China Medical Frontiers
Surgery tracker: the twenty highest-volume elective operations
For each operation: what the current technique standard actually is, how it is practised at Chinese hospitals, and what has changed most recently — with a source on every dated item.
About the volume figures. Volume references are international published estimates supplied as a ranking basis, not China-specific figures. They are shown to establish relative order of magnitude, and are labelled by country or region wherever a figure is quoted.
The twenty operations
Ranked by published annual volume. Open any row for the technique standard, practice in China and recent developments.
| # | Procedure | Annual volume reference | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation 白内障摘除 + 人工晶体植入 | Global 20M+ per year; EU 5.01M; US ~3.8M | Highest-volume operation in the world; day-case under topical anaesthesia |
| 2 | Cesarean section (elective) 剖宫产（择期） | US ~1.17M (including emergency); UK elective ~100,000 | Cesarean rates continue to rise in the US and UK (32%–42%) |
| 3 | Circumcision (neonatal and adult) 包皮环切（新生儿／成人） | US ~1.1M per year | Neonatal circumcision is extremely common in the US |
| 4 | Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) 全膝关节置换 | US 720,000; EU 680,000 | Osteoarthritis is the main driver; one of the fastest-growing categories |
| 5 | Total hip arthroplasty (THA) 全髋关节置换 | US ~450,000; EU close to 1M | The EU performs more hip replacements than the US |
| 6 | Spinal fusion and laminectomy, including endoscopic spine surgery 脊柱融合／椎板切除（含内镜脊柱） | US ~900,000 combined; Korea 200,000 | Strong shift toward endoscopic techniques (Korea up 57% year on year) |
| 7 | Laparoscopic cholecystectomy 腹腔镜胆囊切除 | US 600,000–700,000; Korea 80,000 | Mostly elective |
| 8 | Inguinal hernia repair 腹股沟疝修补 | Several million globally each year; US ~800,000 | The classic day-case elective operation |
| 9 | Hysterectomy 子宫切除术 | US ~400,000–500,000 | Laparoscopic and vaginal routes increasing year on year |
| 10 | Percutaneous coronary intervention (balloon and stent) 经皮冠状动脉介入（球囊／支架） | US ~500,000 | Catheter-based intervention rather than open surgery |
| 11 | Arthroscopy of the knee and shoulder 关节镜手术（膝／肩） | US 700,000+ | Mostly meniscal and rotator cuff repair |
| 12 | Carpal tunnel release 腕管松解术 | US 500,000+ | The most common peripheral nerve decompression |
| 13 | Varicose vein surgery (stripping, laser and closure) 静脉曲张手术（剥脱／激光闭合） | US ~300,000–400,000 | Mostly day-case |
| 14 | Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy 扁桃体切除／腺样体切除 | US ~500,000 | Among the most common paediatric elective operations |
| 15 | Hemorrhoidectomy 痔疮手术 | Korea ~180,000 per year (among its highest-volume operations) | Large global volume, but statistics are not comparable across countries |
| 16 | Bariatric and metabolic surgery (sleeve gastrectomy and bypass) 减重代谢手术（袖状胃切除等） | Global ~1M; US 250,000 | One of the fastest-growing categories of the past decade |
| 17 | Liposuction 吸脂术 | US 250,000+; global 2.3M | The highest-volume cosmetic operation worldwide |
| 18 | Breast augmentation 隆乳术 | US ~300,000 | The US and Brazil are the largest markets |
| 19 | Transurethral resection or laser enucleation of the prostate 经尿道前列腺切除（TURP／激光） | US 200,000–300,000 | The standard operation for benign prostatic hyperplasia |
| 20 | Facial aesthetic surgery (blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty) 眼睑成形／鼻整形等面部整形 | US ~200,000 each for blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty | A stable, large-volume aesthetic category |
Latest developments
No verified development has been published yet. The first scan of the twenty procedures runs on 2026-11-17. Until then this section stays empty on purpose — a dated item only appears here once a named source backs it.
How this tracker is maintained
Two layers, never blended
The technique baseline is written by hand and reviewed as a whole. Dated developments are collected by a scan every 3 days and published separately, so a stale baseline never hides behind fresh news.
Volumes are a ranking aid, not a China statistic
Where a China-specific volume is not published, we say so. The reference figure establishes relative order of magnitude only and is labelled as international throughout.
Nothing appears without a source
A dated development needs a regulator notice, a hospital announcement or a peer-reviewed publication behind it. Scans that turn up nothing publish nothing.
Looking at a specific operation?
Tell us which procedure and where you are travelling from. We confirm which hospitals actually perform it, what the pre-operative workup involves, and how many days the trip needs to be.
Volume references are international published estimates used as a ranking aid, not China-specific figures. This page is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis or a recommendation for treatment.