About Dr. Liao Zhuan
Dr. Liao Zhuan (廖专) is a Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, and one of China's foremost specialists in pancreatic disease and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), based at the Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University). Working within the department built by Academician Li Zhaoshen into one of the world's most active and scientifically distinguished pancreatic disease and therapeutic endoscopy programs, Dr. Liao has established himself as a leading authority on the diagnosis and endoscopic management of pancreatic diseases — including chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cystic lesions, autoimmune pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer — and as one of China's most experienced and technically accomplished endoscopic ultrasonographers.
Endoscopic ultrasound has transformed the diagnosis and management of pancreatic and peripancreatic disease over the past two decades. By combining the optical capabilities of a standard endoscope with a high-frequency ultrasound transducer at its tip, EUS provides real-time, high-resolution imaging of the pancreas, bile ducts, and surrounding structures from within the gastrointestinal lumen — at a spatial resolution that far exceeds that of transabdominal ultrasound, CT, or MRI for many pancreatic lesions. In expert hands, EUS enables the detection and characterization of pancreatic masses as small as 5 mm, the precise staging of pancreatic and ampullary cancers, the tissue sampling of pancreatic lesions by EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) or fine needle biopsy (FNB), and a growing range of therapeutic interventions including EUS-guided drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis, EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis for pancreatic cancer pain, and EUS-guided biliary and pancreatic duct drainage. Dr. Liao's case volume and technical expertise in EUS place him among China's elite endosonographers, and Changhai Hospital's EUS program is one of the most active and experienced in the country.
Hospital Affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital
Changhai Hospital (长海医霂), affiliated with Naval Medical University, is one of Shanghai's largest and most prestigious academic medical centers and a national leader in gastroenterology, digestive endoscopy, and pancreatic disease. Its Department of Gastroenterology — home to Academician Li Zhaoshen's world-renowned digestive endoscopy and pancreatic disease program — is one of the highest-volume and most technically advanced gastroenterology departments in China, managing one of the largest caseloads of pancreatic disease in the country. The department's EUS suite is equipped with the latest generation of radial and linear array echoendoscopes, elastography capability for pancreatic mass characterization, contrast-enhanced EUS (CE-EUS) for lesion vascularity assessment, and the full range of EUS-guided intervention accessories including FNA and FNB needles, drainage catheters, lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), and celiac plexus neurolysis needles.
The department's pancreatic disease program is supported by a multidisciplinary pancreatic tumor board integrating gastroenterology, hepatobiliary surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and interventional radiology, enabling comprehensive management of pancreatic cancer and other pancreatic tumors from diagnosis through treatment. Its research infrastructure includes a dedicated pancreatic disease biobank and an active clinical trials program evaluating novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to pancreatic disease.
Clinical Specialties: What Dr. Liao Zhuan Treats
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) diagnosis — high-resolution EUS imaging of the pancreas, bile ducts, ampulla, and peripancreatic structures; detection and characterization of pancreatic solid masses, cystic lesions, and ductal abnormalities; EUS staging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ampullary cancer, and distal cholangiocarcinoma including assessment of vascular involvement (portal vein, superior mesenteric artery and vein) for surgical resectability; EUS characterization of pancreatic cystic lesions including IPMN, mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), serous cystadenoma, and solid pseudopapillary neoplasm; EUS assessment of chronic pancreatitis severity using Rosemont criteria
- EUS-guided tissue sampling — EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB of pancreatic solid masses, cystic lesions, and peripancreatic lymph nodes for cytological and histological diagnosis; rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) for immediate adequacy assessment; molecular analysis of FNA/FNB specimens including KRAS mutation, GNAS mutation, and next-generation sequencing for pancreatic cyst fluid; EUS-guided sampling of mediastinal and perigastric lymph nodes and subepithelial tumors
- Chronic pancreatitis — EUS diagnosis and severity assessment of chronic pancreatitis; endoscopic management of chronic pancreatitis complications including pancreatic duct stones (ESWL coordination and ERCP stone extraction), dominant pancreatic duct strictures (pancreatic duct stenting), and pancreatic pseudocysts (EUS-guided transmural drainage); coordination with the pain management team for EUS-guided celiac plexus block for chronic pancreatitis pain
