On February 9, 2023, the Institute of Chest Wall Surgery(ICWS) of Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital was established in Guangzhou. In the interview, Dr. Wenlin Wang, chairman of Chinese Chest Wall Surgery Alliance and director of ICWS, stated that this is the world’s first independent specialist hospital dedicated to the treatment of chest wall diseases. Integrating medical care, education, and research, ICWS aims to provide top-tier treatment and services for patients with chest wall disorders worldwide.

Director Wang highlighted that, despite the relatively high incidence of chest wall diseases, they have often been overlooked in the field of thoracic surgery. “With chest wall deformity affecting over 1% of the population, the number of patients is substantial—outnumbering those with all intrathoracic diseases combined,” he explained.

However, the substantial patient population is starkly mismatched with the outdated and insufficient treatment techniques and resources. “Most doctors concentrate on treating intrathoracic diseases, often neglecting chest wall conditions,' further noted by Dr. Wang. Due to the limited expertise of most thoracic surgeons in chest wall procedures, many patients endure a convoluted journey in seeking medical help, struggling to access effective treatment and enduring prolonged suffering. Faced with this reality, he opted for an unconventional path, prioritizing innovation and advancement in the field of chest wall surgery.

In 2018, the world’s first independent department of chest wall surgery was established at Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, marking the official rise of chest wall surgery as a new clinical specialty. More notably, under the persistence and efforts of Dr. Wang, ICWS was successfully established in 2023. As the largest and most specialized center for chest wall disease treatment in the world, ICWS comprises 15 sub-specialties and treats not only various chest wall deformities but also chest wall tumor, chest wall trauma, chest wall infection, chest wall defect, and more. Dr. Wang also shared his vision of developing ICWS into a world-class center for chest wall disease diagnosis and treatment, further bridging the gap in the field of global chest wall surgery.