Making minimally invasive procedures precise, and achieving high-quality repairs — giving more heart valve patients the opportunity to “avoid valve replacement, avoid open-heart surgery, and suffer less.”
ShanghaiJune 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, National Level II Professor, Chief Physician of Cardiac Surgery, and Doctoral Supervisor Meng Xu officially joined Shanghai Delta Cardiovascular Hospital, serving as the Honorary Director of the Delta Valve Center. He will provide regular outpatient consultations and perform complex cardiac surgeries, focusing comprehensively on minimally invasive and precise treatments for complex heart valve diseases, end-stage heart failure, and complex atrial fibrillation.
Delta Cardiac Surgery Gains Significant Strength:
From “Strong Cardiac Surgery” to “Precision Valve Care”
The cardiac surgery team at Delta Hospital has built solid expertise in the private healthcare sector over the years, with extensive clinical experience in core areas such as major vascular diseases, complex coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, and heart failure. With the official joining of Professor Meng Xu, the Delta Valve Center has undergone a critical upgrade — further strengthening its comprehensive diagnostic and treatment capabilities for valve diseases, offering patients a one-stop solution “from minimally invasive repair to complex reoperation.”
Four Decades of Dedication to Cardiac Surgery
A Pioneer in Domestic Valve Repair and Minimally Invasive Techniques
Professor Meng Xu has nearly 40 years of clinical experience in cardiovascular surgery, having independently performed over 10,000 cardiovascular procedures, with a high proportion being valve-related surgeries. He is one of the early experts in China to systematically promote the “repair-first” philosophy, advancing rheumatic mitral valve disease from “only replacement possible” to “repairable,” accumulating extensive experience in complex valve repair.
In terms of technique, Professor Meng advocates for “individualized valve repair.” In 2025, he led his team to complete 125 mitral valve repairs in Shanghai, including 105 rheumatic mitral valve repairs, making it the first unit in East China to perform over 100 rheumatic mitral valve repairs annually.
Minimally Invasive is Not Just a Slogan
It’s Tangible Benefits for Patients
Professor Meng Xu has a pragmatic understanding of minimally invasive techniques: The core of minimally invasive surgery is not a small incision, but bringing patients less pain and faster recovery. In his clinical practice, minimally invasive methods have been systematically applied in multiple scenarios:
- Thoracoscopic-assisted minimally invasive surgery
- Transcatheter mitral valve TEER repair
- Small-incision minimally invasive precise repair
- Minimally invasive protection for elderly patients
- Combined minimally invasive treatment for atrial fibrillation and valve disease
Professor Meng Xu also objectively reminds that while minimally invasive techniques offer many advantages, they are not suitable for all cases. He adheres to the principle of patient benefit, strictly controlling indications, and does not blindly pursue small incisions at the expense of repair quality.
Entering the International Academic Circle of Authority
Leading the Development of Domestic Valve Discipline
Distinct from a purely clinical surgeon, Professor Meng Xu is one of the few leading scholars in domestic cardiac surgery who bridges clinical practice, academic research, and industry standard-setting, with multiple qualifications ranking among the top in China:
Member of International Prestigious Societies
In 2015, he was elected as a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). At that time, fewer than ten cardiac surgeons nationwide were selected, signifying that his surgical techniques and academic achievements gained recognition from the global cardiothoracic surgery community; concurrently, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS).
Leader of Asian and National Key Disciplines
Since 2017, he has served as the Chairman of the China Branch of the Asian Society for Valve Disease; in 2018, he led the establishment of the Chinese Research Hospital Association’s Heart Valve Disease Professional Committee and served as its first chairman, founding the Asian Heart Valve Forum to build a platform for regular academic exchange in valve surgery across Asia; he also serves as the Vice President of the Beijing Medical Doctor Association’s Cardiovascular Surgery Branch.
Recognition with Key Industry Honors
In 2008, he won the highest individual award in cardiac surgery from the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the “Golden Scalpel Award“;
In 2010, he was selected for the top tier of Beijing’s “Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand” high-level health talent program;
In 2015, he was recognized as a Beijing Outstanding Contributing Science and Technology Talent;
In 2018, he was named a “National Famous Doctor” at the National Famous Doctor Ceremony.
In terms of technical implementation, Professor Meng Xu is one of the first introducers and promoters of surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation and complex valvuloplasty in China. During his previous tenure at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, he led his team to establish a first-tier diagnostic and treatment system for heart transplantation, valve repair, and surgical atrial fibrillation ablation, breaking multiple foreign technical monopolies and driving the domestic valve surgery transition from “valve replacement” to “valve-preserving repair”, significantly reducing the risks of lifelong anticoagulation and reoperation for patients.
Delta Valve Center’s New Upgrade
Focusing on Three Types of Complex Heart Diseases, with Valves at the Core
Leveraging the technical depth and minimally invasive philosophy of Professor Meng Xu’s team, the Delta Valve Center clearly positions itself to serve three types of patients:
Various Heart Valve Diseases (Core Focus)
- Mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valve stenosis/regurgitation
- Minimally invasive valve repair (less trauma, faster recovery)
- Secondary/multiple valve reoperations (seeking new opportunities for patients who have experienced failed surgery or recurrence)
End-stage Cardiac Dysfunction, Refractory Heart Failure (with Combined Valve Disease)
- Left ventricular assist device (artificial heart) implantation and long-term follow-up management
Complex Atrial Fibrillation (with Combined Valve Disease)
- Surgical minimally invasive atrial fibrillation ablation
- One-stop combined surgery for atrial fibrillation and valve disease (single procedure, reducing repeated hospital visits)
From Beijing Anzhen to Shanghai Delta:
Bringing Mature Techniques and Minimally Invasive Concepts to More Patients
During his tenure as Chief Expert of the Valve and Atrial Fibrillation Center at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Professor Meng Xu led his team to establish mature clinical systems for valve repair, heart transplantation, and atrial fibrillation ablation. Now, he will systematically bring his techniques and philosophy to Shanghai Delta, providing more accessible treatment options for patients in the Yangtze River Delta region and across the country.
This means: Building on Shanghai Delta’s existing strengths in cardiac surgery, it now gains significant support in valve surgery and minimally invasive techniques.
