About Prof. Hou Tiesheng
Prof. Hou Tiesheng (侯铁胜) is Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, and one of China's foremost authorities on lumbar degenerative disease and minimally invasive spinal surgery, with a distinguished career at Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University) — one of China's premier military-affiliated academic medical centers and a nationally recognized center of excellence in spinal surgery. Prof. Hou is widely recognized as a pioneer of minimally invasive spinal surgery in China, having introduced, refined, and systematically taught endoscopic and tubular retractor-based spinal techniques at a time when open surgery was the dominant paradigm, and having trained a generation of Chinese spinal surgeons in the principles and practice of tissue-sparing spinal intervention.
Prof. Hou's clinical and academic career has been defined by a commitment to reducing the surgical burden on patients with lumbar degenerative disease — a condition that affects hundreds of millions of people in China and worldwide — through the application of minimally invasive techniques that achieve equivalent or superior decompression and stabilization outcomes compared to traditional open surgery, while dramatically reducing blood loss, hospital stay, postoperative pain, and recovery time. His work has been instrumental in establishing minimally invasive spinal surgery as a mainstream clinical option in China rather than a niche technique available only at a handful of specialized centers.
Clinically, Prof. Hou's expertise encompasses the full spectrum of lumbar degenerative disease, including lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis, degenerative lumbar scoliosis, and adjacent segment disease after prior lumbar fusion. He has particular expertise in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF), and the management of complex or recurrent lumbar disease in patients who have failed prior surgery or conservative treatment. He also maintains expertise in cervical spine disease and thoracolumbar pathology, providing comprehensive spinal care across all spinal levels.
Hospital Affiliation: Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University
Changzheng Hospital (长征医院), affiliated with Naval Medical University (formerly Second Military Medical University), is one of Shanghai's largest and most respected tertiary care hospitals and a national leader in spinal surgery, neurosurgery, and orthopedics. The Department of Orthopedics and Spinal Surgery at Changzheng Hospital is a national key clinical specialty, consistently ranked among the top three spinal surgery programs in China. The department manages one of the highest volumes of complex spinal cases in China annually and is a national training center for minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques, hosting surgeons from across China and internationally for fellowship training and surgical observation.
The hospital's minimally invasive spinal surgery program is supported by state-of-the-art endoscopic systems (including full-endoscopic uniportal and biportal techniques), intraoperative fluoroscopy and CT navigation, robotic-assisted spinal surgery platforms, and a multidisciplinary team integrating spinal surgery, pain management, rehabilitation medicine, and neurophysiology. The department has been the site of numerous national clinical trials evaluating minimally invasive versus open spinal surgery outcomes, and maintains active research collaborations with institutions in Germany, South Korea, and the United States — countries that have been at the forefront of endoscopic spinal surgery development.
Clinical Expertise
- Lumbar disc herniation — percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) via transforaminal and interlaminar approaches; tubular microdiscectomy; open discectomy for complex or recurrent cases; management of highly migrated or sequestered disc fragments; revision discectomy after failed prior surgery; disc herniation in elderly patients with significant comorbidities
- Lumbar spinal stenosis — endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD); minimally invasive laminectomy; open laminectomy and fusion for severe or multilevel stenosis; management of neurogenic claudication; decompression in elderly patients; assessment of the need for fusion versus decompression alone
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis — minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation; open TLIF and PLIF; lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF/XLIF) for appropriate cases; assessment of slip reduction versus in situ fusion; management of high-grade spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative lumbar scoliosis — evaluation of curve magnitude, sagittal balance, and symptom correlation; selective decompression for radiculopathy-dominant presentation; combined deformity correction and fusion for patients with significant sagittal imbalance or progressive deformity; minimally invasive approaches for appropriate candidates
- Adjacent segment disease — diagnosis and management of symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration after prior lumbar fusion; extension of fusion versus decompression alone; endoscopic options for adjacent level disc herniation
- Recurrent lumbar disc herniation — endoscopic and open revision discectomy; management of epidural fibrosis and scar tissue; assessment of the need for fusion at the time of revision surgery
- Cervical spine disease — cervical disc herniation; cervical spondylotic myelopathy; anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); posterior cervical foraminotomy; cervical laminoplasty
- Thoracolumbar fractures — percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for stable fractures; open reduction and fixation for unstable fractures; vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures
- Expert second opinion — review of MRI, CT, and clinical findings for patients with lumbar degenerative disease who have been recommended open surgery and wish to explore minimally invasive alternatives; written English-language second opinion reports available through CMCS
Academic Leadership & Research Contributions
Prof. Hou Tiesheng is one of China's most prolific researchers in minimally invasive spinal surgery and lumbar degenerative disease. He has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in Chinese and international journals, including contributions to Spine, European Spine Journal, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Pain Physician, and Chinese Medical Journal. His research has focused on the clinical outcomes and safety profile of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy compared to open microdiscectomy, the learning curve and complication profile of minimally invasive spinal fusion techniques, the biomechanical basis of adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion, and the role of sagittal balance correction in the surgical management of degenerative lumbar scoliosis.
