The Department of Neurosurgery at Xijing Hospital was started as one of the earliest established neurosurgical department in china more than 50 years ago with a strong commitment to patient care, education and research. With great efforts of generations on the spirit of self-reliance, hardship-bearing, hard-working for the prosperity and heights-scaling, the department has emerged as one of the country's top. It was ratified by the State Council as the first ones conferring master's and doctor's degree in 1981 and 1986 respectively, later qualified as post doctoral research institute in 1995, and key discipline sponsored by "211 Project" since 1996, with appointed professors by Changjiang Award Program since 1999. It has functioned as the Neurosurgical Institute of Chinese PLA since 1999, then was entitled as key medical research institute of Chinses PLA in 2000 and one of the first three national key specialties of neurosurgery in 2001. Meanwhile, the Chinese Journal of Neurosurgical Disease Research, which has been sponsored by the department since 2003, has become the most influential Chinese magazine in the field of neuroscience and psychology. As the leading department, it was built into Xijing Institute of Clinical Neuroscience (Xijing Brain Hospital) which incorporates the Department of Neurological diseases and the Department of Psychological-related diseases as well in 2006, with the director of Neurosurgical Deparment being as the hospital superintendent.
The department has 4 in-patient wards containing 150 beds, with a specialized Neuro Intensive Care Unit (NICU) containing 22 beds in additional. Moreover, it has 6 specialized operating rooms and anesthesia system accordingly. The annual out-patient visits are over 20,000 and the number of hospitalization is about 3,000. More than 2,500 cases of surgery were performed annually with a world class leading standard.
The department has 117 staff members, of whom 13 are professors and associate professors, including some well-known experts who enjoy high reputations due to their pioneering work. The surgeons and researchers perform unique and highly independent innovational research for improving both scientific status and clinical outcomes. They have made notable progress in the fields such as "fundamental and clinical studies on craniocerebral trauma", "studies in pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of CNS tumors", "research of neural stem cell", "stereotactic and functional neurosurgery" and "micro-invasive surgery and interventional treatment for cerebrovascular disorders".
The affiliated neurosurgical laboratory covers an area of 1,100 square meters, equipped with instruments valuing RMB16.2 million. The department has undertaken 24 research projects in recent five years, among which 9 were granted by the National Natural Science Fund of China, with the total budget amounting to RMB 5705 thousand.
The scientific research of the department has been quite fruitful, winning 5 prizes (1st and 2nd) of scientific and technological achievement awards from inside and outside the army, with additional 10 progresses patented in China. Besides, the department has published 4 books and 329 scientific articles, of which 30 was included by SCI.
