Doctors‘ Compassion Knows No Borders: Xiao Chuan-Guo’s Xiao Procedure Adds Another Overseas Case of Congenital Spina Bifida Treatment

In September 2023, exciting news came from the Xiao Chuan-Guo Hospital in Shenzhen. A teenager from Qatar, Mohammed (a pseudonym), who was born with myelomeningocele and had difficulties with urination and bowel movements, was successfully treated by Professor Xiao Chuan-Guo, a specialist in neuro-urology. This marked another success story for the Xiao procedure, which has been saving lives both in China and internationally for years.

Mohammed hails from a wealthy Arabian noble family and was diagnosed with myelomeningocele at birth. This condition made his life extremely challenging, and even with his father being a prominent figure in Qatar, they were unable to find a cure. Over the past decade, Mohammed’s family sought effective treatments in major hospitals across the Arab region without success. They even spent a significant amount to send Mohammed to the Children’s Hospital at Harvard University in the USA for surgery, followed by treatment at the Urology Institute of University College London in the UK, but to no avail. Mohammed’s condition, which led to an inability to manage his bladder and bowel movements, persisted for over a decade.

In August of this year, Mohammed’s parents learned about Professor Xiao Chuan-Guo in China, an expert in treating myelomeningocele. Professor Xiao is internationally recognized for being the first to propose and prove the concept of artificially creating a “somatic-autonomic reflex pathway,” a groundbreaking idea in neuroscience. His invention, the Xiao procedure, has successfully treated thousands of patients from countries including China, the USA, Argentina, India, the Philippines, Germany, and Denmark. Due to Professor Xiao’s remarkable contributions to neuro-urology, the Xiao procedure is consistently featured in the world’s most authoritative textbook on neurogenic bladder and neuro-urology, “Essentials of The Adult Neurogenic Bladder.”

Holding on to their last hope, Mohammed’s family contacted Professor Xiao through the Qatari Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General in Guangzhou, and traveled thousands of miles to China for treatment.

After Mohammed was admitted to the Xiao Chuan-Guo Hospital, Professor Xiao conducted a detailed assessment of his condition and determined he was an ideal candidate for the Xiao procedure. In early September 2023, Professor Xiao personally performed the surgery, utilizing his expert skills and extensive experience to successfully complete the operation.

On the first day after the surgery, the Qatari Consulate General immediately sent flowers to the Xiao Chuan-Guo Hospital as a gesture of congratulations and gratitude. As Mohammed recovered back in his country, his parents saw a significant improvement in his condition. They called several Qatari medical professors to inform them of the success and conveyed their thanks to Professor Xiao through a translator, saying,

The Qatari dignitary also warmly told Professor Xiao that there are many more patients in his country waiting for him to perform surgery and promised to extend every courtesy should Professor Xiao visit.

Since the establishment of the Xiao Chuan-Guo Hospital in Shenzhen, patients from both China and abroad have been seeking treatment there, often contacting Professor Xiao through recommendations from doctors in their home countries. The Xiao procedure has consistently shown excellent results, regardless of the patient’s nationality, further enhancing Professor Xiao’s and his procedure’s international reputation. Classic cases include Kelly from Louisiana, USA, who suffered from urinary incontinence after a gunshot wound to the spine; Rebecca, an Asian girl with myelomeningocele adopted by an American nurse; and Miya, a little girl from Uruguay with congenital spina bifida. During this interview, Professor Xiao also recalled an impressive case that had not been previously reported: “I remember a famous accountant from New York who came to our hospital for surgery. She was in such good condition three days post-op that she attached the catheter to her waistband and flew back to New York.”

Mohammed’s successful treatment is a testament to Professor Xiao Chuan-Guo’s medical expertise and the effectiveness of the Xiao procedure. This case has attracted widespread media attention, highlighting not only Mohammed’s fortunate outcome but also adding a new chapter to the development of China’s medical achievements.