On March 17, a delegation from Mayo Clinic’s Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, led by Prof. Hartzell V. Schaff, former Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery, and Prof. Juan A. Crestanello, current Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery, visited Tongji Hospital, affiliated with Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The visit aimed to deepen collaboration in cardiovascular medicine, research, and education. The delegation was warmly received by Tang Zhouping, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tongji Hospital, Hu Junbo, President of Tongji Hospital, Wei Xiang, Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Professor Wan Song, Professor Liu Yani from the Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Wang Man, Director of the International Exchange Office, and over 20 representatives from the cardiovascular surgery team, including faculty members and students.
In his welcome remarks, Secretary Tang Zhouping traced the 125-year history of Tongji Hospital, emphasizing its ongoing efforts to establish itself as a national medical center and accelerate its internationalization. He highlighted the alignment between Mayo Clinic’s patient-centered philosophy and Tongji Hospital’s mission of “pursuing truth and mutual support.” Secretary Tang expressed his hope that the collaboration between the two institutions would expand beyond cardiovascular surgery to encompass hospital management, smart healthcare, clinical research, and other areas, jointly exploring innovative pathways in modern medicine.
President Hu Junbo provided an overview of the century-long legacy and academic strengths of Tongji Hospital’s Department of Surgery, particularly highlighting the groundbreaking work of Professor Wei Xiang’s team in developing the “Transapical beating-heart septal myectomy (TA-BSM)” technique. This minimally invasive innovation has significantly improved the treatment outcomes for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), with related findings published in top-tier international journals and awarded multiple national patents. “In the future, we look forward to collaborating with Mayo Clinic experts in areas such as AI-assisted diagnostics and medical-engineering integration to drive technological transformation and cultivate globally competitive talent,” President Hu stated.
Prof. Crestanello praised Tongji Hospital’s innovative capabilities in cardiovascular medicine and echoed the vision for collaboration. “Mayo Clinic has always placed patient needs at the forefront, which aligns perfectly with Tongji Hospital’s mission. We are eager to share our expertise in complex cardiac surgery techniques, multidisciplinary collaboration models, and clinical research systems to jointly elevate global standards in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.”
Prof. Schaff focused on talent development and research collaboration, proposing a joint training program for young physicians. Through case discussions, surgical demonstrations, and collaborative research projects, the program aims to provide young doctors with an international platform for growth. “Medical progress requires the integration of wisdom across borders. We look forward to more breakthrough achievements from both teams in cutting-edge areas such as septal myectomy,” he added.
Prof. Wei Xiang reviewed the history of collaboration between the two institutions. Since 2023, Prof. Schaff has visited Tongji Hospital twice for academic exchanges, and their joint research has been published in prestigious journals such as The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Tongji teams have also visited Mayo Clinic multiple times, achieving innovative breakthroughs in ultrasound imaging fusion navigation technology. In 2024, Prof. Schaff was appointed as a visiting professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Both sides announced the launch of a young physician training program at Mayo Clinic in the second half of this year, further deepening clinical and research collaboration.
Following the meeting, the Mayo Clinic delegation visited the Tongji Hospital History Museum, learning about the hospital’s transformation from a German-style clinic in 1900 to a modern smart hospital. During the academic exchange session in cardiovascular surgery, experts discussed the technical details of TA-BSM, offering constructive suggestions on surgical optimization, myocardial resection strategies, and postoperative rehabilitation management. These discussions laid the groundwork for establishing international treatment standards.
