About Prof. Jia Lianshun
Prof. Jia Lianshun (贾连顺) is Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, and one of China's most eminent and historically significant spinal surgeons, with a career spanning more than four decades 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, orthopedics, and neurosurgery. Prof. Jia is widely regarded as a founding figure of modern cervical spine surgery in China, having trained generations of spinal surgeons, authored foundational textbooks, and established clinical standards for the diagnosis and surgical management of cervical spondylosis, cervical myelopathy, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), and traumatic spinal cord injury that remain in use across Chinese hospitals today.
Prof. Jia's contributions to Chinese spinal surgery are foundational and far-reaching. He was among the first surgeons in China to systematically develop and refine anterior and posterior cervical decompression and fusion techniques adapted to the specific anatomical and pathological characteristics of Chinese patients — including the high prevalence of OPLL and multilevel cervical spondylosis in East Asian populations. His clinical and research work on the pathophysiology of cervical myelopathy — including the mechanisms of spinal cord compression, the natural history of untreated disease, the role of dynamic factors in cord injury, and the optimal timing and surgical approach for intervention — has shaped national clinical guidelines and influenced surgical practice across China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
His textbooks and monographs on cervical spine surgery and spinal cord injury management are standard references in Chinese neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery training programs, and his influence on the development of Chinese spinal surgery as a specialty is acknowledged by virtually every senior spinal surgeon practicing in China today. Clinically, Prof. Jia's expertise encompasses the full spectrum of cervical and thoracolumbar spinal disease, with particular depth in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), OPLL, traumatic cervical spinal cord injury, degenerative cervical and lumbar disease, spinal instability, and spinal tumors. He has performed thousands of complex spinal procedures over his career and continues to see patients and provide expert consultation and second opinions at Changzheng Hospital.
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, orthopedics, and urology. The Department of Orthopedics and Spinal Surgery at Changzheng Hospital is a national key clinical specialty, recognized by the National Health Commission as one of China's top spinal surgery programs. The department manages one of the highest volumes of complex spinal cases in China annually, including cervical myelopathy, OPLL, spinal cord injury, spinal tumors, adult deformity, and revision spinal surgery, and operates a dedicated spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit with comprehensive neurological recovery protocols.
The hospital's spinal surgery program is supported by advanced intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), intraoperative CT and fluoroscopy, a neuronavigation system, robotic-assisted spinal surgery capabilities, and a multidisciplinary team that integrates spinal surgery, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, pain management, and oncology. The department has been the site of numerous national and international clinical trials in spinal surgery and spinal cord injury treatment, and maintains active research collaborations with institutions in Japan, the United States, Germany, and Australia. Changzheng Hospital's spinal surgery program is consistently ranked among the top three in China in national hospital ranking surveys.
Clinical Expertise
- Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) — comprehensive neurological and imaging evaluation of spinal cord compression severity; anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF); posterior laminoplasty (open-door and French-door techniques); posterior laminectomy and instrumented fusion; combined anterior-posterior approaches for multilevel or severe disease; management of patients with severe, long-standing, or rapidly progressive myelopathy; assessment of surgical risk in elderly patients with significant comorbidities
- Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) — diagnosis and CT-based staging; surgical planning for anterior versus posterior decompression based on OPLL type, canal compromise, and patient factors; anterior decompression with floating method; circumferential decompression for severe or mixed-type OPLL; management of dural ossification and intraoperative CSF leak; long-term follow-up, neurological recovery assessment, and management of late deterioration or adjacent segment disease
- Cervical radiculopathy — surgical and non-surgical management; ACDF; posterior cervical foraminotomy; cervical disc arthroplasty (motion-preserving surgery) for appropriate candidates; management of recurrent or persistent radiculopathy after prior surgery
- Traumatic cervical spinal cord injury — emergency surgical decompression and stabilization; management of incomplete and complete spinal cord injury; anterior and posterior fixation and fusion; management of cervical fracture-dislocation; coordination with rehabilitation medicine and neurophysiology for neurological recovery optimization; long-term follow-up and management of late complications including syringomyelia and spinal instability
- Degenerative lumbar disease — lumbar spinal stenosis; lumbar disc herniation; degenerative spondylolisthesis; minimally invasive and open decompression and fusion; TLIF, PLIF, XLIF/LLIF approaches; management of adjacent segment disease after prior lumbar fusion
- Spinal instability and adult deformity — adult degenerative scoliosis; post-traumatic kyphosis; flatback deformity; revision spinal surgery; complex multilevel reconstruction with pedicle screw instrumentation and osteotomy
- Spinal tumors — primary and metastatic spinal tumors; en bloc resection for primary tumors; separation surgery and stabilization for metastatic disease; spinal reconstruction after tumor resection; coordination with oncology and radiation oncology for multimodal treatment planning
- Expert second opinion — detailed review of MRI, CT, and clinical findings for patients with cervical myelopathy, OPLL, or spinal cord injury who have received conflicting surgical recommendations or are considering surgery abroad; written English-language second opinion reports available through CMCS
Academic Leadership & Research Contributions
Prof. Jia Lianshun is one of the most published, cited, and influential spinal surgeons in the history of Chinese medicine. He has authored and co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in Chinese and international journals, including contributions to Spine, European Spine Journal, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Spinal Cord, and Chinese Medical Journal. His research has focused on the biomechanics of the cervical spine under physiological and pathological loading conditions, the pathophysiology of spinal cord compression in CSM and OPLL, the comparative outcomes of anterior versus posterior surgical approaches for multilevel cervical disease, the mechanisms of neurological recovery after spinal cord decompression, and the long-term natural history of OPLL in Chinese patients.
