Zhang Chunlin of the Tenth People’s Hospital: A Gentle and Rigid Approach to Get Malignant Bone Tumor Patients Back on Their Feet
”Do you know? The treatment method of malignant bone tumor is like ‘sandwich cake’. The middle layer of the filling is surgery, the upper layer of the pastry is preoperative chemotherapy, and the lower layer of the pastry is postoperative chemotherapy again, this is called ‘three-layer sandwich cake therapy’. Of course, if the lower layer of the sandwich cake is a combination of radiation and chemotherapy, this is ‘two-layer sandwich cake therapy’.”
Zhang Chunlin, director of the Department of Bone Oncology of Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital affiliated to Tongji University (hereinafter referred to as “Tenth Hospital”), described in detail while drawing a vivid analogy. “Your analogy is just right.” Seeing the author’s smile, Zhang Chunlin came back to his senses, “Life is to live out the philosophy.”
In the course of a relaxed exchange, it is difficult to imagine that as an orthopedic surgeon, Zhang Chunlin, when faced with a malignant bone tumor patient who had to be amputated, his inner pressure and the burden of treatment, yet he behaved lightly, “the emotions of doctors are always deeply hidden in the heart, in front of patients, we are a warm harbor they can trust and rely on. “
A discipline that draws on the strengths of others
Talking about the reason for choosing “ten hospitals” bone oncology department, Zhang Chunlin laughed and said, “This may be the arrangement of fate.” In 2013, Zhang Chunlin came to the Department of Orthopedics of the Tenth Hospital due to “talent introduction”, which added more firewood to this discipline that was still in a “constant temperature” state. “Seeing the people living in the north of Shanghai running around for medical treatment, I wanted to bring my skills here and become their choice for medical treatment nearby.”
So, Zhang Chunlin and doctors from different hospitals with different medical skills converged on the new soil of “Ten Hospitals”, and each played their own strengths to promote the growth of the discipline, and the bone oncology department of “Ten Hospitals” has thus gained the development of a combination of the strengths of all. The Department of Orthopaedic Oncology of “Ten Hospitals” has thus achieved a development that combines the strengths of all.
Under the leadership of Zhang Chunlin, the bone and soft tissue tumor ward of “Tenth Hospital” has been developing for many years, and has been engaged in surgical resection and reconstruction of various benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors, comprehensive treatment of malignant bone tumors and metastatic bone tumors, initial replacement and revision of various artificial joints, especially in the surgical treatment of giant pelvic and sacral tumors and complex artificial joint replacement. We have formed distinctive features in the surgical treatment of giant pelvic and sacral tumors and complex artificial joint replacement, and our annual surgical volume of nearly 1,000 cases, the number of cases and clinical efficacy have all reached the international advanced level.
At the same time, the hospital has put a lot of thought into the construction of the wards in order to provide patients with a good hospital environment and give them plenty of sunshine and warmth. “We have reserved all the rooms on the south side for patients, and the offices of our director and medical staff have been moved to the north.” Zhang Chunlin smiled and said, “I hope the sunlight outside the window can shine into the patients’ hearts.”
In the daily outpatient clinic, Zhang Chunlin always feels heartbroken when he sees that malignant bone tumor, a persistent disease, brings unspeakable pain to patients. But what makes him even more heartbroken is that osteosarcoma (one of the primary malignant bone tumors) is mainly concentrated in adolescents between the ages of 10 and 20, and the vigorous growth period tends to aggravate the mutation of normal cells in their bodies.
Seeing the residential area near the “Ten Hospitals”, Chunlin Zhang often thought about how to provide more professional, high-quality and convenient treatment services for the people. Therefore, the idea of building a high-quality treatment team is always brewing in Zhang Chunlin’s mind, and the improvement of the surgical approach for patients with malignant bone tumors has become the top priority of Zhang Chunlin’s work.
