About Prof. Li Shoujun
Prof. Li Shoujun (李守军) is Chief Physician, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, and one of China's foremost pediatric and congenital cardiac surgeons, based at Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine — one of China's premier academic medical centers and a nationally recognized center of excellence in pediatric medicine, congenital heart disease, and cardiac surgery. Prof. Li has dedicated his career to the surgical management of congenital heart disease (CHD) across the full spectrum of complexity — from common defects such as ventricular septal defect (VSD) and atrial septal defect (ASD) to the most complex and rare structural heart anomalies including hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), heterotaxy syndrome, and complex single-ventricle physiology requiring staged palliation — and has built one of China's largest and most experienced congenital cardiac surgery programs, managing patients from neonates to adults with congenital heart disease.
Congenital heart disease surgery is one of the most demanding specialties in all of medicine. The anatomical complexity and physiological fragility of patients — particularly neonates and infants with critical CHD — require a surgeon who combines exceptional technical skill with deep knowledge of cardiac embryology, congenital cardiac anatomy, and the unique physiological challenges of operating on a developing heart. Prof. Li's career has been defined by his commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is surgically achievable in patients with the most complex forms of CHD, including those who were previously considered inoperable or managed only with palliative intent, and by his dedication to improving long-term outcomes and quality of life for children and adults living with congenital heart disease.
Prof. Li's clinical and research work has contributed significantly to the development of Chinese national standards for congenital heart disease surgical management, and his program at Xinhua Hospital is a national referral center for patients with complex CHD requiring surgical intervention. He works in close collaboration with pediatric cardiology, cardiac anesthesia, cardiac intensive care, and cardiac rehabilitation to deliver integrated, multidisciplinary congenital heart disease care at the highest level.
Hospital Affiliation: Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Xinhua Hospital (新华医院), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, is one of Shanghai's largest and most respected academic medical centers and a national leader in pediatric medicine, neonatology, congenital heart disease, and maternal-fetal medicine. The Department of Cardiac Surgery at Xinhua Hospital is a national key clinical specialty, and its congenital heart disease surgery program is one of the most active and experienced in China, performing hundreds of congenital cardiac surgical procedures annually across all age groups from neonates to adults.
The hospital's congenital heart disease program is supported by a dedicated pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU), advanced intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, a perfusion team with extensive experience in neonatal and infant cardiopulmonary bypass, and a multidisciplinary team that integrates pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac anesthesia, neonatology, and cardiac rehabilitation. The department has access to hybrid cardiac catheterization and surgical facilities for combined interventional and surgical procedures, and maintains active research collaborations with congenital heart disease centers in the United States, Germany, and Australia. Xinhua Hospital's congenital heart disease program is consistently recognized as one of the top programs in China in national hospital ranking surveys.
Clinical Expertise
- Simple and moderate congenital heart defects — ventricular septal defect (VSD); atrial septal defect (ASD); patent ductus arteriosus (PDA); atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD/AV canal); pulmonary stenosis; aortic stenosis; coarctation of the aorta; surgical and minimally invasive repair; minimally invasive and robotic-assisted approaches for appropriate candidates
- Cyanotic congenital heart disease — tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and variants; pulmonary atresia with VSD; transposition of the great arteries (TGA) — arterial switch operation (ASO) and Senning/Mustard repair; double outlet right ventricle (DORV); truncus arteriosus; total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC); Ebstein anomaly; tricuspid atresia
- Complex single-ventricle physiology — hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — Norwood, Glenn, and Fontan staged palliation; heterotaxy syndrome with complex intracardiac anatomy; unbalanced AVSD; staged palliation planning and execution; management of Fontan circulation complications; conversion of failing Fontan circulation; extracardiac and lateral tunnel Fontan procedures
- Neonatal and infant cardiac surgery — emergency surgical management of critical neonatal CHD; neonatal arterial switch operation; neonatal aortic arch reconstruction; neonatal total anomalous pulmonary venous repair; management of premature infants with hemodynamically significant PDA; neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest
- Aortic arch anomalies — interrupted aortic arch; coarctation of the aorta; hypoplastic aortic arch; vascular ring and pulmonary artery sling; aortic arch reconstruction with single-stage repair
- Congenital heart disease in adults — late repair of undiagnosed or previously palliated CHD in adults; management of residual lesions after prior repair; Fontan conversion; management of adult CHD complications including arrhythmia, heart failure, and valvular dysfunction; coordination with adult cardiology and electrophysiology
- Valvular heart disease in CHD — congenital mitral valve anomalies; congenital aortic valve disease; pulmonary valve replacement after TOF repair; tricuspid valve repair in Ebstein anomaly; Ross procedure for congenital aortic stenosis in children
- Hybrid and catheter-based approaches — hybrid stage I palliation for HLHS; perventricular device closure of VSD; coordination with interventional cardiology for combined surgical and catheter-based procedures; transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement after prior surgical repair
- Expert second opinion — detailed review of echocardiography, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT, and catheterization data for patients with complex CHD who are seeking a second surgical opinion or evaluation for operability; written English-language second opinion reports available through CMCS
Academic Leadership & Research Contributions
Prof. Li Shoujun is one of China's most active researchers in congenital heart disease surgery and pediatric cardiac surgery. He has authored and co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications in Chinese and international journals, including contributions to Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Pediatric Cardiology, and Chinese Medical Journal. His research has focused on the surgical outcomes of neonatal and infant cardiac surgery, the long-term results of Fontan palliation for single-ventricle heart disease, the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome in the Chinese population, the application of 3D printing and cardiac modeling in surgical planning for complex CHD, and the development of novel surgical techniques for complex atrioventricular septal defects and aortic arch anomalies.
