Chongqing New Europe Hospital Hosts IAPS 2021 with Dozens of Infertility Experts, Showcasing Integrated Chinese-Western Approach to Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Due to factors such as environmental degradation, increased work-related stress, and delayed childbearing among women, the incidence of infertility has been rising year by year. According to data from Ping An Securities Research Institute, the prevalence of infertility in China is approximately 12.5%–15%, meaning that about 12 to 15 out of every 100 women of reproductive age are affected by infertility. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously predicted that infertility will become one of the three major diseases affecting humanity in the 21st century, second only to cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Infertility has complex etiologies, and many patients require prolonged, repeated medical consultations. Numerous patients spend years shuttling between major hospitals, depleting their family savings and suffering from physical and mental exhaustion.
At Xinou Hospital, Sun Lu, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and academic leader in the field, is a renowned expert in the treatment of infertility. With nearly 30 years of clinical experience in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Sun has treated thousands of infertile patients, achieving a cure rate of 52% for infertility and a 21% success rate in managing complex adverse pregnancies. Many patients affectionately refer to her as “Mother Sun,” and she always remembers their names.
Xin’ou Hospital is a modern medical institution under the technical guidance of the Medical Consortium comprising Grade IIIA hospitals and emergency centers in Southwest China. It features shared resources with Grade IIIA hospitals and specializes in precise, minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. It is also the leading expert-oriented hospital in Chongqing with the largest number of renowned physician studios.Infertility treatment is a specialty department at Xin’ou Hospital. Backed by a large team of experts and advanced technological support, the department employs multidisciplinary cross-diagnostic approaches that integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with Western medicine. With extensive experience in treating complex infertility cases through methods such as hysteroscopic surgery and acupuncture-assisted conditioning, the hospital has helped numerous patients fulfill their dreams of parenthood.
To further enhance the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and promote academic development in reproductive immunology and infertility, the First Special Symposium on Refractory Complex Infertility and Recurrent Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (IAPS 2021), hosted by the Chongqing Association of Integrative Medicine and organized by Xinou Hospital, was held in Chongqing on April 25.
At the conference, a number of infertility specialists gathered, including Liu Xiangyuan, founder of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Peking University Third Hospital; Wang Ruoguang, chief expert at the Ruoguang Medical Research Center; Chen Jianming, Chief Physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Guangdong Provincial Corps Hospital of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force; Wang Rongyu, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beijing First Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital; and Sun Lu, Director of the Department of Gynecology at Chongqing Xin’ou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital. They engaged in discussions on the pathogenic factors associated with complex and refractory infertility and recurrent adverse pregnancy outcomes, innovative therapeutic techniques, and challenging clinical cases.
The etiology of infertility is complex, with multiple factors—including immunological factors, ovulatory dysfunction, pelvic factors, and genetic factors—interacting to ultimately result in infertility. Precise identification of the underlying cause is a prerequisite for improving treatment efficacy.
Immunological factors (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, thrombophilia) are among the causes of infertility, and many cases of infertility in women of childbearing age are immune-related. Data show that approximately 20% of infertile couples have unexplained infertility. With advances in reproductive immunology research, it is now believed that most cases of unexplained infertility are caused by immunological factors.
Previously, efforts to identify the causes of infertility focused primarily on the reproductive system, while immune factors were overlooked. In this regard, Professor Liu Xiangyuan, founder of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Peking University Third Hospital, stated, “The human body is an integrated organic whole, with its various systems interacting with one another. The immune system can affect the reproductive system, ultimately leading to infertility. Therefore, it is essential to look beyond the confines of reproductive medicine and examine reproduction from an immunological perspective; many challenging issues plaguing the field of reproductive medicine will then be readily resolved.”
Professor Liu Xiangyuan also stated, “Recurrent immune-related adverse pregnancies have drawn significant attention from the industry. However, current understanding of immune factors remains incomplete, akin to ‘blind men touching an elephant,’ with instances of both overtreatment and undertreatment observed. Further standardization and development are needed in the future.”
Wang Ruoguang, Chief Expert at the Wang Ruoguang Medical Research Center, analyzed the impact of genetic factors on infertility from a genetic perspective. He stated, “Among the numerous etiologies, genetic factors are the most critical; diagnosis cannot bypass genetics. However, many clinicians currently lack sufficient knowledge of genetics. Only by clearly identifying the underlying causes and clarifying diagnostic reasoning, and by integrating multidisciplinary knowledge—including genomics, reproductive endocrinology and pregnancy maintenance, molecular pathophysiology, and molecular pathological toxicology—can the efficiency of infertility treatment be improved.”
Currently, a variety of clinical techniques are available for the treatment of infertility. At the conference, multiple experts shared innovative therapies for infertility.
Hysteroscopy is a crucial method for the diagnosis and treatment of intrauterine diseases and infertility in gynecology. Multiple studies have shown that approximately 40% of infertile patients are found to have uterine factors upon hysteroscopic examination. Hysteroscopy is a minimally invasive technique for diagnosing and treating infertility, characterized by its direct visualization and accuracy.
