Lan Xichun (1907–1995) was a first-grade professor of surgery and former Director of the Department of Surgery at Renji Hospital. He was a renowned Chinese expert in general surgery and cardiovascular surgery, and a pioneering figure in the development of both fields in China.

Introduction

    He was a devoted physician, a thoughtful teacher, a true pioneer, and a master of his craft—dedicating his life to advancing the fields of general and cardiac surgery in China.

    His approach to medicine was simple yet profound:
    “Behind every patient stands a family. Treat each one as if they were your own.”

    This deep sense of responsibility drove his lifelong pursuit of clinical excellence and built an enduring bond of trust between doctor and patient.

    His life’s work reflects the very essence of what it means to heal—with skill, humility, and heart.

1. Roots of a Healer: From Rural Shanxi to Medical School Dreams

    Dongwuzhuang Village in Hejin, Shanxi Province—320 kilometers from the provincial capital of Taiyuan—was once an unassuming rural town. But it gave rise to one of China’s most esteemed pioneers in cardiac surgery: Dr. Lan Xichun.

    In 1924, after graduating from Shanxi Provincial First High School, Lan enrolled at the Anglican-run Shun Shih School to improve his English, with the goal of one day entering medical school.

    A year later, in August 1925, after a grueling period of preparation, Lan ranked first in the Taiyuan examination district and was admitted to the prestigious Cheeloo University School of Medicine in Jinan, Shandong Province. He was awarded a full scholarship. Known for its rigorous academic standards and demanding admissions process, Cheeloo was not a place for the faint of heart—those who did not meet expectations were quickly eliminated.

    In 1933, after eight years of focused study, Lan earned his medical doctorate. Out of the 72 students who had enrolled with him, only nine successfully graduated. He then began his medical career in internal medicine at the university’s affiliated hospital.

    At the time, Shanghai was considered the most advanced center for Western medicine in China. Introduced by colleagues, Lan moved south in November 1933 to join Renji Hospital, one of the leading medical institutions in Shanghai. Though initially assigned to the internal medicine department and well-regarded by the hospital leadership, Lan’s true passion lay in surgery. Through persistent effort, he eventually transferred to the surgical department, where he found his true calling.

    From 1934 to 1935, he served as a surgeon at both Renji Hospital and the Lister Institute of Medical Research in Shanghai. During this time, he was also named a lifelong member of the Chinese Medical Association—a rare honor.

    In 1938, driven by a desire to refine his surgical expertise, Lan made the bold decision to study abroad. Supported by a scholarship from the Lister Institute, he embarked on a journey to the University of Liverpool School of Medicine in the United Kingdom.

    On his way to London, a small anecdote about him began circulating—a story that soon became part of the lore surrounding this soft-spoken but determined young doctor.

2. Crossing Oceans, Saving Lives: A Doctor Without Borders

    On August 12, 1938, Dr. Lan Xichun boarded a passenger liner bound for London. The voyage took him through Singapore and Colombo, and into the turbulent waters of the Arabian Sea. As the ship rocked violently amid heavy waves, many passengers fell ill from seasickness. Suddenly, a senior British engineer on board experienced acute abdominal pain—his condition rapidly deteriorated.

    The ship’s captain, having noted Lan’s profession on the passenger manifest, personally approached him for help. After a careful examination, Lan diagnosed the man with perforated acute appendicitis complicated by peritonitis—a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate surgery.

    Despite suffering from seasickness himself, Lan agreed to operate. With only the most basic surgical tools on board—a scalpel, a few vascular clamps, and two curved needles—he stabilized the makeshift operating table with his own body as the ship lurched at sea. An elderly ship doctor administered ether anesthesia, assisted by a British nurse. Against all odds, Lan successfully performed an appendectomy and abdominal drainage, saving the engineer’s life.

    The operation left a deep impression on the passengers. One British woman, returning to London from Shanghai, was moved to tears. Upon arrival in London, she wrote an article titled “Chinese Doctor Saves British Engineer on Ocean Liner.” The story quickly spread, making headlines in both London and Shanghai newspapers.

