I. Department Talent Structure Department Director: He Yulong Deputy Directors: Cai Shirong, Han Fanghai, Tan Min Branch Party Secretary: Cai Shirong Senior Titles: Zhan Wenhua, He Yulong, Cai Shirong, Han Fanghai, Chen Chuangqi, Song Xinming, Ma Jinping, Huang Yihua, Tan Min, Wu Zhimian Associate Senior Titles: Zhang Changhua, Wang Zhao, Cui Ji, Song Wu, Zheng Zhaoxu, Huang Wensheng Attending Physicians: Wu Hui, Peng Jianjun, Yang Dongjie, Wu Kaiming, Zhang Xinhua, Xu Jianbo, He Weiling, Ye Jinning, Chen Zhihui, Yuan Yujie, Chen Liuhua, Zhao Zhenxian, Yu Junfeng, Tan Jinfu, Zuo Jidong II. Department Overview The Department of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University was established in 1964, making it one of the earliest specialized gastrointestinal and pancreatic departments in China. It was among the first institutions authorized to confer master's and doctoral degrees, and began recruiting postdoctoral researchers in 1995. To date, it has trained 6 postdoctoral fellows, over 50 doctoral students, and more than 100 master's students. In 2000, it was designated a Class A key discipline in Guangdong Province, and in 2002, it became a national key discipline. In 2010, it was accredited as a training base for general surgery residents by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Hong Kong College of Surgeons, and in 2012, it became a clinical key discipline of the Ministry of Health. The department has served as the chair unit for the Gastrointestinal Surgery Group of the Chinese Medical Association's Surgery Branch for three terms, the chair unit for the Guangdong Medical Association's Surgery Branch for four terms, and the chair unit for the Guangdong Medical Association's Gastrointestinal Surgery Branch for two terms. It founded the *Chinese Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery* and the *Journal of Digestive Oncology (Electronic Edition)*. The department has edited major works including *Gastrointestinal Surgery*, *Operative Gastrointestinal Surgery*, *Digestive Tract Staplers and Their Applications*, *Diagnosis and Treatment of Intestinal Obstruction*, *Clinical Handbook of Surgery*, *Lymph Node Metastasis in Gastric Cancer*, *Sphincter-Preserving Surgery for Rectal Cancer*, and *Gastric Cancer Surgery*. It has also translated *Diagnosis and Treatment of Digestive Tract Tumors* and co-edited *Clinical Practice Guidelines: Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition* and *Operative Digestive Oncology*. Additionally, it has contributed to *Modern Surgery*, *Abdominal Surgery*, and *Surgery*. From 1991 to 2007, the department successfully hosted nine sessions of the National Conference on Gastrointestinal Surgery. From 1996 to 2001, it organized six consecutive national Advanced Training Courses on New Techniques in Gastrointestinal Surgery. Since 2001, it has held four academic conferences of the Guangdong Medical Association's Surgery Branch, and since 2003, two sessions of the China International Symposium on Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition. Since 2008, it has hosted five consecutive National Gastrointestinal Tumor Summit Forums, five National Advanced Training Courses on Gastric Cancer, one National Touring Lecture on Standardized Gastric Cancer Treatment, and since 2009, four consecutive academic conferences of the Guangdong Medical Association's Gastrointestinal Surgery Branch. The department also holds irregular training courses and surgical demonstrations on gastric cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) annually. The department's overall strength is widely recognized as leading nationally, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal tumors, with a high reputation both domestically and internationally in the field of gastrointestinal surgery. Many of the department's research findings have been invited for presentation at the International Gastric Cancer Congress (IGCC) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, receiving strong反响. The department has a complete medical technology team capable of addressing major, complex, and challenging cases in gastrointestinal surgery. Over the past decade, advances in surgical techniques and overall standards have improved the five-year survival rates of patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, achieving a leading level domestically. The department includes the Sun Yat-sen University Gastric Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Research Center, the Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, the Colorectal and Anal Surgery Unit, the Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Center, the Clinical Nutrition Center, the Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery Diagnosis and Treatment Center, the Editorial Office of the *Journal of Digestive Oncology (Electronic Edition)*, and the Stoma and Chronic Wound Care Unit. III. Clinical Work 1. Common Diseases: Gastric cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), neuroendocrine tumors, retroperitoneal tumors, duodenal cancer, gastrointestinal lymphoma, various benign gastrointestinal tumors, massive gastrointestinal bleeding, acute abdomen, gastrointestinal fistulas, complications of peptic ulcers, esophageal strictures, achalasia, superior mesenteric artery syndrome, adult congenital megacolon, short bowel syndrome, internal and external abdominal hernias, benign and malignant diseases of the rectum and anal canal, and inflammatory bowel disease. 