Wang Yishan (1918–2009): Professor of Surgery and Former Vice President of Renji Hospital 

Introduction

Dr. Wang Yishan exemplified the compassion and dedication that defines the medical profession. Through his lifelong commitment to excellence and perseverance, he embodied the highest standards of medical practice and the fundamental mission of healing.

As a pioneering figure in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Wang made significant contributions that have left a lasting impact on the field. He brought hope to countless patients through his exceptional surgical skills and unwavering ethical standards. His innovative approaches and relentless pursuit of advancement helped shape modern thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.

Dr. Wang combined deep empathy with extraordinary surgical talent, saving critically ill patients and overcoming complex medical challenges. His work in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery addressed numerous difficult cases with remarkable skill and courage, achieving outcomes that seemed impossible at the time.

Beyond his clinical achievements, Dr. Wang was an outstanding educator who mentored generations of medical professionals. His dedication to teaching and training helped strengthen both China’s and the global medical community, ensuring continued progress in healthcare for years to come.

Early Life and Education

Wang Yishan was born on April 25, 1918, in Jiangyin City, where he spent his childhood in the historic Shizi Street area south of Chengjiang Gate. His hometown was a picturesque water town characterized by ancient bridges, tree-lined canals, and traditional architecture that reflected China’s rich cultural heritage.

After completing primary school with distinction, Wang attended Zhengcun Middle School, a progressive institution established in 1924 by Zhu Danqing, a respected local scholar who had left government service to return to his hometown. The school embraced the principles of China’s New Culture Movement, which emphasized intellectual development, cultural preservation, and educational excellence. Zhengcun Middle School was known for its rigorous academic standards and commitment to developing talented students.

Following his secondary education, Wang pursued pharmaceutical studies at Jiangyin Gospel Hospital for two years. This initial experience in clinical medicine strengthened his determination to advance his medical training. In 1941, he was admitted to the prestigious St. John’s University Medical School in Shanghai, which was renowned for its demanding academic programs and modern facilities. During his time at St. John’s, Wang immersed himself in medical studies while gaining practical clinical experience, developing the professional philosophy that would guide his career. He graduated in 1945 with both Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science degrees.

After completing his education, Wang joined the National Central Hospital in Nanjing. Between September 1945 and December 1948, he progressed through several positions, serving first as a surgical resident, then specializing in thoracic surgery, and finally becoming chief resident. During this formative period, he gained extensive clinical experience and mastered advanced surgical techniques. Notably, he had the opportunity to work with Dr. Leo Eloesser, an eminent thoracic surgery specialist sent to China by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). Dr. Eloesser’s guidance proved invaluable to Wang’s professional development, establishing the groundwork for his distinguished career in thoracic surgery.

Pioneering Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in China

Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the nation’s medical field entered a new era of development, yet thoracic and cardiovascular surgery remained largely unexplored territory. Recognizing this critical gap, Dr. Wang dedicated his advanced expertise to advancing surgical practice within China. He joined Shanghai’s Renji Hospital, where he founded and led the institution’s first dedicated thoracic and cardiovascular surgery programs. Under his direction, the hospital successfully performed numerous complex procedures, establishing the foundation for the field’s development across China.

Over the subsequent five decades, Dr. Wang remained at the forefront of clinical practice, medical education, and research. He relentlessly pursued innovation, often treating the hospital as his second home. Skillfully integrating international advancements with China’s specific healthcare needs, he championed medical self-sufficiency and pioneered approaches that synergized traditional Chinese medicine with Western techniques, creating a uniquely adapted path for surgical progress.

In the early 1950s, during China’s postwar reconstruction and societal transformation, Dr. Wang’s visionary initiatives opened new frontiers in medical research. His groundbreaking investigations into the etiological factors of esophageal and cardiac cancer made seminal contributions to Chinese medicine.

Leading more than 200 students from Shanghai Second Medical University, Dr. Wang conducted extensive field studies across China. Focusing on industrial workplaces—environments with significant occupational health hazards—his team performed detailed on-site surveys and physical examinations on thousands of workers. They identified numerous early-stage cases of esophageal and cardiac cancer, providing invaluable data for early diagnosis that garnered nationwide recognition.

At the Second National Symposium on Esophageal Cancer in 1955, Dr. Wang presented findings from this landmark early-diagnosis initiative. He detailed his team’s discoveries regarding symptoms, examination methodologies, and early detection patterns, earning high acclaim from peers and providing critical theoretical and practical guidance for national screening programs.