    While studying at the University of Liverpool School of Medicine, Lan received intensive surgical training. He participated in daily clinical discussions and performed operations alongside British colleagues. His skills and professionalism earned high praise from his supervisors, who twice offered him positions to stay and work in the UK.

    But Lan hesitated.

    He remembered his earlier experiences as a medical student when he volunteered for an anti-Japanese medical rescue team. During Japan’s invasion of Rehe Province, he and his classmates rushed to the frontlines at Xifengkou and Gubeikou, working day and night to treat wounded soldiers. But after only ten days, the entire province had fallen. The loss was devastating—but it also strengthened Lan’s resolve to one day serve his homeland.

    And so, Lan respectfully declined his British mentors’ offers.

    In 1939, he returned to Renji Hospital in Shanghai. At that time, most of Shanghai—except for a few foreign concessions—was under Japanese occupation. Renji, located within the concession area, had not yet been directly targeted. Within this relative safety, Lan resumed his surgical practice and made significant innovations to various procedures, rapidly gaining reputation. During this period, he published two research papers: A Retrospective Analysis of Ruptured Spleens and an English-language case study titled Primary Carcinoma of the Gall Bladder.

    His surgical prowess became widely known, and colleagues often joked, “Lan’s patients come in horizontal, but leave standing upright.”

    But the war soon escalated.

    On December 6, 1941, the Pacific War broke out. The foreign concessions lost their protected status, and Japanese troops swiftly took control of Renji Hospital—first seizing the administration and pharmacy departments, and by February 1942, occupying the entire institution. In protest and to preserve their professional dignity, Lan and several other senior doctors resigned.

    Yet Lan did not stop resisting. He quietly transferred medical equipment and supplies to safer locations, helped organize covert treatment for wounded resistance fighters, and took part in underground efforts to support China’s war of resistance. He contributed not with weapons, but with knowledge, skill, and unyielding conviction.

    In the spring of 1943, Lan was invited by the director of Hongren Hospital to lead its surgical department. In addition to patient care, he took on the task of training young Chinese physicians, encouraging them to become well-rounded generalists before pursuing specialties. Under his leadership, Hongren’s surgical program flourished and earned widespread respect throughout Shanghai.

    Around the same time, he also began teaching clinical surgery at St. John’s University School of Medicine. With textbooks in short supply due to the war, Lan hand-wrote his own teaching materials, drawing anatomical sketches in chalk as he lectured. His classes were clear, concise, and deeply appreciated by students.

    In May 1949, Lan witnessed the liberation of Shanghai. He saw the People’s Liberation Army sleeping on the streets to avoid disturbing residents, strictly abiding by rules of discipline, paying for goods, and taking nothing from civilians. The experience left a lasting impression on him and gave him hope for the new China that was about to emerge.

3. Opening New Frontiers in Surgery: From Liver to Heart

    In October 1952, Dr. Lan Xichun took part in establishing Shanghai Second Medical College, where he was appointed Professor of Surgery, Director of the Second Department of the Medical Faculty, and Head of the Department of Surgical Teaching and Research. As a highly versatile physician, Lan was well-versed in both internal medicine and surgery. His rich clinical experience and diagnostic precision in complex cases contributed greatly to the academic and clinical foundations of the new college.

    Amidst his responsibilities in teaching and clinical work, Lan remained deeply engaged in medical research. He devoted much of his energy to exploring surgical solutions for portal hypertension, improving the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, advancing the treatment of biliary tract stones, and developing surgical techniques for mitral valve stenosis. His groundbreaking research in these areas significantly propelled the progress of Chinese surgical science, with particularly notable contributions to the emerging field of cardiovascular surgery.

    In the early 1950s, late-stage schistosomiasis posed a severe public health crisis across southern China. Many patients developed schistosomal liver cirrhosis, which led to dangerously high portal vein pressure. In response, Lan conducted pioneering studies on surgical treatments. In August 1952, he became the first in China to successfully perform a splenorenal venous anastomosis, effectively reducing portal pressure and saving critically ill patients from fatal bleeding. The procedure not only challenged the conventional reliance on ligation but also introduced a new suturing-based approach to vascular surgery. This achievement marked a turning point in China’s treatment of vascular diseases and was published in the Chinese Journal of Surgery, later reprinted in the Soviet Journal of Surgery and the Romanian Medical Journal.

