The current status of cardiovascular surgery in the People's Republic of China

Dr. David Bregman was invited to participate in a thirteen-physician American Teaching Delegation led by Dr. Tsung O. Cheng, Professor of Medicine at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The trip was sponsored by the American College of Physicians. Deputy Director of the delegation was Dr. Samuel Asper, Deputy Executive Vice President of the American College of Physicians and Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. The American Teaching Delegation was the first of its kind to be invited to lecture and impart new medical-surgical techniques throughout the People's Republic of China. The trip lasted approximately one month, from September to October, 1979, and included the September 30 to October 1 celebrations in Peking commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Principal cities visited were Peking and Shanghai, as well as Chengtu, Chungking, and Wuhan. Dr. Bregman demonstrated, for the first time in the People's Republic of China, intraaortic balloon pumping, a new percutaneous intraaortic balloon, and other cardiac assist techniques.