title: [Cardiac surgery in China in 2010].
abstract: In China, cardiac surgery has been developing fast over the past 30 years, but it still cannot meet the huge demand created by the high prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes and smoking, and the high frequency of congenital cardiopathies. In China, cardiac surgery is available in about 600 centers, but fewer than 10 centers account for the bulk of operations. Most of these high-volume centers are located in well-developed eastern cities, but cardiac surgery is growing at an extremely rapid pace in the western provinces too. Private structures are appearing alongside public and military hospitals. Huge efforts are being made to train medical staff and to develop basic and clinical research. The Chinese biomedical industry is also developing rapidly, providing local alternatives to imported products. Large university centers in major eastern cities are assisting the development of less experienced centers. The high cost of cardiac surgery remains an obstacle, but the improving economic situation and the expansion of insurance coverage is rapidly improving patient access to these treatments.
authors.affiliation: daniel.loisance@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loisance
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D002681:China; D006801:Humans; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000639:trends*