    On February 9, 1954, Lan performed China’s first cardiac operation—a mitral commissurotomy—at Hongren Hospital. The surgery was a success; the patient was able to walk just five days after the procedure and was soon discharged in good health. The operation filled a major gap in the nation’s medical capabilities, drawing nationwide attention. To honor this breakthrough, the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Medical Association organized an academic conference attended by more than 2,000 medical professionals. Doctors from across the country gave him a standing ovation, recognizing the historical significance of his work. In January 1955, People’s Pictorial, published in 11 languages including Chinese, Russian, English, French, and Japanese, featured a full-page photo of Lan performing the surgery.

    Lan also made key contributions to the field of biliary surgery. Noting the unusually high recurrence rate of pigment-based biliary stones in Shanghai—particularly sandy, muddy gallstones—he identified the need for a more targeted approach. In early 1953, he became the first in China to perform a sphincterotomy of the sphincter of Oddi, which significantly improved treatment outcomes and reduced the need for repeated surgeries. This laid the groundwork for the development of modern biliary surgery in China.

    In October 1956, a cardiovascular research group was established at Shanghai Second Medical College, with Lan serving as its first team leader. The following year, in October 1957, the Shanghai Chest Hospital was founded, and Lan was appointed Vice President and Director of Cardiac Surgery. From that point on, he devoted himself to the advancement of cardiovascular surgery in China. He led and participated in the development of key surgical instruments, including mitral valve dilators, heart-lung machines, and artificial valves, which greatly improved the safety and success of heart operations. Through these innovations, Lan emerged as one of the primary pioneers and founding figures of Chinese cardiac surgery.

    To promote these advancements nationwide, Lan frequently traveled to lecture and demonstrate surgical techniques. During the summer of 1958, he spent four weeks giving lectures across Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. He also regularly presented academic reports and live surgical demonstrations in hospitals across the country, sharing his clinical insights and research findings with fellow surgeons and medical students.

    Lan’s contributions earned him wide recognition both at home and abroad. Representing China’s medical community, he visited the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, France, Sweden, Egypt, and Romania, participating in international medical conferences and sharing China’s progress in cardiovascular surgery and the surgical management of portal hypertension with the world.

4. Passing the Torch: Teaching, Writing, and Shaping Generations

    Dr. Lan Xichun was widely respected not only for his surgical skill but also for his gift as a teacher. His lectures were known for their clarity and precision—he had a unique ability to break down complex medical concepts and present them in simple, accessible language. When students or young doctors sought his guidance, he always responded with patience and care, offering thorough and thoughtful explanations.

    He was equally meticulous when it came to reviewing medical manuscripts. Whether assessing the core argument, selecting appropriate clinical cases, or correcting grammatical errors and punctuation, Lan gave each submission his full attention. His standards were exacting, and his feedback was both constructive and detailed.

    Over the years, Lan trained generations of cardiac surgeons. Many of his students went on to become leading experts in cardiovascular surgery both in China and abroad, carrying forward the knowledge and values they had learned from him.

    Between 1955 and 1985, Lan served as chief editor for some of China’s earliest and most authoritative surgical texts, including Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Cardiovascular Surgery. These works were foundational resources for the field. He also contributed to major national and international publications such as Surgery, the International Textbook of Cardiology, and the International Encyclopedia of Cardiovascular Surgery.

    His books were highly regarded by both students and professionals. Written in a style that combined eloquence with scientific rigor, Lan’s works featured logical reasoning, clear definitions, and carefully selected clinical data. He revised each manuscript extensively, verifying every case and fact with utmost diligence. His ability to synthesize clinical experience with scientific research allowed him to publish numerous influential papers that shaped the development of modern surgery in China.

    Even during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, when he faced unjust treatment and was stripped of all official positions, Lan remained unwavering in his commitment to medicine. Despite the hardship, he contributed to the writing of key national textbooks, including Pilot Edition of Surgery, Surgery for Shanghai Universities, and National Surgery Curriculum. Though no longer in a leadership role, he continued to put his patients first.

