surgery team. Here's what you need to know.
Accreditation and Status
- National Key Discipline (Cardiothoracic Surgery) and national "211 Project" key discipline
- PLA Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute
- National qualified center for heart-lung transplantation
- First minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery training base in China
- No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in Northwest China in cardiac surgery (Fudan ranking)
- Academic exchange and cooperation with top cardiac surgery centers in the USA, Germany, France, UK, Australia, Japan, Mexico, etc.; 12 internationally renowned experts appointed as visiting professors
Scale and Strength
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Clinical staff | 250 (5 professors, 13 associate professors, 6 doctoral supervisors, 10 master's supervisors); over 90% of doctors hold PhD degrees or have studied abroad |
| Inpatient wards | 3 inpatient wards + a dedicated intensive care ward |
| Operating rooms | 6 independent operating rooms |
| Research laboratory | A cardiovascular research laboratory of 2,000 m² |
| Inpatient beds | 223 |
| Annual cardiac surgeries | About 4,700 — ranking top 3 in China; complex and critical cases account for over 60% |
| Surgery success rate | 98.3% |
| Age range of operated patients | 5 hours after birth (1.8 kg) to 87 years old |
Core Technologies and Strengths
1. Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
China's first minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery training base. Valve replacement and coronary bypass performed through small incisions and thoracoscopy.
2. Valvular Heart Disease
Internationally advanced valve repair and replacement; mitral valve repair rate of over 95% under total thoracoscopy; transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and transcatheter mitral/tricuspid interventions.
3. Coronary Artery Disease Surgery
Off-pump coronary bypass, minimally invasive bypass, and staged hybrid procedures.
4. Aortic (Great Vessel) Surgery
Over 1,000 aortic interventions and surgeries per year (including over 400 surgical operations), covering valve-sparing aortic root replacement, aortic arch replacement, and hybrid surgery for aortic dissection. Innovative 3D printing technology optimizes dissection surgery planning.
5. Heart Transplantation and Multi-Organ Transplantation
126 heart transplants completed; the first transplant patient has survived healthily for over 19 years; 2 heart-lung transplants; 1 simultaneous heart-liver-kidney transplant — the first in Asia.
6. Congenital Heart Disease
Surgery for neonatal/infant complex congenital heart disease, transthoracic interventional closure, and integrated diagnosis and treatment of fetal cardiac birth defects. The youngest patient was operated on at 5 hours after birth.
7. Interventional Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease
Closure of atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, etc., with cosmetic incisions.
8. ECMO Extracorporeal Life Support
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for critically ill cardiac patients.
Expert Team
| Expert | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Prof. Yu Shiqiang | Chief Physician, Professor, Director of the Cardiovascular Surgery Center | Aortic surgery, valvular surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, heart transplantation |
| Prof. Liu Jincheng | Chief Physician, Professor, Director of Cardiac Surgery | Minimally invasive valve replacement, minimally invasive coronary bypass, hybrid surgery; innovator in 3D printing and ECMO applications |
| Prof. Yi Dinghua | Chief Physician, Professor, Vice Chairman of the Cardiovascular Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association | Complex congenital heart disease, coronary surgery, valvular disease, aneurysms, heart transplantation |
| Dr. Zhu Hailong | Chief Physician | Surgery for infant and pediatric complex congenital heart disease, valve replacement, cosmetic incision surgery |
| Prof. Sun Guocheng | Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Deputy Director of Cardiovascular Surgery and Director of the Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Unit | Neonatal/infant congenital heart disease, fetal cardiac birth defects |
| Dr. Xu Xuezeng | Associate Chief Physician, Associate Professor, Head of the Thoracoscopic Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Group | Thoracoscopic treatment of complex congenital heart disease and valvular disease |
| Dr. Yang Jian | Associate Chief Physician, Doctoral Supervisor, Director of Ward 1 | Transcatheter valve interventions including TAVR |
| Dr. Duan Weixun | Associate Chief Physician, Associate Professor, Deputy Director of Cardiovascular Surgery and Head of Aortic Surgery | Aortic dissection, Marfan syndrome and other hereditary aortic diseases |
| Prof. Yi Wei | Chief Physician, Professor (Changjiang Scholar) | Valve repair and reconstruction, minimally invasive coronary bypass |
| Prof. Zheng Qijun | Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor | Valvular disease (elderly, small annulus), congenital heart disease, small-incision minimally invasive surgery |
| Dr. Gu Chunhu | Associate Chief Physician, Associate Professor | Infant cardiac surgery, complex congenital heart disease, minimally invasive small incisions |
| Dr. Zuo Jian | Associate Chief Physician | Interventional minimally invasive and hybrid treatment of congenital heart disease and great vessel disease |
Research Strength
The department has undertaken 6 national key science and technology projects, 12 national science and technology support plan key projects, 9 national 863 Program major projects, and 143 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation and military/provincial programs. It has received 1 First Prize and 3 Second Prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, 1 First Prize of the Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award, and 7 First Prizes and 22 Second Prizes of military and provincial science and technology achievements.
Main Diseases Treated
Coronary artery disease, aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm, congenital heart disease (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, etc.), valvular heart disease (mitral, aortic, tricuspid), heart failure, cardiac tumors, infective endocarditis, and more.
Address and Contact
Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University No. 127 Changle West Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
- Hospital switchboard: +86-29-84775555
- Hospital level: Class III Grade A (tertiary) public general hospital
Xi'an is a major city in northwest China with international airport connections. Most international patients fly into Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY).
This guide is prepared for Central Asian and international patients facing cardiac and vascular conditions. If you need assistance with medical consultation, appointment booking, or travel arrangements to Xijing Hospital's Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, contact Medora for personalized support.
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