Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital｜Devoted to Auditory Reconstruction —‑ Young Physician Adds Color to Muffled Soundscapes
- Elva Chen
- 1 minute ago
- 4 min read
Hearing is our window to perceive the world and human emotions. For people with hearing loss, this window only reveals grey, indistinct outlines, lacking depth and warmth. Dr. Jia Huan, Chief Physician at the Department of Otolaryngology‑Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, is the clinician who brings vibrant hues back to that muted world.
Twenty years ago, cochlear implants were seen as “magical gadgets”. Today, they represent the precise art of minimally‑invasive surgery. In an interview, Dr. Jia noted that with robotic‑assisted surgery, brain‑computer interfaces and other cutting‑edge technologies, China’s auditory reconstruction field will achieve a true leap: from “being able to hear” toward “hearing clearly”.
A Serendipitous Path into Auditory Reconstruction
Dr. Jia Huan’s entry into otology began with a fortunate twist of fate. In 2003, while pursuing an integrated bachelor‑master’s track in the French‑language program at Shanghai Second Medical University (now Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine), he selected Professor Wu Hao, later Chairman of the Chinese Medical Association’s Otolaryngology‑Head and Neck Surgery Branch, as his postgraduate supervisor.
Professor Wu opened the door to the fascinating world of otology. Back then, cochlear implantation had just arrived in China, giving deaf patients their ability to hear again. The sight left a deep impression on the young trainee and planted an enduring seed in his heart. “Specialty choices often hinge on chance. But once you step in and grow passionate, you never want to leave,” Dr. Jia reflected. He has stayed within auditory medicine ever since his student days.
Drawing on the French‑language track’s international‑exchange opportunities, he completed a one‑year clinical internship in France at a hospital renowned for auditory implantation. Impressive performance earned him an offer from a local auditory neuroscience lab, and he later returned to France to finish his doctoral studies. Years afterward, he worked in the very institution where Professor Wu Hao once studied, gaining hands‑on exposure to the world’s first otological surgical robot. This journey let him master otological innovations from basic theories to clinical products, and grasp global industry trends.
Nearly 20 years have passed since his graduation in 2005. For Dr. Jia, otology and auditory medicine are far more than a job —‑ they carry profound responsibility. “Behind every hearing‑impaired patient lies a family’s hopes. My mission is to make those hopes real through professional care.”
Under the mentorship of Professor Wu Hao, Dr. Jia’s team performs close to 200 cochlear‑implant operations annually.
“As a surgeon, two cases stay with you for life: your first independent new‑procedure surgery, and patients with sub‑optimal outcomes,” Dr. Jia shared. He still vividly recalls a hearing‑preserving cochlear‑implant surgery for an adult patient. Plagued by long‑term poor hearing and excessive noise from hearing aids, the patient’s daily life suffered greatly.
Guided by intraoperative auditory‑electrophysiological monitoring, Dr. Jia gently and precisely placed electrodes inside the inner ear. Though all intra‑ and post‑operative indicators pointed to success, anxiety lingered until the one‑month activation appointment. When audiograms confirmed well‑preserved low‑frequency residual hearing, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This technically demanding procedure carries highly variable success rates. “Patients place their trust and hopes in you, so you have to push for perfection in every detail.” Today, hearing‑preserving cochlear implantation has become a signature strength of his team, enabling restored hearing while preserving natural low‑frequency auditory perception.
“Auditory‑reconstructive surgery is like playing the violin,” one of Dr. Jia’s French mentors once observed. The ossicles —‑ the body’s tiniest bones and joints —‑ exert enormous influence over hearing. His team also specializes in ossicular‑chain reconstruction for chronic otitis media, ossicular malformation and otosclerosis, including technically demanding stapedectomy. He still remembers his very first successful stapedectomy, which he documented in a social‑media post.
The Future Has Arrived: From “Hearing” to “Hearing Clearly”
“Functional surgery does not guarantee 100 % success. Poor outcomes can devastate patients. That drives me to emphasize close follow‑up, outcome analysis, scientific research and new‑technology development,” Dr. Jia acknowledged, adding that much work remains to be done.
Artificial‑intelligence‑powered innovation is reshaping clinical practice. Dr. Jia took part in China’s first robot‑assisted otological surgery at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital. “Unlike many surgical robots built for speed and small incisions, otological surgical robots prioritize gentleness and slow, precise manipulation, without enlarging wounds.”
Dr. Jia holds more than ten invention patents, three of which have been successfully translated into real‑world clinical applications. His landmark contribution is assisting Professor Wu Hao in developing China’s first domestic Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI), filling a critical domestic technical gap. Previously, patients with severe inner‑ear malformations or auditory‑nerve lesions were ineligible for cochlear implants. Now ABI offers new hope —‑ an input‑oriented sensory‑reconstruction brain‑computer interface of extraordinary technical complexity.
Yet translational medicine brings steep challenges. “Physicians excel at treating patients, but turning laboratory ideas into market‑ready devices demands specialized teams and capital. Many promising innovations stall because of limited commercial returns and scarce investment.” Otological surgical‑robot development illustrates these hurdles: high R&D costs paired with relatively small patient pools discourage sustained corporate investment. “Still, we press forward. If a technology can help patients, it is worth fighting for.”
Years of translational work have taught him a key lesson: doctors must take proactive steps instead of passively waiting for industry partners. Solid clinical data and mature technology build investor confidence.
To young medical students, he offers advice: “Do not only chase popular specialties. Seek unmet clinical gaps under mentorship, attend international conferences to track cutting‑edge progress. Advanced technology ultimately serves patients. For surgeons, manual skill built through experience remains irreplaceable. Always remember: you are first and foremost a physician.”
His grandfather’s old maxim stays with him: “If you cannot become a great statesman, be a great healer.” From the young medical student astonished by early cochlear‑implant technology two decades ago, to today’s expert performing hundreds of operations and pursuing innovation, Dr. Jia’s achievements stem from accumulated surgical experience and patient‑centered dedication.
Having stumbled into this specialty by chance, he has stayed committed for over 20 years. He will keep advancing artificial auditory implantation step‑by‑step, so more people may hear the beauty of our world.
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