About Prof. Ye Xiaojian
Prof. Ye Xiaojian (叶晓健) is Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, and one of China's leading authorities on spinal tumor surgery and spinal oncology, based 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, orthopedic oncology, and neurosurgery. Prof. Ye has dedicated his career to the surgical management of primary and metastatic spinal tumors — one of the most technically demanding and clinically complex domains in all of surgery — and has built one of China's largest and most experienced spinal oncology programs, managing patients with tumors ranging from benign vertebral hemangiomas and osteoid osteomas to highly malignant chordomas, chondrosarcomas, and metastatic spinal cord compression from systemic cancers.
Spinal tumor surgery occupies a unique position at the intersection of orthopedic oncology, neurosurgery, and spinal reconstruction. The goals of surgery — achieving oncologically adequate resection margins while preserving or restoring neurological function and spinal stability — require a surgeon who combines deep knowledge of tumor biology and oncological principles with advanced spinal surgical technique and the ability to perform complex spinal reconstruction after extensive bone and soft tissue resection. Prof. Ye's career has been defined by the development and refinement of surgical approaches that achieve these goals in patients with tumors that were previously considered inoperable or manageable only with palliative intent.
Prof. Ye's clinical and research work has contributed significantly to the development of Chinese national standards for spinal tumor staging, surgical planning, and multimodal treatment, and his program at Changzheng Hospital is a national referral center for patients with complex primary spinal tumors and metastatic spinal disease requiring surgical intervention. He works in close collaboration with medical oncology, radiation oncology, interventional radiology, and rehabilitation medicine to deliver integrated, multidisciplinary spinal oncology care.
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 oncology. The Department of Orthopedics and Spinal Surgery at Changzheng Hospital is a national key clinical specialty, and its spinal oncology program is one of the most active and experienced in China, managing a high volume of primary and metastatic spinal tumor cases annually from across China and internationally.
The hospital's spinal oncology program is supported by advanced intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), intraoperative CT and fluoroscopy, neuronavigation, robotic-assisted spinal surgery, and a multidisciplinary tumor board that meets regularly to review complex cases and develop individualized treatment plans integrating surgery, systemic therapy, and radiation. The department has access to stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT/SABR) for spinal metastases, proton therapy coordination, and a full range of systemic oncology treatments through Changzheng Hospital's oncology department. The hospital maintains active research collaborations with oncology centers in the United States, Germany, and Japan.
Clinical Expertise
- Primary malignant spinal tumors — chordoma (sacral, mobile spine, skull base); chondrosarcoma; osteosarcoma; Ewing sarcoma of the spine; en bloc resection with wide or marginal margins; total en bloc spondylectomy (TES/WBB-guided resection); spinal reconstruction after en bloc resection; management of local recurrence; coordination with medical oncology and radiation oncology for multimodal treatment
- Primary benign and locally aggressive spinal tumors — giant cell tumor (GCT) of the spine; aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC); osteoblastoma; osteoid osteoma; vertebral hemangioma with neurological compromise; intralesional or marginal resection; denosumab therapy coordination for GCT; embolization and surgical planning for hypervascular tumors
- Metastatic spinal disease — surgical management of metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC); separation surgery with posterior decompression and stabilization for patients receiving stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS/SBRT); en bloc resection for solitary metastases with favorable oncological prognosis; percutaneous stabilization for patients with limited life expectancy; coordination with radiation oncology for postoperative SBRT; management of spinal instability from lytic metastases (SINS scoring)
- Intradural spinal tumors — intradural extramedullary tumors (meningioma, schwannoma, neurofibroma, myxopapillary ependymoma); intramedullary spinal cord tumors (ependymoma, astrocytoma, hemangioblastoma); microsurgical resection with intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring; management of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) spinal tumors
- Sacral tumors — sacral chordoma; sacral GCT; sacral ABC; sacrectomy (partial and total); pelvic reconstruction after sacrectomy; management of bowel, bladder, and sexual function after sacral resection; coordination with colorectal surgery and urology for complex sacral resections
- Spinal reconstruction after tumor resection — titanium mesh cage and expandable cage reconstruction; custom 3D-printed vertebral body implants; anterior column reconstruction with structural allograft; posterior instrumented fusion; management of wound healing and infection after extensive resection
- Minimally invasive and percutaneous techniques — CT-guided percutaneous biopsy of spinal lesions; vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for painful vertebral metastases; percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for spinal instability in patients with limited life expectancy; radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for osteoid osteoma and selected metastases
- Expert second opinion — detailed review of MRI, CT, PET-CT, and biopsy results for patients with primary or metastatic spinal tumors who are seeking a second surgical opinion or evaluation for en bloc resection; written English-language second opinion reports available through CMCS
Academic Leadership & Research Contributions
Prof. Ye Xiaojian is one of China's most active researchers in spinal oncology and orthopedic oncology. He has authored and co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in Chinese and international journals, including contributions to Spine, European Spine Journal, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Spine Journal, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and Chinese Medical Journal. His research has focused on the surgical outcomes of en bloc resection for primary malignant spinal tumors, the role of separation surgery combined with SBRT in the management of metastatic spinal cord compression, the application of 3D printing technology in spinal reconstruction after tumor resection, the molecular biology of chordoma and its implications for targeted therapy, and the development of prognostic scoring systems for patients with metastatic spinal disease.
