The Thyroid Surgery Department was established in March 2013. It currently has 44 beds and 18 doctors (including 3 master's supervisors, with 50% holding doctoral or post-doctoral degrees). Among them, there are 3 professors (including 2 national-level experts and 1 provincial-level expert), 4 associate professors, 2 attending physicians, and 9 resident physicians. Many of our doctors have received formal education and training both domestically and internationally, possessing strong professional and foreign language skills.
The Thyroid Surgery Department has achieved an advanced level within the province in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer, primary neck tumors and metastatic cancers, large thyroid masses, nodular goiter, hyperthyroidism, various types of thyroiditis, and parathyroid diseases. We have adopted standardized, minimally invasive, individualized, and comprehensive treatment approaches to improve cure rates and treatment outcomes, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer. For thyroid cancer patients, preoperative diagnosis and evaluation are conducted using methods such as ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNA), which has enhanced preoperative diagnostic accuracy. For advanced patients with tumor invasion of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and/or internal jugular vein, procedures such as immediate anastomosis after recurrent laryngeal nerve resection and internal jugular vein resection are performed. Postoperative treatments for thyroid cancer patients include endocrine therapy and I131 therapy, among others.
In recent years, the incidence of thyroid diseases has been increasing annually, with thyroid cancer accounting for nearly one-third of cases. This trend has drawn widespread societal attention. As a specialized thyroid department, we feel a significant sense of responsibility and duty. Not only must we provide effective treatment for every patient who comes to us, but we also need to pay close attention to the changing spectrum of thyroid diseases and the rising incidence. We are committed to further researching and exploring the causes, diagnostic and treatment measures, as well as the healthcare and prevention of thyroid diseases. It is our social responsibility to fully understand and master the incidence of thyroid diseases in Jilin Province and to普及 relevant knowledge to the public. We take this duty very seriously.
Our department also actively employs intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring technology. Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is one of the most serious complications of thyroid surgery, and the effective protection and avoidance of damage to this nerve have always been a key goal for thyroid surgeons. Statistics show that the rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury ranges from 0.3% to 18.9%. Recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring technology combines functional and anatomical approaches, providing functions such as intraoperative navigation, rapid identification of the nerve’s course, prediction of nerve variations, and preservation of nerve function integrity, thereby significantly enhancing surgical safety.
Some patients have high aesthetic requirements for surgical incisions. In 2014, our department introduced total endoscopic thyroid surgery with no neck incision. This procedure offers numerous advantages, including aesthetic minimally invasive effects, fewer complications, less postoperative pain, and faster recovery. The postoperative outcomes have been excellent, receiving high praise from patients. By December 2017, nearly 100 endoscopic surgeries had been completed. Additionally, our department uses carbon nanoparticle technology for intraoperative parathyroid imaging, effectively reducing the probability of parathyroid injury during surgery.
Our Thyroid Surgery Department handles a monthly outpatient volume of 2,000 visits and performs approximately 150 surgeries per month, reflecting the trust and recognition we have earned from our patients.
Our department is also responsible for the teaching and internship training of undergraduates, postgraduate students, and international students as assigned by the university, as well as part of the standardized training for resident physicians. In terms of research, our doctors publish about 20 articles annually, including approximately 5 SCI papers, and undertake around 3 to 5 research projects each year.
Guided by the principle of "going out and bringing in," our department maintains continuous communication and collaboration with top-tier medical institutions both domestically and internationally to stay updated on the latest academic trends and developments in our field. We will enhance academic activities and regularly conduct professional training within the department. All doctors in the department will participate in ongoing training and further education, while also inviting high-level experts and professors to our department for academic lectures and surgical demonstrations. This will gradually improve the overall professional competence, academic perspectives, and management and service理念 of the entire department. Meanwhile, we will mobilize the entire department to actively apply for research projects, aiming to achieve breakthroughs in programs such as the National Natural Science Foundation within three years or even sooner.