Prof. Hou has served on the editorial boards of multiple Chinese spinal surgery journals and has been a principal investigator on national research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the military medical research system. He is a standing committee member of the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Group of the Chinese Orthopaedic Association (COA) and has been a faculty member and invited lecturer at the COA annual congress, the AO Spine Asia-Pacific congress, the Korean Spine Society meeting, and international endoscopic spine surgery workshops in Germany and South Korea. He has trained numerous spinal surgery fellows in minimally invasive techniques and is recognized as one of the leading educators in this field in China.
Prof. Hou has also contributed to the development of Chinese national clinical guidelines for minimally invasive spinal surgery and has been involved in the evaluation and introduction of new endoscopic spinal surgery platforms and instruments in China, working with industry partners to adapt international techniques to the specific needs and case mix of Chinese patients.
Why International Patients Choose Prof. Hou Tiesheng
For international patients with lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, or degenerative spondylolisthesis who have been recommended open spinal surgery in their home country but are seeking a minimally invasive alternative — or who want a second opinion from a surgeon with specific expertise in endoscopic and tissue-sparing spinal techniques — Prof. Hou's combination of pioneering experience, high case volume, and research-driven practice represents an exceptional resource.
Many patients arrive at CMCS having been told that their lumbar condition requires open fusion surgery, but without having had the opportunity to discuss whether a minimally invasive approach — endoscopic discectomy, MIS-TLIF, or endoscopic decompression — might achieve equivalent outcomes with significantly less surgical trauma, shorter hospital stay, and faster return to normal activity. Prof. Hou's ability to review imaging, assess the technical feasibility of minimally invasive approaches for the specific pathology, and provide a clear recommendation with honest discussion of the trade-offs between open and minimally invasive surgery is of particular value to patients who want to make a fully informed surgical decision.
For patients who have already undergone lumbar surgery and are experiencing recurrent symptoms — whether from recurrent disc herniation, adjacent segment disease, or hardware failure — Prof. Hou's expertise in revision spinal surgery and his ability to identify the cause of surgical failure and recommend the most appropriate re-treatment strategy provides a pathway to accurate diagnosis and effective care that may not be readily available in the patient's home country.
Treatment costs for minimally invasive spinal surgery at Changzheng Hospital are substantially lower than equivalent procedures in Western healthcare systems — typically 15–35% of the cost of comparable surgery in the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia — and the speed of access to specialist consultation and preoperative workup is typically far faster than in public healthcare systems abroad. CMCS has coordinated lumbar spine consultations and surgical cases for patients from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East through Prof. Hou's team at Changzheng Hospital.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Prof. Hou begin with a comprehensive review of all prior imaging — including MRI of the lumbar spine with T1, T2, and axial sequences, CT of the lumbar spine for bony anatomy and foraminal assessment, and plain radiographs including dynamic flexion-extension views for instability assessment — as well as neurological examination findings, symptom history, functional status, prior treatment records, and any previous surgical reports. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all medical records, imaging reports, and surgical notes in advance of the consultation.
Prof. Hou will assess the severity and pattern of neural compression, evaluate the technical feasibility and appropriateness of minimally invasive versus open surgical approaches for the specific pathology, assess the surgical risk-benefit profile in the context of the patient's age, comorbidities, activity level, and functional goals, and outline the recommended treatment strategy with detailed rationale. For patients with complex multilevel disease or significant deformity, a multidisciplinary assessment may be coordinated as appropriate. A written English-language consultation summary — including imaging interpretation, diagnosis, recommended treatment plan, and follow-up protocol — is provided after every appointment, and CMCS will facilitate direct communication between Prof. Hou's team and the patient's home spine surgeon or primary care physician for continuity of care planning.
Book a Consultation Through CMCS
China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) provides comprehensive end-to-end support for international patients seeking lumbar spine consultation or minimally invasive spinal surgery with Prof. Hou Tiesheng at Changzheng Hospital. Our services include priority consultation scheduling with Prof. Hou's team, certified medical record and imaging translation, pre-consultation neurological and imaging review by our clinical coordinators, surgical logistics and hospital admission coordination, visa and travel support, accommodation recommendations near Changzheng Hospital, on-site interpretation throughout the consultation and surgical process, pharmacy and post-operative medication coordination, and ongoing follow-up coordination between Prof. Hou's team and the patient's home physicians after return.
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