As his esophageal cancer research deepened, Dr. Wang turned his attention to surgical treatments for tracheobronchial stenosis. In 1956, following extensive animal experimentation, he achieved a breakthrough by successfully performing end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea and bronchi, alleviating life-threatening complications caused by airway obstruction.

Concurrently, Dr. Wang advanced thymectomy as a treatment for myasthenia gravis. His work yielded significant results domestically and attracted international interest, offering new hope to patients through this surgical intervention.

In cardiac surgery, Dr. Wang’s contributions were equally transformative. He pioneered research into hypothermic anesthesia and open-heart surgery utilizing extracorporeal circulation, progressing from animal trials to clinical application. His team’s rigorous experimentation established the foundation for modern cardiac surgery in China. Subsequent achievements in myocardial protection and artificial heart valve testing instrumentation further standardized and modernized the field.

In the early 1960s, Dr. Wang ventured into biomedical engineering, spearheading research on domestically produced artificial heart valves. Amid China’s rapid social changes and healthcare challenges, he recognized that developing indigenous medical devices would enhance national capabilities while conserving foreign exchange reserves.

After relentless research, Dr. Wang’s team introduced mechanical and bioprosthetic valves into clinical practice in the late 1970s. His self-engineered bovine pericardial valves—used to replace diseased heart valves—treated over 500 patients. This innovation was implemented across 17 hospitals in 14 provinces, conserving substantial foreign currency and alleviating pressure on scarce medical resources.

On April 19, 1972, Dr. Wang participated in a landmark open-heart surgery performed under acupuncture anesthesia. This breakthrough marked a new era for Chinese cardiac surgery, challenging conventional anesthesia methods and enabling complex procedures. The achievement caused a sensation domestically and soon attracted interest from Europe and the Americas.

Dr. Wang introduced this technique globally from 1973, presenting it at international conferences in Latin America, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan, earning widespread acclaim. At the 1974 Spring Canton Fair, the innovation was showcased for two months, attracting delegations from over 20 countries to observe surgeries at Renji Hospital.

As his influence grew, Dr. Wang established China’s first intensive care unit (ICU) in 1974. Following a year of preparation, the ICU opened under his leadership. He advanced critical care research, authored foundational texts, and hosted nine training programs for over 800 professionals nationwide, propelling the modernization of hospital care.

In the post-Cultural Revolution 1980s, Dr. Wang’s research entered a new phase with significant progress in pulsatile extracorporeal circulation. In 1982, he co-authored “Clinical Application of Pulsatile Extracorporeal Circulation” with Ye Chunxiu, Feng Zhuorong, Zhu Hongsheng, and Jiang Bangyu. This seminal work, the first systematic study of the technique in cardiac surgery, resonated throughout the medical community, elevating China’s standing in extracorporeal circulation research.

Pulsatile extracorporeal circulation provided more stable hemodynamic support during surgery, addressing limitations of traditional methods. Dr. Wang’s team demonstrated its efficacy in reducing complications through meticulous clinical analysis, capturing the attention of cardiac surgeons nationwide.

In 1986, Dr. Wang collaborated with Gu Yanji, Ye Chunxiu, Xu Yiping, and Zhang Hailing on “Activation and Consumption of Complement C3 and C4 During Open-Heart Surgery with Extracorporeal Circulation.” This study revealed critical insights into complement system dynamics during surgery, offering new perspectives on physiological mechanisms and strategies to minimize postoperative complications.

Recognizing the need for foundational theory in extracorporeal circulation, Dr. Wang authored “Advances in Extracorporeal Circulation” (1988) and “New Developments and Prospects in Extracorporeal Circulation” (1988). These works synthesized global progress and future directions, becoming essential references and fostering international collaboration.

Under Dr. Wang’s guidance, his team emerged as a leading force in extracorporeal circulation. They drove technological innovation, engaged in global academic exchange, and established China as a key contributor to international cardiac surgery through presentations and collaborative research worldwide.

Cultivating Talent and a Legacy in Education

Dr. Wang earned universal respect in academic and teaching circles for his rigorous scholarship and meticulous approach. Even during China’s Cultural Revolution—a period of profound social upheaval—he remained steadfast in his commitment to medical education.