- Pancreatic cystic lesions — EUS characterization and risk stratification of pancreatic cysts including IPMN (main duct, branch duct, and mixed type), MCN, and other cystic lesions; EUS-guided cyst fluid aspiration and analysis (CEA, amylase, cytology, molecular markers); surveillance planning according to international guidelines (Fukuoka, European); EUS-guided ablation of pancreatic cysts with ethanol and paclitaxel for selected lesions
- Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) — diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 AIP including EUS-guided tissue sampling for histological confirmation; IgG4 measurement and serology; steroid therapy and monitoring; differentiation from pancreatic cancer in diagnostically challenging cases
- EUS-guided therapeutic interventions — EUS-guided drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis (WON) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS); direct endoscopic necrosectomy for infected WON; EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) for pancreatic cancer pain; EUS-guided biliary drainage (choledochoduodenostomy, hepaticogastrostomy) as rescue biliary drainage when ERCP fails; EUS-guided pancreatic duct drainage for disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome
- Pancreatic cancer diagnosis and staging — EUS staging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma for surgical resectability assessment; EUS-FNB for tissue diagnosis and molecular profiling; coordination with the multidisciplinary pancreatic tumor board for treatment planning including surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and palliative management; second opinion on pancreatic cancer resectability for patients who have been told their tumor is unresectable
Why International Patients Choose Dr. Liao Zhuan and Changhai Hospital
International patients seek EUS and pancreatic disease consultation from Dr. Liao Zhuan and Changhai Hospital for reasons that reflect both the technical excellence of the EUS program and the depth of pancreatic disease expertise available at the department.
For patients with pancreatic masses of uncertain nature — where CT or MRI has identified a lesion but has not established a definitive diagnosis — EUS-guided FNB at Changhai Hospital provides tissue diagnosis with a sensitivity and specificity that exceeds that of CT-guided percutaneous biopsy for many pancreatic lesions, and without the theoretical risk of peritoneal seeding associated with the percutaneous approach. The availability of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) and molecular analysis of FNB specimens at Changhai Hospital enables a comprehensive tissue-based assessment that frequently resolves diagnostic uncertainty and enables appropriate treatment planning.
For patients with pancreatic cystic lesions — an increasingly common incidental finding on cross-sectional imaging — Dr. Liao's expertise in EUS characterization and risk stratification of pancreatic cysts provides the precise assessment of malignant potential that is essential for appropriate surveillance and treatment decisions. The ability to perform EUS-guided cyst fluid aspiration with CEA, amylase, cytology, and molecular marker analysis at Changhai Hospital enables a level of diagnostic precision that is not achievable by imaging alone.
For patients with chronic pancreatitis and its complications — pancreatic duct stones, dominant strictures, pseudocysts, and intractable pain — the combination of ESWL, ERCP, and EUS-guided intervention expertise at Changhai Hospital provides a comprehensive endoscopic management capability that is available at only a small number of centers in China. The cost of EUS and pancreatic disease consultation at Changhai Hospital is substantially below that of equivalent services in Western healthcare systems, and access to Dr. Liao's clinic can typically be arranged within days through CMCS.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Dr. Liao Zhuan at Changhai Hospital arranged through CMCS begin with a comprehensive review of all prior pancreatic imaging — including CT abdomen with pancreatic protocol, MRCP, transabdominal ultrasound, and prior EUS reports and images where available — relevant laboratory investigations (serum amylase and lipase, CA 19-9, CEA, IgG4, liver function tests), prior pathology results, and the patient's pancreatic and gastrointestinal history including prior pancreatitis episodes, prior pancreatic surgery, and current symptoms. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all medical records and imaging reports in advance of the consultation.
Dr. Liao will assess the pancreatic pathology, evaluate the indication and technical approach for EUS and any planned EUS-guided intervention, outline the expected procedure and its diagnostic or therapeutic goals, and coordinate multidisciplinary tumor board review for pancreatic cancer cases. A written English-language consultation summary is provided after every appointment, and CMCS will facilitate direct communication between Dr. Liao's team and the patient's home gastroenterologist, oncologist, or 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 pancreatic disease and EUS consultation with Dr. Liao Zhuan at Changhai Hospital. Our services include priority consultation and procedure scheduling, certified translation of prior imaging reports and medical records, coordination of pre-procedure investigations, on-site interpretation throughout the consultation and procedure, post-procedure monitoring and discharge coordination, and written English-language reporting of all EUS findings and pathology results. CMCS will also facilitate direct communication between Dr. Liao's team and the patient's home physicians to ensure seamless continuity of care.
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