Today, Prof. Junbo Ge, China's leading expert in cardiology and an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, finished two complex coronary intervention procedures at DeltaHealth Hospital·Shanghai in a live online broadcast to global cardiology doctors. DeltaHealth Hospital Shanghai is a foreign-invested general hospital that specializes in cardiovascular care, located in Qingpu District, Shanghai, close to the Hongqiao transportation hub. Since its opening last September, led by Prof. Lizhong Sun, President & Chief Medical Officer, and Prof. Junbo Ge, Chief Medical Officer in Cardiology, the hospital has successfully completed nearly 90 complicated cardiovascular surgeries of various kinds, quickly growing into a significant player in treating cardiovascular diseases in east China.

The two patients receiving the coronary interventions suffered from multi-vessel coronary artery disease. They had visited many hospitals, having received standard pharmacotherapy and interventional treatment, but with limited effect due to various complications and the difficulty of treating coronary lesions. Besides, the patients' day-to-day lives were also severely affected by angina. To treat their disease, Prof. Junbo Ge examined them several times at DeltaHealth Hospital Shanghai and adjusted their pharmacotherapy plans before he decided to perform interventional treatment in late March. To enable better understanding of the surgical process, Prof. Ge specially invited Prof. Martin Leon from Columbia University Medical Center, Director of Interventional Vascular Therapy as a narrator. As a global leading expert in interventional cardiovascular procedures, Prof. Leon leveraged his considerable expertise and excellent communication skills to walk the audience through two inspiring surgical journeys. "I'm really impressed that the Chinese cardiovascular surgeons as represented by Prof. Junbo Ge is bringing local interventional procedures up to par with the international forefront of this field," he said.

Interventional therapy is a discipline that combines diagnostic imaging with clinical treatment. Since it was introduced to China in the 1980s, interventional therapy has witnessed rapid development, increasingly becoming one of the major tools to treat cardiovascular diseases thanks to its accuracy, safety and minimal invasion. "The comprehensive assessment of patient conditions, the seamless collaboration with surgeons and the accurate surgical strategy are the key to the success of these two surgeries. I'm glad that our team has achieved expected surgical results despite the stress from public attention," said Prof. Ge.

According to 2015 Report on China Cardiovascular Diseases, the prevalence and death rate of cardiovascular diseases have been growing as the first leading cause of death in China, with 40% of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases. "As a foreign-invested general hospital that specializes in cardiovascular care, the hospital's collaborative Heart Team can provide patients with efficient and definitive healthcare services. On one hand, the live broadcast of Prof. Ge's surgical process serves as a learning opportunity by allowing more healthcare professionals to see with their own eyes; on the other hand, we hope the collaboration between the world's two leading experts, Prof. Ge and Prof. Leon, can broaden our horizons and help improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular diseases," said Dr. Desmond Thio, Chief Executive Officer of DeltaHealth Hospital Shanghai.

The live broadcast was followed by an interactive session between the two internationally recognized experts and nearly 100 cardiology doctors who had been observing on the spot. They shared their insights regarding how to address challenges and key issues throughout the surgeries, including how to deal with angiostenosis and the use of intravascular ultrasound, CT and retrograde wire.  

DeltaHealth Hospital Shanghai

DeltaHealth Hospital Shanghai is affiliated with innovative healthcare provider DeltaHealth. Focused on cardiovascular care, the general hospital was designed and built in accordance with Joint Commission International (JCI) standards. DeltaHealth Hospital·Shanghai targets to cover the entire Yangtze Delta Region. The 200-bed capacity will enable the hospital to better serve patients and their families. Following its opening, DeltaHealth Hospital·Shanghai opens its general and cardiovascular outpatient services, while accepting appointment requests for cardiac surgeries such as CABG, cardiac valve repair, and certain aortic surgeries.