    There were times when he would receive emergency calls from the hospital in the middle of the night. He never hesitated—driven by his deep sense of duty, he would rush to the hospital to save lives, never thinking of the risks or consequences he might face. Upon returning home, exhausted and silent, he often had no energy left to speak. And yet, the words he repeated most were always the same:
“They survived. They survived.”

5. Legacy in Leadership: Reform, Innovation, and Global Exchange

    For Dr. Lan Xichun, July 12, 1978 marked a meaningful turning point. At the age of 71, he was appointed President of Shanghai Second Medical College.

    Under the guidance of the Party Committee, Lan devoted himself wholeheartedly to academic and educational restructuring at the college. Despite his advanced age, he poured his energy into revitalizing teaching and research. He personally visited teaching departments, listened to faculty feedback, and attended lectures to assess the quality of instruction. He emphasized educational excellence and advocated for the integration of mentorship into the training process—encouraging senior educators to pass on their knowledge, guide younger colleagues, and lead by example.

    One of Lan’s major contributions was his effort to reverse the growing trend of prioritizing research over teaching. He pushed for a balanced academic culture where both were valued. In reforming medical education, he innovated new teaching methods that combined clinical case studies with foundational theory. Through classroom discussions, he trained students to strengthen their theoretical grounding while developing sharp clinical reasoning. His integrated, problem-based approach gained traction across the college, paving the way for a new era in Chinese medical education.

    To ensure these reforms were effective, the college implemented three rounds of comprehensive examinations beginning in 1982, with strict retake policies. These measures helped enforce academic rigor and improve training outcomes.

    Lan also visited leading medical schools, including Zhejiang Medical University and Nanjing Medical University, to exchange ideas and form long-term partnerships. These collaborations accelerated improvements in both teaching and translational research.

    With his encouragement, the college established a biomedical engineering program and began training postgraduate students. That same year, Lan was appointed head of Shanghai’s Artificial Heart Research Group, and in 1982, he founded the Chinese Subcommittee for Biomedical Engineering, serving as its first chairman. He led national meetings and participated in the establishment of multiple research institutes.

    Lan devoted many years to the development of artificial heart technologies, pioneering the field in China. To further support this emerging discipline, he founded the Shanghai Institute of Biomedical Engineering, where he served as director and trained dozens of graduate students at the master’s and doctoral levels.

    During his presidency, Lan also actively promoted international academic exchange. From 1978 to 1982, the college invited 26 foreign experts to lecture on campus and sent 65 students abroad for advanced study. Faculty and researchers participated in 106 international conferences. Lan himself led delegations to Japan, the United States, France, and other countries. He helped establish institutional partnerships with institutions including Osaka Dental University (Japan), the University of Missouri–Kansas City (USA), Paris Descartes University (France), and the HOPE Foundation, laying the groundwork for a diverse and dynamic global academic network.

    In March 1984, Lan stepped down from his role as president and assumed an advisory position at the college. During his six-year tenure, he became the first president in the school’s history to hold a doctoral degree and introduced educational management practices that continue to shape the institution today.

    In the preface to My Medical Career, written by Lan himself, former university president Wang Yifei wrote:

    “This book is not only the honest record of a patriotic intellectual who devoted decades of service to his country, his people, and to humanity—it is also a vital chapter in the history of both Shanghai Second Medical College and the broader history of Chinese medicine. Lan Xichun is a founding figure of our university, a national authority in cardiac surgery, a teacher of countless aspiring physicians, and a scholar respected around the world.”

    On April 12, 1995, Dr. Lan Xichun passed away at the age of 88.

    He spent his life embodying deep compassion for his patients and unwavering loyalty to his profession. His motto—

    “Work with honesty, practice medicine with sincerity”—remains a guiding light for generations of physicians at Renji Hospital and beyond.

Editor: 
Chen Qing @ ShanghaiDoctor.cn
Li Yijing (An intern from Ohio State University) 

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 writer of the book and is authorized by Renji hospital to create English version on the website of ShanghaiDoctor.cn