Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations | China-Brazil Cardiovascular Innovation Forum Successfully Held

On September 26-27, the China-Brazil Cardiovascular Innovation Forum, co-hosted by Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (XMCH) and Hospital de Messejana Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes, was successfully held online. The forum aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil, deepen the international sister-city relationship between Xiamen and Fortaleza, and promote medical exchange and cooperation among BRICS countries.

In April of this year, Xiamen trade delegation visited Brazil, where, in the presence of Xiamen's top leadership and the Governor of Ceará, XMCH and Hospital de Messejana signed a cooperation agreement. Since then, the two hospitals have engaged in close collaboration in cardiovascular medicine, talent cultivation, and scientific research, yielding initial results. This forum not only represents the concrete implementation of the Xiamen delegation's visit to Brazil but also serves as an important platform to further deepen China-Brazil cooperation in the healthcare sector. It promotes medical technology innovation, resource sharing, and the improvement of cardiovascular disease treatment in both countries.

At the opening ceremony, Ceará State’s Secretary of International Relations Roseane Oliveira de Medeiros, Executive Secretary for Health Care and Regional Development Lauro Perdigão, General Director of Dr.  Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes Hospital de Messejana Carlos Augusto Lima Gomes dos Santos, and Representative of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (Ceará Section) José Diógenes Marques delivered speeches.

In Xiamen's main venue, Wang Yan, Director of XMCH, Huang Feng, Executive Deputy Director General, Office of Xiamen Leading Group for BRICS Partnership, Chen Qing, Senior Investigator from Xiamen's Foreign Affairs Office, and Wu Xijie, Vice Director of XMCH, were seated alongside department heads, key academic staff, and scholars from the Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program.

Director Wang Yan and Executive Deputy Director Huang Feng delivered opening remarks, followed by an online speech from Professor Ma Changsheng, the Chairperson-designate of the Chinese Society of Cardiology and Director of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital Capital Medical University. Dr. Antonio Simao, a Brazilian doctor currently undergoing training under the Heart Sapling Program at XMCH, shared his learning experiences during the forum.

Showcasing Chinese Innovative Technology

Interventional Procedures Livestreams Dazzle

XMCH showcased three complex interventions live, utilizing innovative Chinese medical devices: VitaFlow Liberty, LuX-Valve Plus, and C-Wave. These included a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR), and an intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) procedure for coronary artery disease.

Brazilian experts presented three pre-recorded procedures: a mitral valve-in-valve (MViV) procedure, a tricuspid valve-in-valve (TViV) replacement, and an interventional treatment of a chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the coronary artery. Experts from several renowned Brazilian institutions, including the Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology, the Heart Institute of São Paulo University, and the School of Medicine of São Paulo, participated in the case discussions, sharing clinical experiences.

XMCH is the only tertiary cardiovascular specialist hospital in Fujian Province and has been approved as a the National Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Disease and a sub-center of the National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Disease. As one of the first 12 interventional heart valve centers in China, XMCH regularly conducts various complex valve interventional procedures, with its technical difficulty and procedural volume ranking among the top nationwide. The hospital also actively promotes independent domestic innovations, collaborating with enterprises to develop several innovative medical devices, some of which are the first of their kind globally.

Through the live procedures, the XMCH team vividly demonstrated the excellence of Chinese original medical technology, domestically produced innovative devices, and the expertise of Chinese physicians. Brazilian experts, after observing Director Wang Yan’s team in action, praised the high level of technical skill and the superior performance of the innovative Chinese devices.

Deepening International Cooperation
The XMCH Model Yields Results

In April, Director Wang Yan was invited to visit Brazil, where he toured Hospital de Messejana, the Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology, and the Heart Institute of São Paulo University. During the visit, XMCH signed a cooperation agreement with Hospital de Messejana, guided a local completion of a transcatheter aortic valve replacement and a complex coronary stent implantation using domestic devices.

Following this, Hospital de Messejana sent Dr. Antonio Simao, a young visiting scholar, to XMCH for six months of specialized structural heart disease training. The two hospitals have maintained multi-level interactions and collaboration, culminating in this China-Brazil Cardiovascular Innovation Forum, a reflection of XMCH’s commitment to implementing the Global Development Initiative and enhancing international medical cooperation.

In recent years, XMCH has continually explored the "XMCH Model" for international exchange and cooperation, establishing the BRICS Cardiovascular Health Innovation Center and building an international, professional, and industrialized platform for global collaboration.

This year alone, XMCH has been invited to conduct interventional and surgical guidance in countries like El Salvador, Brazil, Azerbaijan, and Indonesia, completing the first implantation of several innovative Chinese medical devices in these regions and helping local hospitals adopt cardiovascular innovations, thereby improving the level of cardiovascular care. XMCH has also established partnerships with hospitals in countries such as India, Brazil, El Salvador, Belarus, and Indonesia, further expanding its network of international collaborations.

Moreover, XMCH has initiated the Heart Sapling Visiting Scholar Program, recruiting international young cardiovascular specialists to train in Xiamen. The program was officially announced by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) at the Global Development Initiative High-level Thematic Event at the UN Headquarters. It has been included in CIDCA’s Global Development Project Incubation and Achievement Pool. To date, the program has received 13 scholars from seven countries for training in Xiamen. In September this year, CIDCA announced that XMCH will recruit 50 "Heart Sapling" scholars from the "Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative" over the next three years.

By combining "going out" and "inviting in," XMCH is exploring new models for international medical exchange and cooperation, achieving preliminary success. In the future, XMCH will continue to uphold innovation-driven development and contribute to the building of a global community of health for all.