Prof. Li has served on the editorial boards of Chinese pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery journals and has been a principal investigator on national research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission. He is a member of the Congenital Heart Disease Surgery Group of the Chinese Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (CSCTS) and has been an invited lecturer at the CSCTS annual congress, the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (WSPCHS) meeting, the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS) annual meeting, and international congenital heart disease workshops. He has trained numerous cardiac surgery fellows with a focus on congenital heart disease and is recognized as one of the leading educators in pediatric cardiac surgery in China.
Prof. Li has also been involved in the development of Chinese national consensus guidelines for the surgical management of congenital heart disease, and has contributed to the introduction of 3D cardiac modeling, hybrid surgical-catheter approaches, and minimally invasive techniques into the congenital heart disease surgical workflow at Xinhua Hospital — innovations that have expanded the technical boundaries of what is surgically achievable and improved outcomes for patients with the most complex forms of CHD.
Why International Patients Choose Prof. Li Shoujun
For international families with a child diagnosed with complex congenital heart disease — particularly hypoplastic left heart syndrome, heterotaxy syndrome, complex single-ventricle physiology, or other rare and severe structural heart anomalies — the choice of surgeon and institution is the most consequential decision they will make. The outcomes of neonatal and infant cardiac surgery for complex CHD are highly dependent on the experience and case volume of the surgical team, the quality of the cardiac intensive care unit, and the integration of the multidisciplinary team. Prof. Li's program at Xinhua Hospital is one of a small number of centers in Asia with the case volume, surgical expertise, and multidisciplinary infrastructure to offer outcomes comparable to the world's leading congenital heart disease centers.
Many international families arrive at CMCS after receiving a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of complex CHD and seeking a second opinion from a surgeon with specific expertise in the planned surgical approach — whether a neonatal arterial switch operation, a Norwood procedure, or a complex biventricular repair — or after being told that their child's heart defect is inoperable or carries prohibitive surgical risk. Prof. Li's ability to review echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and catheterization data, assess the technical feasibility of repair or palliation, evaluate the surgical risk-benefit profile, and provide a clear recommendation with honest discussion of expected outcomes is of decisive value to families navigating one of the most difficult situations imaginable.
For adult patients with congenital heart disease — including those with failing Fontan circulation, residual lesions after prior repair, or previously undiagnosed CHD — Prof. Li's expertise in adult CHD surgery and his ability to coordinate with adult cardiology, electrophysiology, and heart failure medicine provides access to a comprehensive, integrated approach to adult CHD management that may not be available at the patient's home institution. Treatment costs for congenital heart disease surgery at Xinhua Hospital are substantially lower than equivalent procedures in Western healthcare systems, and the speed of access to specialist consultation, multidisciplinary cardiac team review, and surgical planning is typically far faster than in public healthcare systems abroad.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Prof. Li begin with a comprehensive review of all prior cardiac imaging — including echocardiography (transthoracic and transesophageal), cardiac MRI, cardiac CT angiography, and cardiac catheterization data — as well as the patient's cardiac history, prior surgical and catheter-based intervention records, current medications, functional status, and growth and developmental history for pediatric patients. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all medical records, imaging reports, catheterization reports, and surgical notes in advance of the consultation.
Prof. Li will assess the cardiac anatomy and physiology, evaluate the feasibility and expected outcomes of surgical repair or palliation, outline the recommended surgical approach and staging strategy with detailed rationale, discuss the role of preoperative catheterization or hybrid procedures where applicable, and provide a realistic and honest assessment of expected surgical outcomes and long-term prognosis. A multidisciplinary cardiac team review involving pediatric cardiology, cardiac anesthesia, and cardiac intensive care 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. Li's team and the patient's home cardiologist and cardiac 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 and families seeking congenital heart disease consultation or surgery with Prof. Li Shoujun at Xinhua Hospital. Our services include priority consultation scheduling with Prof. Li's team and the multidisciplinary cardiac team, certified medical record and imaging translation, pre-consultation cardiac imaging and catheterization data review by our clinical coordinators, surgical logistics and hospital admission coordination, visa and travel support for families traveling with a sick child, accommodation recommendations near Xinhua Hospital, on-site interpretation throughout the consultation and surgical process, pharmacy and post-operative medication coordination, and ongoing follow-up coordination between Prof. Li's team and the patient's home cardiologist and physicians after return.
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