In the past, due to limitations in technical equipment, the diagnosis and treatment of uterine cavity diseases often relied on high-frequency electrosurgical knives. While effective in resecting lesions, this method also caused thermal injury, leading to damage of the endometrial tissue and even infertility. Cold knife surgery is an innovative technique that has emerged in recent years. It enables precise resection of lesions with minimal damage to the endometrium, facilitating faster recovery, reducing complications, and lowering the risk of infertility.
Xu Dabao, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching and Research Section and Director of the Gynecology Department at the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, serves as Vice Chairperson of both the National Hysteroscopy Group and the National Intelligent Medicine Group. He received the “Best Hysteroscopic Surgery Video Award” at the 2016 AAGL Global Annual Meeting. Professor Xu Dabao shared the advantages of cold-knife techniques in treating conditions such as retained products of conception, endometrial polyps, and submucosal uterine fibroids. He stated, “In the future, cold-cutting techniques will replace more traditional electrosurgical procedures.”
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is also a crucial approach in the treatment of infertility. Wang Rongyu, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beijing First Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, introduced the application of external TCM therapies in premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). He stated, “From the perspective of TCM, POI is closely related to the liver, spleen, kidney, and emotional well-being. TCM techniques such as acupuncture, electroacupuncture with intradermal needles, auricular acupressure with vaccaria seeds, and catgut embedding at acupoints can effectively treat premature ovarian insufficiency.”
Furthermore, many experts in the industry are attempting to combine various technologies to improve the treatment outcomes for infertility. Xu Jin is the inventor of the patented “Cocktail Assisted Reproduction” technique and the chief expert at Baotou Steel Group No. 3 Hospital. The primary mechanism of the Cocktail Assisted Reproduction approach involves regulating the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis through fertility-enhancing acupuncture, restoring ovarian function with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulations, and minimizing the side effects of ovulation-inducing drugs via mild stimulation protocols, thereby aiming to increase pregnancy rates and reduce miscarriage rates. Data show that the pregnancy rate with the Cocktail Assisted Reproduction therapy is 24%, superior to that of conventional Western medicine-based ovarian stimulation treatment (15%).
As the organizer of this event, Xinou Hospital has accumulated extensive experience and developed unique advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.
Xinou Hospital is a modern medical facility operating under the technical guidance of the medical consortium comprising Grade A tertiary hospitals and emergency centers in Southwest China. Characterized by resource sharing with Grade A tertiary hospitals and specialized precision minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, it is also the leading expert-oriented hospital in Chongqing, hosting the largest number of renowned physician studios. The hospital’s leadership team consists of retired physicians from Grade A tertiary hospitals, many of whom are seasoned military doctors with decades of experience in the healthcare industry.
Infertility treatment is a specialty department at Xin’ou Hospital. Since its establishment in 2017, the hospital has adopted a development strategy centered on gynecology as its core specialty, complemented by comprehensive general services. It has actively recruited talent and invested heavily in training gynecological specialists to provide treatments for infertility and other gynecological conditions. In December 2017, the hospital integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) conditioning as an adjunctive therapy, further improving the cure rate for infertility.
For the treatment of infertility, New Europe Hospital conducts precise assessments of patients’ conditions and selects appropriate therapeutic and interventional measures based on the underlying causes. The hospital employs advanced technologies—including ultrasound, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and biochemical and molecular biological testing—to achieve accurate diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, once the etiology is clearly identified, treatments such as surgical interventions, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and immunomodulation are utilized to ensure optimal therapeutic outcomes.
Currently, Xin’ou Hospital has successfully assembled a team of experts specializing in the treatment of infertility. Sun Lu, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and academic leader in obstetrics and gynecology at Xin’ou Hospital, is a renowned infertility specialist with extensive experience in treating complex cases of infertility. Dr. Sun’s clinic is filled daily with infertility patients from across China, the vast majority of whom are referred through word-of-mouth recommendations. One such patient, a 38-year-old woman with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes and two failed IVF cycles, was evaluated by Dr. Sun, who identified tubal blockage and pelvic inflammatory disease as the underlying causes. Following targeted treatment, the patient conceived successfully one month after discontinuing medication and has since delivered a healthy baby.
Director Sun Lu stated, “My patients call me ‘Mom,’ and I treat them with the same dedication as if they were my own children.” It is reported that during her nearly 30 years of clinical practice in obstetrics and gynecology, Director Sun has managed thousands of infertility cases, achieving a cure rate of 52% for infertility and 21% for complex adverse pregnancies.
In the future, Xinou Hospital will also invite renowned multidisciplinary infertility experts from across China to provide consultations and guide clinical practice, regularly host national academic conferences, and establish an infertility research laboratory to conduct in-depth studies on the fundamental theories of infertility, thereby advancing the development of infertility diagnosis and treatment in China.