A rare tumour and an important surgical trade-off
Yicai interviewed a Vancouver-based doctor, identified as Kevin, whose ten-year-old daughter had a large solid pseudopapillary pancreatic tumour. He said specialists consulted in Canada and elsewhere expected that removing it would also require removing her spleen.
Why the family chose Ruijin
After learning of a similar case, the family contacted Ruijin Hospital and shared imaging. Yicai reported that the Shanghai team planned a robotic operation and removed the tumour while preserving the spleen. The child had been discharged by the January report. The family paid about CNY 160,000 for the reported hospital care; a lower price was not their stated reason for leaving Canada.
China Care perspective
What this case helps us understand
The capability that mattered to this family was a surgical plan combining tumour removal with organ preservation. Yicai described precise separation of the tumour from nearby splenic blood vessels. This is a concrete example of why patients may seek the experience of a particular team: the goal can include preserving function as well as completing an operation. The feasibility of that approach remains specific to the individual case.
Sources & further reading
Original reporting belongs to the publishers below. This article is an independently written account based on those sources, with editorial interpretation identified above.
- Yicai / 第一财经独家调查｜加拿大医生携幼女来沪求医，花16万元“保脾”！中国医疗不止性价比 (opens in a new tab)
Original interview with the father and surgeon; independently summarised in English
China Care did not provide the care described. This story does not imply a relationship with the patient or hospital, or that China Care can arrange the same treatment. Individual outcomes do not predict other patients’ results. This is editorial information, not medical advice.
Published by China Care on 29 October 2026. Patient experiences and treatment access reflect the dates of the cited reporting.