2. The department pioneered standardized and radical gastrectomy in China and was the first to perform super-extended radical gastrectomy (D4) and Whipple procedures for advanced gastric cancer. To date, it has accumulated detailed clinical data from thousands of cases of standardized radical gastrectomy and maintains the largest series of D4 gastrectomy cases in China. The overall five-year cumulative survival rate for gastric cancer patients exceeds 50%, significantly higher than the national average (37.7%) and comparable to or better than rates in Europe and the United States, approaching those in Japan. 3. The department's standardized lymph node dissection for gastric cancer has considerable international influence and promotes standardized radical surgery for gastrointestinal tumors nationwide. In recent years, Professors Zhan Wenhua and He Yulong have been invited to perform surgical demonstrations and deliver academic lectures at numerous major medical centers across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. 4. The department established one of the earliest comprehensive and systematic clinical databases for gastrointestinal tumors in China, along with a strict postoperative follow-up and re-examination system. The database has accumulated detailed data from over 5,000 cases of gastrointestinal tumors, enabling patients treated in the department to benefit from rigorous follow-up and producing high-quality research reports based on objective data, both domestically and internationally. This has earned the department a strong reputation in the field of gastrointestinal surgery in China. 5. The department standardizes total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer, low anterior resection (LAR) with sphincter preservation, and nerve-sparing radical rectal cancer surgery. It also performs colonic J-pouch anastomosis and pull-through procedures for rectal cancer. These approaches have improved the radical resection rate and sphincter preservation rate for rectal cancer, enhanced survival rates, significantly reduced recurrence rates, and improved postoperative quality of life. The department was among the first in China to conduct prospective randomized controlled trials, achieving favorable functional outcomes in sphincter-preserving surgery for low rectal cancer. 6. The department is internationally leading in the diagnosis and treatment of GISTs and has participated in the development of international guidelines for adjuvant therapy for GISTs. In 2004, the department led and organized a multicenter prospective study involving 16 renowned teaching hospitals in 10 major Chinese cities on adjuvant therapy for high-risk GISTs. The study results were presented at the European Cancer Conference (October 2006, Istanbul, Turkey), the 7th International Gastric Cancer Congress (May 2007, São Paulo, Brazil), and the 43rd American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (June 2007, Chicago, USA). 7. The department routinely performs laparoscopic surgery for colorectal and gastric cancers, endoscopic treatment for early-stage gastric and colorectal cancers, and combined endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery for gastrointestinal tumors. 8. The department routinely provides critical care for surgical patients and perioperative enteral and parenteral nutritional support. 9. The department was one of the earliest in China to establish a multidisciplinary team (MDT) treatment model, with nearly 20 years of MDT experience. It actively promotes and exchanges MDT practices in the Asia-Pacific region and is now an Asia-Pacific MDT Training Center. The department has formed a stable and mature multidisciplinary team led by gastrointestinal and pancreatic surgeons. Weekly MDT meetings held every Monday provide optimal individualized treatment plans for each gastrointestinal tumor patient. 10. The department is committed to promoting a comprehensive treatment model for gastrointestinal tumors centered on surgery, with experience accumulated from thousands of cases. The application and updates of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, intraoperative chemotherapy, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and subsequent treatment regimens for tumor recurrence align with domestic and international treatment guidelines (e.g., NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines, and Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines). Successful cases have been repeatedly recommended and presented at European, Asia-Pacific, and national oncology conferences. IV. Scientific Research 1. The department conducts in-depth basic and clinical research on gastric cancer, including ongoing studies on familial gastric cancer susceptibility gene screening, gastric cancer stem cells, and lymphatic metastasis of gastric cancer. Research achievements have been recognized with the Second Prize of the Chinese Medical Association's Medical Science and Technology Award (2005), the Second Prize of the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award (2005), the Second Prize of