Prof. Jia has served as editor-in-chief and editorial board member of multiple Chinese spinal surgery and orthopedic journals, and has been a principal investigator on major national research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the military medical research system. He has delivered invited lectures at the Chinese Orthopaedic Association (COA) annual congress, the AO Spine Asia-Pacific congress, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) meeting, and international spinal surgery meetings in South Korea, the United States, and Europe. His textbooks on cervical spine surgery and spinal cord injury management — including his landmark monograph on cervical spondylosis — are widely used in Chinese postgraduate medical education and are considered essential references for spinal surgery trainees.
Prof. Jia has trained more than 100 spinal surgery fellows and residents who now lead spinal surgery programs at major hospitals across China, and his intellectual legacy is embedded in the clinical practice of an entire generation of Chinese spinal surgeons. He has received numerous national honors for his contributions to Chinese medicine and military medical research, and is recognized by his peers as one of the defining figures of modern Chinese spinal surgery.
Why International Patients Choose Prof. Jia Lianshun
For international patients facing a diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, OPLL, or traumatic spinal cord injury — conditions where the stakes of surgical decision-making are exceptionally high and where the difference between an excellent and a poor outcome can hinge on the experience, judgment, and technical skill of the operating surgeon — Prof. Jia's combination of unmatched case volume, foundational expertise in cervical spine pathophysiology, and decades of complex surgical experience represents a genuinely rare and valuable resource.
Many international patients arrive at CMCS after receiving a recommendation for cervical spine surgery in their home country but seeking a second opinion from a surgeon with specific, deep expertise in OPLL or multilevel CSM — conditions that are significantly more prevalent in East Asian populations and for which Chinese and Japanese spinal surgeons have accumulated the world's largest clinical experience and the most refined surgical techniques. Prof. Jia's ability to review imaging, assess surgical risk, evaluate the appropriateness of the proposed surgical approach, and provide a clear, evidence-based recommendation — including whether surgery is indicated, which approach is optimal for the specific pathology, what neurological recovery is realistically achievable, and what the risks of surgery versus continued conservative management are — is of particular and often decisive value to patients navigating these high-stakes decisions.
For patients who have already undergone cervical spine surgery elsewhere and are experiencing persistent or recurrent symptoms, Prof. Jia's expertise in revision spinal surgery and his ability to identify the cause of surgical failure — whether inadequate decompression, adjacent segment disease, hardware failure, or progressive OPLL — provides a pathway to accurate diagnosis and effective re-treatment that may not be available in the patient's home country.
Treatment costs for cervical spine surgery at Changzheng Hospital are substantially lower than equivalent procedures in Western healthcare systems — typically 20–40% 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 cervical spine consultations and surgical cases for patients from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East through Prof. Jia's team at Changzheng Hospital.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Prof. Jia begin with a thorough review of all prior imaging — including MRI of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine with T1, T2, and STIR sequences, CT of the cervical spine for OPLL assessment and surgical planning, CT myelography if available, and plain radiographs including dynamic flexion-extension views — as well as neurological examination findings, symptom history, functional status, and any prior treatment records including previous surgical reports. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all medical records, imaging reports, and surgical notes in advance of the consultation.
Prof. Jia will assess the severity and pattern of spinal cord compression, evaluate the contribution of static and dynamic factors to cord injury, assess the surgical risk-benefit profile in the context of the patient's age, comorbidities, and functional goals, outline the recommended surgical approach with detailed rationale, and provide a realistic and honest assessment of expected neurological recovery and the timeline for rehabilitation. For patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, a multidisciplinary assessment involving neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and neurophysiology will 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. Jia's team and the patient's home neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon 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 cervical spine and spinal cord injury consultation or surgery with Prof. Jia Lianshun at Changzheng Hospital. Our services include priority consultation scheduling with Prof. Jia'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. Jia's team and the patient's home physicians after return.
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