On June 19, 2025, at the invitation of Professor Zhang Guangjian, Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), Professor Masaaki Sato, Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Tokyo Hospital and a globally renowned expert in lung transplantation, visited the hospital for academic exchanges focused on the current status of lung transplantation in Japan, as well as the treatment of complex pulmonary tumors and minimally invasive surgical techniques. The session was chaired by Professor Zhang Guangjian.
At the Welcome Ceremony, Vice President Han Jianfeng delivered a welcome speech. He noted that the FAH of XJTU is currently at a critical stage in the development of its National Medical Center. In this context, international exchanges and collaboration are essential for the hospital’s future growth. In recent years, the Department of Thoracic Surgery has made continuous breakthroughs in the development of its lung transplantation subspecialty, and there is an urgent need for in-deepth collaboration with leading global experts. Professor Sato’s visit, Han emphasized, marks a valuable opportunity to establish a long-term cooperative relationship between the two institutions. Following his remarks, Vice President Han presented Professor Masaaki Sato with a certificate of appointment as a visiting professor, pinned the hospital emblem on him, and offered a commemorative gift.
During the academic discussion session, participants conducted an international multidisciplinary consultation focusing on two complex clinical cases. Dr. Wang Hongyi from the Department of Thoracic Surgery presented the cases. For one patient with lung cancer, in-depth discussions on diagnostic and treatment strategies were conducted by a team of multidisciplinary experts, such as Dr. Zhang Jian, President of Xi’an Fourth Hospital Chest Hospital, along with specialists from the Departments of Medical Imaging, Medical Oncology, Pathology, Pulmonary Medicine, and Radiation Oncology of the FAH of XJTU. For the other case involving right pulmonary artery agenesis, Professor Shi Tao from the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and other experts offered their professional recommendations on management strategies.
Following the case discussions, Professor Masaaki Sato provided an overview of the development of lung transplantation in Japan, highlighting the strategies and experience that have contributed to the country’s high post-transplant survival rates. He also focused on sharing the clinical application and outcomes of a novel minimally invasive thoracic surgical technique developed by his team—VAL-MAP (Virtual Assisted Lung Mapping).
Professor Masaaki Sato also visited the hospital’s biobank, where he was introduced to its developmental history, organizational structure, and management system. He was also briefed on the progress of the “Lung Transplantation Climbing Initiative”.
