History of Taipei Veterans General Hospital Orthopedics Department

Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) was established on July 1, 1958, with the Department of Orthopedics initially under the Department of Surgery. On June 1, 1983, the Department of Orthopedics was expanded and became an independent department. Over the past forty years, the department has made significant advancements in artificial joint replacement, spinal surgery, and sports medicine surgery, particularly in the field of endoscopic surgery.

The Orthopedic Trauma Division primarily focuses on fractures and has shown outstanding performance in recent years in the treatment of bone tumors, limb preservation, and reconstructive surgery. The Spine Surgery and Bone Disease Division covers areas such as spinal degeneration, disc herniation, and scoliosis, providing comprehensive solutions for back pain issues. The Sports Medicine Division is closely related to the flourishing sports activities in the country, providing the most appropriate treatment for sports injuries from shoulder, elbow, and hip joints to knee joints, allowing for the quickest recovery of function. The Hand Surgery Division is responsible for resolving hand and wrist trauma and nerve ligament problems with precise surgery. The Pediatric Orthopedic Division handles limb and spinal deformities during growth and development, as well as pediatric trauma, among other issues.

The Department of Orthopedics at TVGH excels in clinical performance nationwide, with the highest number of cases in artificial joint replacement. Outstanding clinical achievements over the years include: establishing a long bone donation and allograft bone bank, promoting a culture of bone donation; establishing a bone and muscle tumor tissue bank, collecting various benign and malignant tumor specimens; introducing the technique of autologous knee joint osteochondral transplantation for the treatment of cartilage defects, with excellent results; using computer navigation systems for complex fracture surgeries and joint replacement surgeries; producing antibiotic-loaded bone cement prostheses to treat joint infections; developing minimally invasive surgery for total joint replacement; developing minimally invasive percutaneous plate fixation surgery for complex fractures; introducing the latest correction techniques for congenital and acquired spinal scoliosis, and more. In recent years, there have also been significant breakthroughs in the treatment of bone tumors, including: using external radiation to irradiate bone tumors; the first case in Taiwan of using "liquid nitrogen freezing autologous bone reconstruction surgery" to treat bone cancer, and so on. The clinical treatment outcomes in various aspects are now on par with the world's top medical centers. In terms of basic research, the department has excelled in stem cell research, bone tumor molecular biology research, and carcinogenic gene research. Many attending physicians in the department participate in and host international conferences, and hold important positions in several international academic journals. In addition to being able to match international medical standards, the department can also bring back the latest international information to provide veterans and the general public with the highest quality of service.

 

Historical Witness_Current Orthopedics Department Advisor

楊大中 Da-zhong Yang,​ former Dean & inaugural Director of the Orthopedics Department

Current Position

Consultant, Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Education

Military Medical Academy, Class 49

Experience

Vice Dean, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Chief of the Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Director of the Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Attending Physician in the Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Attending Physician in the Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Dean, Taichung Veterans General Hospital

Chairman, Taiwan Society for Joint Reconstruction

Chairman, Taiwan Orthopaedic Association

Special Achievements

Pioneered and implemented the national surgical specialist physician accreditation system

Established the orthopedic specialist physician accreditation system

Founded the Taiwan Society for Joint Reconstruction and served as its inaugural chairman

Published the Taiwan Orthopaedic Journal

Established the Department of Orthopedics at this hospital

First to introduce artificial joint replacement

First to introduce surgeries for correcting scoliosis

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羅惠熙 Hui-Hsi Luo, Former Director of the Department of Orthopedics

Education  

Bachelor of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center

Experience

Consultant, Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital

Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Director of Emergency Department, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Orthopedic Surgeon, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Director of the Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Chief of the Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Orthopedic Research Fellow, Raymond Poincaré Hospital, University of Paris V

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吳濬哲 Chun-Che Wu, Former Chief of Sports Medicine Department

Education

MD, National Taiwan University College of Medicine

Experience

Chief, Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Specialist, Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Resident, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Research Fellow, Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic