The moment Ms. C (alias) decided to have her procedure at Jiahui Women’s Health Center came in the ultrasound room, halfway around the world from her California home. A calm, unhurried conversation with Dr. Amanda Lu made the difference. Unlike past visits when she felt rushed and couldn’t finish her questions, Dr. Lu’s warm, reassuring manner made the clinic feel safe and gave her confidence.
If you’re exploring treatment options from abroad or seeking care that understands the needs of overseas patients, read on to learn how Jiahui supports medical travelers like Ms. C.
9cm Uterine Fibroid Detected, 2 Months Wait List In the States
For Ms. C, a U.S.-based working professional in her 40s with multiple uterine fibroids, Jiahui International Hospital turned her priorities into reality.
After experiencing heavier, abnormal periods that prompted a follow-up check in the States, she was found to have an enlarged 9 cm uterine fibroid. She then learned that the estimated wait time in California to see a specialist to remove it would be two months with no guarantees, which would increase her risk of complications.
Ms. C explained, “In the States, I could only see specialists within my health network, and if I wanted to appoint a specific gynecologist for my procedure, I may be waiting for more than half a year. ”
Taking matters into her own hands, she went on social media for a solution that aligned with her needs.
Shared Decision Making
First, based on her research, she narrowed down that she preferred a single-port laparoscopy. She said, “The common U.S. approaches were not very appealing.The single-port laparoscopy option isn't very common in the U.S. Most cases there use multiple ports or robotics.” This single-port option was also not available when she inquired other hospitals in Shanghai, since they prioritized surgical volume per day, and single-port would require too much time.
▲ Dr. Amanda Lu, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology, checking in on Ms. C after the procedure.
Second, Ms. C, who had lived in the U.S. for many years and previously undergone a similar procedure, was accustomed to protocols that did not require preoperative bowel preparation. Her consultations with other hospitals, however, made it clear that bowel prep would be required there. Based on her prior experience and the accounts she’d read about online, she found that process exhausting and preferred to avoid it.
At Jiahui, shared decision making was available for Ms. C. Unlike the hospitals that require bowel cleansing, Jiahui could eliminate traditional practices and replace them with evidence-based practices that reduce stress and enhance recovery. It was viable to perform a single‑port laparoscopy and no bowel preparation for Ms. C, allowing a one‑visit surgical pathway.
Scheduling and Speed
Upon finding Jiahui International Hospital on social media, Ms. C contacted Jiahui Obstetrics and Gynecology’s surgical case specialist, Ella Lee. In mid‑November she had a remote consultation from her home in California to review pre‑ and post‑op details. Through the surgical case specialist, patients who haven’t yet traveled to China can ask questions and have the specialist coordinate with doctors to clarify concerns and present tailored treatment options before arrival, which is a process that helped Ms. C plan her visit with clarity.
Knowing Ms. C would be flying all the way from California, Jiahui’s team streamlined her in-person consult, ultrasound exam, and potential procedure time in advance to minimize waiting once she arrived in Shanghai. Thanks to Jiahui International Hospital’s comprehensive departments and one-stop service, Ms. C was able to complete all pre-operative steps and the surgery in a single visit, avoiding the repeat visits she would have experienced in other hospitals. The next day she was scheduled for the operation, which Dr. Lu completed in two hours.
▲ Dr. Amanda Lu, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ms. C, and Ms. Ella Lee, Surgical Case Specialist
Dr. Lu visited Ms. C the day after surgery, checking her mobility, abdominal bloating, bowel function and pain level. "How is your pain?" Dr. Lu asked. "If everything feels okay, we can remove the IV so you can move more freely." This exchange made Ms. C feel that every step of her postoperative care was being attended to with care.
Just six days after her initial remote consultation, Ms. C was discharged in good condition.
Why Patients Choose Jiahui OB/GYN
At Jiahui Women’s Health Center, every woman can experience a comforting and caring medical environment that she deserves. Jiahui’s promise to international patients: care that moves as fast as your life demands, mitigates risk, and puts your choices at the center.
Care
Jiahui emphasizes hands-on, personal care from doctors, nurses, staff to patients. Ms. C said, “When I went into the ultrasound room and Dr. Lu came over too, that felt very thoughtful. Usually [in the States], the ultrasound tech does the scan and sends the report to the family medicine doctor, who reviews it later. Dr. Lu personally came to the ultrasound room to show me exactly what the fibroid looked like. That gesture was excellent and made me feel very reassured."
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
Jiahui fully embraces the internationally leading ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery) protocols, incorporating shortened preoperative requirements, precision anesthesia, multimodal postoperative pain management, and early nutritional intervention to reduce the surgical stress response and accelerate recovery. Patients are typically able to get out of bed the day after surgery, achieving an experience of less pain, faster recovery, better outcomes.
- Pre-op：At Jiahui Laparoscopy Center, you can be evaluated and scheduled the same day with no bowel preparation required, versus the conventional process which typically requires admission 1–3 days before surgery and pre-op bowel prep.
- Intra-op：Jiahui performs single-port laparoscopy in over 95% of cases with autologous (your own) blood transfusion available, while the conventional approach often uses multi-port techniques and relies on donor blood transfusion.
- Post-op：After Jiahui surgery the typical hospital stay is 1–2 days with multimodal stepped pain relief, no abdominal drain, immediate free diet, and only same-day fluid replacement, compared with the conventional 4–6 day stay, poorer pain control, routine drains, delayed diet until flatus, and 2–3 days of IV fluids.
The result for Ms. C was a faster recovery and shorter hospital stay, so she could return to her family and work in the States on a faster schedule, which is ideal for individuals with busy schedules and international medical tourists.
Senior-level Experience
The team in Jiahui's Gynecology Department includes many senior-level doctors with about 20 years of clinical diagnosis and treatment experience, all of whom have worked in major tertiary hospitals, and the average number of surgeries performed per year is nearly 3,000.
More Treatment Approaches
While in Ms. C’s case, the flexibility of treatment approaches was based on her preference and prior research, there are more advantages to having multiple treatment approaches. The surgical team of Jiahui's Gynecology Department holds weekly multidisciplinary case discussions, where multiple surgical plans are often prepared for the same patient for selection, including international standard cutting-edge surgical plans. Compared to the traditional decision-making model, doctors can match the technique to patient goals.
For instance, in the case of uterine fibroids, different techniques have different advantages:
- Single-port laparoscopy (no obvious scars)
- Uterine artery embolization (a conservative approach to preserve the uterus for those who are afraid of surgery)
- Ultrasound ablation (minimally invasive, rapid recovery for those on a busy schedule who need to return to work immediately)
- High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) tech (minimally invasive and preserves the uterus)
Ready for International Patients
Jiahui’s OB/GYN team is ready for international patients, including overseas Chinese from the US, Canada and beyond, and visitors from countries with limited medical resources. We offer international-standard surgical techniques, coordinated pre‑trip planning, and cost‑effective care so patients can return home safely and confidently after timely, high‑quality treatment.
Contact Us
Jiahui Obstetrics & Gynecology
Email: dl-OBGYN-CM@jiahui.com
Jiahui International Office
Phone Number: +86 13701972749, +86 (021) 5339 3393
Email: Internationaloffice@jiahui.com
