Cui Xingang, MD, PhD

Introduction

Doctor Cui Xingang, MD, PhD, is a leading urologic surgeon, scholar, and educator in China. He currently serves as Director of the Department of Urology at Xinhua Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, where he is also a Professor, Chief Physician, and Doctoral Supervisor.

Known for his calm precision in the operating room and his long-term commitment to patient-centered care, Professor Cui has dedicated his career to advancing minimally invasive and kidney-sparing surgery, particularly in the treatment of renal and prostate cancers.

For him, medicine is not merely a profession—it is a lifelong discipline grounded in rigor, responsibility, and restraint.

Professional Background

Doctor Cui holds numerous leadership roles in national academic organizations, including the Chinese Urological Association, the Chinese Association of Endoscopic Surgeons, and several multidisciplinary medical committees. He also serves as an Executive Editorial Board Member of the Chinese Journal of Urology.

He has published over 60 SCI-indexed papers as first or corresponding author, led four National Natural Science Foundation projects, overseen 17 major research programs, and holds 15 medical patents. His academic work has been widely cited both domestically and internationally.

Clinically, he specializes in urologic oncology, with particular expertise in laparoscopic and robotic surgery for complex kidney and prostate tumors. He has conducted more than 100 live surgical demonstrations at major international and national conferences throughout Asia.

1. Living in the Present: A Surgeon’s Philosophy

Many people view life as a straight line—measured by past regrets or future expectations.

Doctor Cui sees it differently.

“Life is not linear,” he says. “It is a collection of moments—each one independent, complete, and irreversible. The present moment is not a bridge to something better; it is already the best moment we have.”

In his view, constantly revisiting the past or worrying about the future leads only to hesitation and wasted time. Medicine, like life, demands full attention to the present—especially when a patient’s life is at stake.

“Success is expected in surgery,” he says quietly. “Failure, however, may cost a life.”

That understanding, he explains, has shaped his approach since his earliest medical training.

2. Early Training and Military Discipline

In 1994, Cui Xingang traveled from Harbin to Shanghai to begin his medical education at the Second Military Medical University. The journey marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to medicine.

“I wanted to become a doctor from a young age,” he recalls. “Military medicine added something more—a sense of duty and responsibility to the nation and to others.”

Life at the military medical university was defined by discipline and precision. Early mornings, strict schedules, and uncompromising standards shaped not only his habits but also his character.

“The discipline stayed with me,” he says. “Listening carefully, following protocols, and taking responsibility became instinctive.”

After graduating in 1999, he was admitted directly into postgraduate training, later completing a combined master’s and doctoral program. Among many high-achieving graduates, he was selected to remain at Changhai Hospital, one of China’s leading military hospitals, to join its Department of Urology.

3. Choosing the Harder Path

At the time, orthopedics and neurosurgery were considered more prestigious specialties. Urology, however, was beginning to shift toward minimally invasive surgery, and its future potential caught Cui’s attention.

“Minimally invasive surgery was clearly the future,” he explains. “And urology demands precision, patience, and fine motor control—it suited me.”

The department was young, motivated, and open to innovation. Under the mentorship of senior surgeons, Cui and his colleagues pushed boundaries, developing new techniques and refining complex procedures.

In 2005, he participated in one of China’s earliest laparoscopic radical cystectomies with orthotopic neobladder reconstruction, a procedure that lasted more than 12 hours and had little domestic precedent.

“At the time, we had almost no references,” he says. “We relied on preparation, teamwork, and persistence.”

Looking back, he considers the early adoption of minimally invasive surgery a decisive and wise choice.

4. Innovation Through Persistence

Between 2006 and 2009, the department became a national leader in laparoscopic urologic surgery. It reported some of China’s largest case series, pioneered kidney-sparing procedures, and explored single-port laparoscopic prostate surgery, earning major military medical awards.

“There was no established road ahead,” Cui reflects. “So we made one.”

For him, innovation has never been about novelty for its own sake.

“Innovation is not the goal,” he emphasizes. “Healing patients is.”

5. Starting Over—By Choice

In 2015, Doctor Cui faced a major career decision. He was invited to leave a well-established department and build a new urology service from scratch at Eastern Hepatobiliary Hospital.

He spent days weighing the risks.

“I am cautious by nature,” he says. “I think carefully before every major decision.”

Ultimately, he chose challenge over comfort.

“I was still young enough,” he recalls. “And meaningful growth rarely comes without difficulty.”

Over the next six years, he built a cohesive, high-performing team, integrating clinical excellence with academic development. The department became one of the hospital’s top surgical units and secured 34 competitive research grants.

In August, he accepted a new appointment as Director of Urology at Xinhua Hospital, determined to build on its long-standing academic foundation.

“Our responsibility,” he says, “is to provide each patient with the most appropriate treatment—and to perform every surgery with absolute integrity.”

6. Kidney-Sparing Surgery: Preserving Life and Dignity

Among urologic malignancies—kidney, prostate, and bladder cancer—Doctor Cui’s primary focus has been renal tumors, particularly kidney preservation.

In the past, removing the entire kidney was standard practice. For patients with tumors in both kidneys, dialysis was often unavoidable.

Doctor Cui and his team have pioneered techniques that allow complete tumor removal while preserving renal function, even in patients with a single kidney.

Key contributions include:

    -Precision resection using 3D reconstruction and 3D printing

    -Ultra-short ischemia times, critical for preserving renal function

    -The original “2+1 suturing technique,” now included in authoritative  urology textbooks

    -New kidney-sparing concepts cited in European renal cancer guidelines for four consecutive years

Many patients are able to leave the hospital within three days, with complication rates significantly lower than those reported in the literature.

“For us,” Cui says, “keeping the patient alive is not enough. They must live well—and with dignity.”

7. Precision as a Form of Respect

In one particularly complex case, Doctor Cui completed tumor excision and suturing in seven minutes—a process that once took seven hours earlier in his career.

“Speed is never the objective,” he explains. “It is the result of eliminating every unnecessary movement.”

He studies surgical recordings meticulously, refining technique until each motion is deliberate and essential.

A senior colleague once commented, half-jokingly, “Watching Doctor Cui operate, you almost don’t need a robot.”

For Cui, the remark reflected recognition not of speed, but of mastery.

8. Teaching and Leadership

As a doctoral supervisor, Doctor Cui emphasizes attitude over talent.

“If someone has 60 percent ability but gives 70 percent effort, that deserves encouragement,” he says. “Effort and responsibility matter more than innate skill.”

He believes young physicians should focus on commitment rather than immediate results.

“Progress comes from accumulation,” he notes. “Every effort prepares you for the next success.”

Looking Forward

Despite his achievements, Doctor Cui remains grounded.

“Medicine demands rigor,” he says. “You can never be too careful when a life is entrusted to you.”

Asked whether he would choose the same path again, his answer is immediate.

“Yes.”

With quiet confidence, he describes his current stage of life with a line from classical literature:

The road ahead remains long and difficult—
yet now, I walk it anew.

“How can the water remain so clear?”
By staying true to its source.

For Doctor Cui Xingang, clarity comes from unwavering purpose, disciplined practice, and an unchanging commitment to patients. In medicine, as in life, when intention is pure and effort is sustained, everything arrives in its own time.

Editor: Chen Qing @ ShanghaiDoctor.cn

If you need to contact to Doctor Cui, please be free to email us at Chenqing@ShanghaiDoctor.cn