Rigid and flexible surgery rules
Recently, in the “Focus on Surgery – New Advances in Limb Preservation and Functional Reconstruction of Bone Tumors Summit Forum” co-organized by Shanghai Bone Tumor Group and Ten Hospitals, Zhang Chunlin, together with orthopedic surgeons from all over China, gave lectures and discussed difficult cases around specific cases of bone tumors. In the “Focus on Surgery – New Advances in Limb Preservation and Functional Reconstruction of Bone Tumors” forum, Zhang Chunlin collaborated with orthopedic surgeons from all over China to give lectures and discuss difficult cases. “We listen to the voice of wisdom and work together to promote the development of bone tumor in China, so as to provide better services for patients.”
Zhang Chunlin often says that for patients with malignant bone tumors, when they have to be amputated, preserving life is more important than preserving limbs; in the case of preserving limbs, functional reconstruction after limb preservation becomes more important. The limb preservation rate of more than 90% for malignant bone tumor patients has become an unspoken agreement between Zhang Chunlin and his patients.
Seven years ago, a 16-year-old high school student from Zhejiang Province, Xiao Li, was diagnosed by Zhang Chunlin with osteosarcoma of the distal femur. Faced with the sudden illness, Xiao Li, who was preparing for his college entrance exams at the time, was at a loss for words. “Don’t worry, you are not alone, I am with you!” Zhang’s tireless encouragement helped Li slowly overcome her fear of osteosarcoma. Thinking about that time, Zhang Chunlin was very emotional, “It is said that life is incomplete without college entrance exams, I must restore his lower limb function in the shortest possible time, so that he can successfully walk into the college entrance exams and go to a bright future!”
With many years of experience in treatment, Zhang Chunlin quickly developed a customized surgical plan for Xiao Li. After two courses of pre-operative chemotherapy, Zhang Chunlin performed the artificial joint prosthesis replacement surgery for Xiao Li, and after the successful surgery, Zhang Chunlin administered post-operative standardized chemotherapy for Xiao Li.
”It is said that when God closes a door for you, he opens a window for you at the same time,” Zhang Chunlin said gratefully. “Although Xiao Li suffered the trials and tribulations of the disease at a critical moment in his life, the success of the surgery gave him a new appreciation for life.” After overcoming the pressure of catching up with his studies after months of suspension, Li eventually enrolled in his ideal university and became a strong player on the school’s badminton team.
Last year, Zhang Chunlin came to Xiaoli’s home for a follow-up visit, and when he saw Xiaoli’s sunny smile, walking freely, and when he learned that Xiaoli’s tumor had not recurred after surgery, Zhang’s heart was filled with joy. “You are not alone, I am with you!” This is not just a simple encouragement, this is a commitment, a kind-hearted doctor should have the role.
Zhang Chunlin told the author, because the malignant tumor on the limb mostly occurs in the vicinity of the joint, complete removal of the tumor often leaves a large bone defect, through artificial joint replacement, can be tailored to the patient with the patient’s bone defect length of the artificial prosthesis model, so that the patient retains joint function, supplemented by post-operative functional exercise can preserve the patient’s good limb function.
The material of artificial prosthesis is mostly alloy metal, how to implant the hard steel plate into the tender skin, so as to perfectly articulate with the joint, which is very testing, which not only requires the hospital to have high, sophisticated, sophisticated surgical equipment, but also requires the doctor to have a decade of experience in surgery.
”In addition to the implantation of artificial prosthesis, sometimes we also choose the fibula on the calf as the autologous bone for implantation, and the fibula is often connected to the blood vessels after it is cut down, so we must use the microsurgery techniques to connect the blood vessels of the scarlet artery and vein; we also must have the orthopedic trauma techniques to be able to put plates and screws on the patients. ” In Zhang Chunlin’s mind, only with a comprehensive understanding of multidisciplinary expertise and proficiency in various orthopedic surgical approaches, can we continuously improve our surgical procedures according to individual patient requirements, thus creating a miracle for more patients with malignant bone tumors to stand again.