Recently, the Department of Orthopedics at the Land Port Division of the First Affiliated Hospital (FAH) of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) successfully performed a minimally invasive procedure for a patient from Kazakhstan, definitively relieving years of recurrent low back pain.
The Kazakhstani patient had suffered from long-standing, relapsing low back pain that severely affected daily life and had not improved despite multiple treatments locally. Seeking minimally invasive surgical care, the patient came to China. With coordination by the government of Xi’an International Trade & Logistics Park, the case was referred to the Land Port Division. The patient completed entry and treatment formalities and was admitted on October 14 to the International Medical Department ’s ward for foreign patients at the Land Port Division.
After admission, the ward immediately activated the international diagnostic-and-treatment pathway and formed a medical-nursing team. For this case,
Director Yin Zhanhai and Deputy Director Du Heng of the Department of Orthopedics, along with Director Sui Jing from the international ward, conducted joint ward rounds with the medical-nursing team. Based on history-taking, a comprehensive physical examination, and MRI imaging examination, the patient’s low back and leg pain was attributed to lumbar disc herniation. Deputy Director Du Heng communicated with the patient multiple times and formulated a detailed, individualized minimally invasive plan, a transforaminal endoscopic surgery. With psychological counseling from the International Ward’s nursing team, the patient ultimately consented to surgery. Deputy Director Deng Bin and Deputy Head Nurse Zhang Lu from the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine conducted a preoperative visit to alleviate the patient’s preoperative tension and anxiety.
With close coordination from Deputy Directors Deng Bin and Wu Yue of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Deputy Director Du Heng successfully completed the transforaminal endoscopic surgery. Postoperatively, the nursing teams from the Department of Orthopedics and the International Medical Department delivered meticulous care for the patient: continuous monitoring of vital signs, a tailored rehabilitation plan, and detailed guidance on every step from dietary adjustment to rehabilitation training. Under the team’s attentive care, the patient recovered well, with marked relief of low back pain.
“The professionalism and dedication of Chinese doctors are truly admirable. Their superb skills freed me from years of pain and restored my confidence in life. The medical staff here are warm and thoughtful, and I felt the warmth of home in a foreign country.” The recovered Kazakhstani patient gave high praise to the diagnosis and treatment effect and service quality of the Department of Orthopedics at the Land Port Division.
