The Institute of Chest Wall Surgery
ABOUT ICWS
The Institute of Chest Wall Surgery
ICWS, the Institute of Chest Wall Surgery of GD2H(Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital), was established on February 9, 2023. It is the world's first independent chest wall disorder surgical treatment institution, and the world's largest chest wall deformity correction center.
Founded by Dr. Wenlin Wang and his team, ICWS builds on over 15 years of research into chest wall conditions, including deformity, trauma, tumors, defects, and infections. Their primary focus is on chest wall deformities, and they have pioneered numerous innovative procedures that are less invasive, lower-risk, and achieve superior outcomes compared to traditional techniques like the classic Nuss procedure. These advancements enable them to treat numerous patients with complex and rare chest wall deformities. So far, they have successfully performed over 10,000 chest wall surgeries on patients from all over the world.
The Founder
Dr. Wenlin Wang is the founder of Chest Wall Surgery, chairman of the Chinese Chest Wall Surgery Alliance, and inventor of the Wang procedure. He is an internationally renowned expert in chest wall surgery and recognized as a leading figure in the field.
In 2008, Dr. Wenlin Wang pioneered the concept of chest wall surgery. To realize this vision, he led his team for a decade, ultimately establishing the world's first independent department of chest wall surgery on May 9, 2018.
Subsequently, to facilitate national peer exchange and collaboration, he established the Chest Wall Surgery Committee under the Guangdong Provincial Association of Thoracic Disease in late 2018 and founded the China Chest Wall Surgery Alliance the following year. The Alliance has trained numerous professionals and made significant contributions to the advancement of chest wall surgery across China.
Constant Innovation
The team led by Dr. Wang has not only classified and named rare chest wall deformities such as Grooved Chest, Saddle Chest, Flat Pectus Carinatum, Lateral Chest Wall Depression, and Wenlin Chest, but also developed several innovative surgical techniques, such as the Wang procedure, Wung procedure, Wenlin procedure, and Willine procedure. It is worth mentioning that the Wang procedure has been included in the surgical operation guidelines by China's National Health Commission, which means it is now an officially recognized surgical method for pectus excavatum in China.
Furthermore, he has proposed many new concepts such as Clean Surgery, Bleedingless Surgery, Bandage Surgery, Template Shaping, and Pre-shaping, along with the "Wenlin Discipline" for treating chest wall deformities.
Dr. Wang constructed a complete theoretical system of chest wall surgery, ultimately separating chest wall surgery from traditional thoracic surgery and establishing it as an independent clinical discipline.
Challenge Impossible
In the long-term clinical work, Dr. Wenlin Wang and his team broke many world records.
They completed the world's first simultaneous surgery for double lung transplantation combined with complex chest wall deformities, the world's first simultaneous surgery for asphyxial thoracic dysplasia combined with congenital heart disease, the world's first chest wall reconstruction surgery for straight back syndrome. They also completed the world's oldest recorded surgical cases of pectus excavatum (age 61), pectus carinatum (age 56), and asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (age 36), as well as the youngest documented Wang procedure for pectus excavatum (1 month old). Moreover, they have completed the world's largest number of asphyxial thoracic dysplasia surgery (48), Wenlin Chest surgery (58), pectus carinatum surgery (559), barrel chest surgery (103), and reoperations (359) after failed surgeries for chest wall deformities.
Their work has been unanimously recognized by global peers and has earned a reputation for Chinese doctors.
Establish ICWS
From 2008 to 2022, nearly 10,000 chest wall surgeries have been completed in the chest wall surgery department. Their patients come from all over the world, which makes the department have gradually become a famous treatment center for chest wall disorders at home and abroad.
To further promote the concept of chest wall surgery and provide effective treatment for patients with chest wall disorders,
Dr. Wang established the Institute of Chest Wall Surgery (ICWS) — the world's first specialized hospital for such conditions — in 2023.
The establishment of ICWS not only marks the further maturation of the chest wall surgery discipline but also demonstrates that China's chest wall surgery field has reached the world's leading level.
Comprehensive and Professional
ICWS is a professional diagnosis and treatment center for chest wall disorders, with specialized departments including: chest wall deformity surgery, chest wall tumor surgery, chest wall infection surgery, chest wall trauma surgery, chest wall neurosurgery, chest wall lymphatic surgery, chest wall cosmetic surgery, chest wall scar surgery, chest wall spine surgery, chest wall rehabilitation surgery, breast surgery, and body wall surgery.
In addition, in order to meet the requirements of various concomitant diseases treatment, ICWS has also set up a comprehensive ward, which basically covers the treatment departments of common clinical diseases, forming a strong backing for the healthy development of the chest wall surgery discipline.
Furthermore, ICWS has the most advanced MRI, CT, and other imaging equipment, as well as top-level basic laboratories. It is not only capable of performing various clinical work, but also of conducting various scientific research activities.