Under the guidance of the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Pancreatitis Center of WCH pioneered the application of TCM febrile disease theory in China to summarize the etiological syndrome types and pathogenesis patterns of acute pancreatitis.

During the implementation of this project, we have received funding from multiple sources, including the Key Clinical Discipline Construction Project of the Ministry of Health, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Our distinctive therapies provide protective effects against severe acute pancreatitis at several critical stages that influence patient outcomes:

· Early stage: anti-shock treatment, prevention of disease progression to severe forms, and prevention of the onset and progression of multiple organ damage

· Mid-to-late stage: prevention of pancreatic infection caused by intestinal bacterial translocation

These approaches have significantly reduced both the mortality rate and the surgical rate for severe acute pancreatitis.

Building on these achievements and integrating advances in Western medicine, we have gradually developed and refined a comprehensive treatment protocol for severe acute pancreatitis as well as a specific integrated TCM-Western medicine non-surgical treatment regimen.

General Treatment Protocol:
For general severe acute pancreatitis, active integrated TCM-Western medicine non-surgical treatment is the first-line approach. Treatment focuses on preventing and managing multiple organ dysfunction and peripancreatic infection caused by bacterial translocation. Surgery is reserved primarily for late-stage complications, including infections.

Integrated TCM-Western Medicine Non-surgical Diagnosis and Treatment Regimen:
This regimen follows a staged and syndrome differentiation-based approach guided by TCM febrile disease theory. TCM treatment modalities include nasogastric tube feeding and oral administration of Chinese herbal medicine, herbal enemas, acupoint injections, and acupuncture.

Clinical Outcomes:
From 2003 to 2010, 3,390 patients with severe acute pancreatitis were treated using this regimen, achieving a mortality rate of 4% and a surgical rate of 8.2% — leading outcomes among large-scale case series reported both domestically and internationally. In addition, patient hospital stays and hospitalization costs were significantly reduced.

Review experts, including five academicians, concluded that this project "has found the entry point for integrating TCM and Western medicine in the treatment of major diseases, achieved breakthroughs in TCM theory and treatment methods, and reached internationally advanced and domestically leading levels." In 2004, the project received both the First Prize of Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award and the Second Prize of the Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award.

Center Scale and Research Capacity:
Our department admits over 1,000 pancreatitis patients annually, with numbers increasing year by year. We have become the largest single-disease treatment center for acute pancreatitis in China.

The project has received support from numerous research grants, including the National Science and Technology Support Program, multiple National Natural Science Foundation projects, and research funds from the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, totaling over 2 million RMB. Research directions include further evaluation of TCM efficacy, pharmacodynamics of Chinese herbal medicines, and mechanisms of therapeutic action.

In 2007, this specialty was designated as a key TCM specialty development unit by the state. In 2011, the Department of TCM Surgery, building on this specialty direction, was rated as a "National Key Clinical Specialty" by the Ministry of Health and became the lead unit of the national collaborative group for TCM treatment of acute pancreatitis.