He recognized that while political ideologies shifted, medical knowledge remained fundamental to human life. His perseverance preserved the integrity of medical training and upheld his responsibility to students and patients. Amidst adversity, he continued compiling textbooks and mentoring international students, including those from Albania. This dedication earned profound admiration and helped safeguard China’s medical heritage.

Dr. Wang’s educational philosophy transcended traditional lectures. He mentored students with genuine care, nurturing their potential and inspiring courage throughout their medical journeys. As an exceptional educator, he invested deeply in teaching, understanding that medical progress depended entirely on new generations.

His scholarly contributions were remarkable. He authored seminal works including Cardiopulmonary Intensive Care, Clinical Practice in Critical Care, and Practical Therapeutics in Intensive Care—texts that became cornerstones of critical care medicine. He also contributed to Huang Jiasi’s authoritative Surgery. Dr. Wang published over 180 papers, 71 as first author, in leading domestic and international journals.

In medical engineering innovation, Dr. Wang’s achievements were equally distinguished. His co-inventions, including the Shanghai Type II Artificial Heart-Lung Machine and the Extracorporeal Circulation Assist Counterpulsation Device, earned numerous awards. These innovations advanced cardiac surgery techniques and transformed patient outcomes.

Honored as a Shanghai Municipal Advanced Science and Technology Worker, a National Expert with Outstanding Contributions to Medicine, and one of China’s first doctoral supervisors, Dr. Wang mentored six doctoral and eight master’s students. Over ten of his protégés studied abroad before returning to leadership positions, making significant contributions to medicine.

Dr. Wang emphasized both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. He organized academic exchanges to advance thoracic surgery across East China and collaborated with hospitals nationwide to establish specialized centers, improving regional access to quality care.

His passion for teaching and research never waned. With unwavering dedication, he explored medical frontiers, continually enriching China’s medical landscape.

Healing the Sick—A Doctor’s Calling

For sixty years, Dr. Wang’s integrity and medical ethics profoundly influenced all who knew him.

Throughout his career, he regarded “healing the sick and saving the dying” as his sacred duty. He treated every patient with meticulous care, never allowing workload to compromise attention. In an era when cardiac surgery was centralized in cities like Shanghai, patients from remote regions faced long waits. Dr. Wang responded by performing three or four surgeries daily, deeply empathizing with their hardship and striving to alleviate their suffering.

He often said, “It’s not easy for out-of-town patients. They want surgery sooner to return home. We must prioritize their urgency.” His words reflected profound compassion. For financially strained patients, he minimized costs by carefully optimizing medications and tests, ensuring quality care without unnecessary expenses. During examinations, he warmed his hands and stethoscope before touching patients, treating them with the care he would give family.

Dr. Wang’s devotion to research approached selflessness. While developing a bronchoscope, he tested prototypes on family members—an accepted practice at the time—unintentionally causing tuberculosis infections. To break foreign monopolies on heart valves, he worked relentlessly, neglecting food and sleep for months, driven by the vision of better treatments for future patients.

His medical ethics stemmed from deep empathy for patients and love for medicine. He taught young doctors: “Patients are living textbooks. Treat them well—you’ll learn what books cannot teach, broadening your perspective.” He believed a surgeon must be both a skilled technician and an artist, viewing operations as creative acts requiring aesthetic sensibility.

Moreover, Dr. Wang advocated that surgeons master internal medicine, physiology, and pathology to treat patients holistically. A doctor’s role extended beyond curing illness to offering care and encouragement, helping patients regain health and reintegrate into society. This patient-centered philosophy epitomized his noble ethics and humanistic spirit.

Dr. Wang tirelessly helped hospitals nationwide establish thoracic surgery programs, particularly across East China. Through academic exchanges, he advanced regional medical centers, cultivated talent, and enabled local access to high-quality care.

In 2009, Dr. Wang passed away in his eighties. The field of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery lost a visionary leader and selfless exemplar. Yet his story and legacy endure, inspiring generations of medical professionals to pursue excellence and carry forward his mission.

Editor: 
Chen Qing @ ShanghaiDoctor.cn

Note: Chinese Sources from “The Path of Benevolent Medicine” which was published in 2024. It records 90 important medical figures in the history of Renji Hospital. Yewen Renyi (ShanghaiDoctor.cn) team was one of the major writers of the book and is authorized by Renji hospital to create English version on the website of ShanghaiDoctor.cn