Prof. Ye has served on the editorial boards of Chinese spinal surgery and orthopedic oncology 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 member of the Bone Tumor Group of the Chinese Orthopaedic Association (COA) and the Spinal Oncology Study Group of AO Spine, and has been an invited lecturer at the COA annual congress, the AO Spine Asia-Pacific congress, the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) annual meeting, and international spinal oncology workshops. He has trained numerous spinal surgery and orthopedic oncology fellows and is recognized as one of the leading educators in spinal tumor surgery in China.
Prof. Ye has also been involved in the development of Chinese national consensus guidelines for the surgical management of spinal metastases and primary spinal tumors, and has contributed to the introduction of 3D-printed custom implants and intraoperative navigation technology into the spinal oncology workflow at Changzheng Hospital — innovations that have expanded the technical boundaries of what is surgically achievable in patients with complex spinal tumors.
Why International Patients Choose Prof. Ye Xiaojian
For international patients with a diagnosis of a primary spinal tumor — particularly chordoma, chondrosarcoma, giant cell tumor, or other locally aggressive or malignant tumors — the choice of surgeon and institution is arguably the single most important determinant of long-term outcome. En bloc resection with adequate margins, performed by a surgeon with the experience and technical capability to achieve oncological goals while preserving neurological function, offers the best chance of local disease control and long-term survival. Prof. Ye's program at Changzheng Hospital is one of a small number of centers in Asia with the case volume, surgical expertise, and multidisciplinary infrastructure to offer this standard of care.
Many international patients arrive at CMCS after receiving a diagnosis of a primary spinal tumor at a hospital in their home country where the surgical team has limited experience with en bloc spinal resection, or where the tumor has been deemed inoperable due to its location, size, or proximity to critical neural structures. Prof. Ye's ability to review imaging, assess the technical feasibility of en bloc resection, evaluate the oncological risk-benefit profile, and provide a clear recommendation — including whether surgery is indicated, what surgical approach is optimal, what the realistic chances of achieving adequate margins are, and how surgery fits into the overall multimodal treatment plan — is of decisive value to patients and families navigating one of the most difficult diagnoses in oncology.
For patients with metastatic spinal disease and spinal cord compression, Prof. Ye's expertise in separation surgery combined with postoperative SBRT — the current international standard of care for patients with radioresistant metastases and good performance status — provides access to a treatment approach that may not be available or routinely offered at the patient's home institution. Treatment costs for spinal tumor surgery at Changzheng Hospital are substantially lower than equivalent procedures in Western healthcare systems, and the speed of access to specialist consultation, multidisciplinary tumor board review, and surgical planning is typically far faster than in public healthcare systems abroad.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Prof. Ye begin with a comprehensive review of all prior imaging — including MRI of the spine with and without contrast, CT of the spine for bony anatomy and surgical planning, PET-CT or bone scan for staging, and any prior biopsy results and pathology reports — as well as the patient's oncological history, systemic treatment history, neurological status, functional status, and overall performance status. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all medical records, imaging reports, pathology reports, and oncology treatment summaries in advance of the consultation.
Prof. Ye will assess the tumor type, extent, and resectability, evaluate the neurological risk of surgery, outline the recommended surgical approach and reconstruction strategy with detailed rationale, discuss the role of preoperative embolization, neoadjuvant therapy, or radiation where applicable, and provide a realistic assessment of expected oncological and functional outcomes. A multidisciplinary tumor board review involving medical oncology, radiation oncology, and interventional radiology 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. Ye's team and the patient's home oncologist and spine 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 spinal tumor consultation or surgery with Prof. Ye Xiaojian at Changzheng Hospital. Our services include priority consultation scheduling with Prof. Ye's team and the multidisciplinary tumor board, certified medical record and imaging translation, pre-consultation oncological 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. Ye's team and the patient's home oncologist and physicians after return.
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