Fudan University Eye & ENT Hospital is the first specialized hospital for eye, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) care in China, and it remains the only tertiary class-A institution of its kind directly managed by the National Health Commission. Founded in 1952 by prominent national professors, including Professor Hu Maolian and Professor Guo Bingkuan, the hospital has undergone several transformations and name changes over the years. Today, it operates under a "one hospital, two wings" model, with multiple locations, including the Fenyang District Hospital and Pujiang District Hospital as the two wings, along with the Baoqing Road Branch, Yaohua Road Branch, and the Shaanxi South Road Innovation Center. The hospital remains committed to its motto of "Excellence, Unity, Pragmatism, Innovation," striving to become "an internationally influential first-class specialized hospital for eye, ear, nose, and throat diseases, and a leading Asian medical center for ENT and related conditions."
The hospital encompasses eight clinical departments: ophthalmology, otolaryngology, ophthalmic plastic surgery, radiotherapy, anesthesia, emergency, dentistry, and nursing, as well as five medical technology departments: radiology, pathology, pharmacy, laboratory, and nutrition. With 755 beds, the hospital extends its medical services nationwide.
Both the ophthalmology and otolaryngology departments are designated as key disciplines by the Ministry of Education and clinical specialties by the National Health Commission. The hospital also serves as a training base for standardized residency programs in ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and anesthesia under the National Health Commission. It is recognized as a national clinical trial institution for pharmaceuticals and medical devices and hosts national-level laboratories in areas such as auditory medicine, myopia and related eye diseases, and endoscopic skull base tumor surgery.
In addition, the hospital operates several prestigious laboratories and research centers, including the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Reconstruction, the Shanghai Rare Disease Gene Editing and Cell Therapy Key Laboratory (currently under development), and the Shanghai Laser and Naked-eye 3D Vision Health Engineering Technology Research Center. It also leads the National Otolaryngology Professional Medical Quality Control Center and has contributed to the establishment of the National Ophthalmology Medical Quality Control Center.
With a workforce of 2,008 employees, the hospital has built a high-quality talent team led by academicians, gathering nearly 30 national-level high-level talents and over 100 provincial and ministerial top talents as the core backbone, guiding the growth of young and emerging talents.
The hospital is guided by clinical needs and adheres to the "four orientations," focusing on major basic research and translational applications in ophthalmology and otolaryngology. It has achieved substantial achievements. The hospital undertakes key national foundational research (973) projects, major national R&D programs, and the National Youth Science Fund projects. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), the hospital has secured almost 800 research projects, including over 230 national-level projects. Research achievements have been published in renowned professional journals such as The Lancet, JAMA, and BMJ, with more than 2,200 articles published in SCI-indexed journals. The hospital has also been granted more than 260 patents.
The hospital has made significant strides in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ophthalmic and otolaryngologic diseases, achieving numerous research milestones. Cutting-edge technologies such as gene therapy for deafness, viral keratitis, and artificial intelligence diagnostics for visual and auditory diseases have placed the hospital at the forefront of global medical advancements.
The hospital closely focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ophthalmic and otolaryngologic diseases and related fields. By collaborating closely with research institutes and enterprises, it integrates industry, academia, research, and clinical practice to tackle technical challenges. As a result, the hospital has achieved a series of research outcomes with independent intellectual property rights. New technologies, such as gene therapy for deafness, antiviral corneal gene therapy, and AI-based diagnosis for auditory and visual disorders, are at the forefront of international advancements.
Since 2005, the hospital has earned the title of "Shanghai Civilized Unit" eight times and was honored as a "National Civilized Unit" in 2020. In 2024, the hospital's "Institutionalized-Intelligent-Excellence" 360-degree quality management model received the Shanghai Quality Gold Award.