Profile: Spanish surgeon’s relentless crusade against cancer and pain in Shanghai

This photo provided by the interviewee shows Spanish surgeon Diego Gonzalez Rivas (2nd L) performing surgery with his colleagues at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital in east China’s Shanghai, Nov. 13, 2024. (Xinhua)
by Xinhua writers You Zhixin and Qiu Yi
SHANGHAI, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) — It’s Thursday, the final day of a training course at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. Diego Gonzalez Rivas, the co-director of this esteemed program, still has four critical surgeries ahead of him.
Upon entering Building No. 5 of the hospital, the Spanish surgeon is greeted by a team of accomplished international thoracic surgeons who have gathered for the bi-monthly training of the 46th International Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) and Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (RATS).
With a bag slung over his shoulder, Gonzalez dons a green surgical gown and exchanges warm greetings with the participants. The rigorous schedule commences promptly at 8 a.m. and extends well into the night.
PIONEERING UNIPORTAL VATS
Born in 1974 in La Coruna, a town in northwest Spain, Gonzalez was nurtured with a profound urge to serve humanity, largely influenced by his mother, a nurse. After graduating from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, he honed his skills as a thoracic surgery and lung transplantation specialist at the University of A Coruna in Spain.
In June 2010, Gonzalez performed the world’s first uniportal VATS lobectomy. This groundbreaking technique enabled the removal of complex tumors through a single, minimally invasive incision, setting a new global standard in surgical innovation.
“Uniportal VATS is a minimally invasive single-incision technique that significantly reduces patient pain and recovery time, leading to a better quality of life,” he explained. “I was eager to delve deeper into this technique. Finally, I made it. Then I embarked on a global journey to popularize this technique.”
In 2012, the creator of uniportal VATS traveled to Hong Kong to deliver a keynote speech on the technique. There, he connected with two surgeons from Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, who had made some achievements in uniportal VATS, making a name for themselves on the global stage of thoracic surgery.
Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital extended an invitation to Gonzalez for further collaboration in Shanghai. “Magic happens when you meet the right people at the right place and time. And that meeting is where the magic begins,” Gonzalez recalled.
FROM ZERO TO 46
This year, the International VATS and RATS training course at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital welcomed its 10th anniversary, having successfully completed 46 editions. Since its inception in 2013, the hospital has received over 1,000 surgeons from over 100 countries and regions for their short-term training programs. Additionally, numerous foreign physicians have undertaken long-term training at this esteemed institution.
Gonzalez was one of the first batch of participants and is now the co-director and lecturer of the well-organized course.
“From the moment I set foot here, I was impressed by the hospital’s skilled doctors and the volume of patients. It’s evident to me that this is the ideal place to instruct surgeons worldwide in the technique of uniportal VATS, as there are more cases and more doctors here,” he said.
According to Zhao Deping, director of the thoracic surgery department of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, each edition of the training course lasts two weeks, including theoretical lectures on diagnostic concepts, surgery observations, group discussions, and experimental surgery.
“The training course is so valuable, as participants have the opportunities to engage with numerous complex cases and learn various surgical techniques quickly,” Gonzalez remarked.
The thoracic surgery department of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital has performed nearly 200,000 thoracic surgeries to date. Meanwhile, the hospital has become one of the top destinations globally for thoracic professionals seeking to learn and advance their skills.
“The course fosters strong connections because this hospital shares values such as passion, hard work and dedication,” he said. “When it comes to fighting cancer, we’re all the same.”
THE MOST IMPORTANT CHAPTER
An active doctor in disseminating surgical advances on social media, Gonzalez, who refers to himself as “a big fan of China,” frequently showed on social media the enhanced quality of life for Chinese citizens, the cutting-edge innovations like Chinese new energy vehicles, and the myriad of transformations he has observed to his global audience.
During his recent visit to Shanghai, Gonzalez posted a video of his training experience, praising the hospital’s exceptional surgical standards and the efficacy of China’s medical system on the X platform, which sparked widespread discussion and positive feedback.
“People are interested to know about Chinese medical services because compared with the medical services in Spain and some other countries, Chinese medical services are more efficient,” he said, adding that he believes Spain could learn from China’s approach by finding ways to motivate doctors in the public sector.
The doctor maintains an incredibly demanding travel schedule, crisscrossing the globe with vigor. Immediately after concluding his course in Shanghai, he is set to travel to Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, and Beijing for a series of conferences and surgical procedures. Following these engagements, he will embark on a comprehensive business tour across Asia. Gonzalez is expected to return to Shanghai in January next year for the subsequent edition of the VATS and RATS training courses.
Gonzalez has visited and operated in over 130 countries and regions worldwide throughout his career. About half of the over 900 major surgeries he has performed annually were completed in China.
“Nothing Is Impossible,” by Elena Pita, chronicles the Spanish surgeon’s worldwide fight against cancer. The chapter, “Shanghai Connection,” delves into his productive partnership with Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, underscoring their mutual dedication to achieving medical excellence.
“Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital changed my life and the experiences I’ve gained here will undoubtedly be the most important chapter of my life,” he said. ■

This photo provided by the interviewee shows Spanish surgeon Diego Gonzalez Rivas performing surgery at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital in east China’s Shanghai, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua)