Private & confidential
Dr. Liu Side
Chinese name: 刘思德
Professor, Chief Physician, Doctoral Supervisor, Academic Leader . Gastroenterology & Digestive Endoscopy
Professor Liu Side is Director of Gastroenterology, academic leader of the department and Director of the Guangdong Southern Institute of Digestive Diseases at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University. A national expert in digestive endoscopy, he pioneered endoscopic reverse mucosal resection for very low rectal tumours and has led early colorectal cancer screening programmes in China.
Dr. Liu Side
35
SCI papers as first or corresponding author
8
Invention patents
10
Utility model patents
About Dr. Liu Side
Professor Liu Side is Director of Gastroenterology and Director of the Guangdong Southern Institute of Digestive Diseases at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University. He has devoted more than thirty years to digestive diseases and endoscopy, specialising in early diagnosis and endoscopic minimally invasive treatment of gastrointestinal tumours. He developed endoscopic reverse mucosal resection, which removes laterally spreading tumours of the very low rectum while preserving the anus, a technique that won a Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress First Prize. He has led over twenty national and provincial projects, published more than three hundred papers, and holds eight invention patents.
1、Director of Gastroenterology and academic leader at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University
2、Director of the Guangdong Southern Institute of Digestive Diseases
3、Head of the Guangdong Gastrointestinal Disease Engineering Technology Research Centre
4、Chair of the Colorectal Group of the Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy
5、Recipient of a Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Progress First Prize
6、Named a National Health Contribution Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Expert and a Guangdong Good Doctor
Dr. Liu Side ’s Three Key Areas of Expertise
Three areas of focused expertise, each supported by a deep subspecialty team, high case volumes and an English-speaking care pathway coordinated by Orisene.
Early colorectal cancer
He diagnoses and treats early colorectal cancer using high-definition colonoscopy, chromoendoscopy and pit-pattern analysis, performing endoscopic resection to remove precancerous and early malignant lesions completely, preserve the colon and avoid major surgery for patients with these screen-detected tumours in routine clinical practice.
Colorectal laterally spreading tumours
He removes large flat laterally spreading tumours of the colon and low rectum with advanced endoscopic techniques such as endoscopic reverse mucosal resection, achieving en bloc excision while protecting anal function and avoiding radical surgery for patients with these difficult, easily missed precancerous lesions.
Gastric tumours and submucosal lesions
He performs endoscopic submucosal dissection and related minimally invasive procedures for early gastric cancer and gastrointestinal submucosal tumours, using precise dissection to achieve complete resection, preserve the stomach and shorten recovery for patients with these common digestive tract tumours in routine clinical practice.
More：colon polyps——endoscopic removal; gastrointestinal bleeding——management; inflammatory bowel disease——diagnosis; capsule endoscopy——examination; gastric precancerous lesions——surveillance
Selected cases, research & publications
Representative work drawn from documented clinical treatments, publicly indexed literature, and hospital project records, reflecting the depth of this physician's hands-on expertise and academic rigor.
1. Artificial Intelligence Contextual Framework for Rapid Endoscopic Diagnosis of Colorectal Ulcers
This Gastroenterology study from Liu Side’s team developed a multi-class contextual classification model that distinguishes ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, ischemic colitis and intestinal tuberculosis during colonoscopy. Using image-level and video-level context, the model reached an averaged AUROC above zero point nine five and balanced accuracy of about eighty percent, matching expert endoscopists and outperforming junior doctors.
2. Early Colorectal Cancer Endoscopy: Laterally Spreading Tumors and Endoscopic Inverted Mucosal Resection
Liu Side’s team first proposed the concept of flat colorectal lesions including laterally spreading tumors, which lie flat on the bowel wall and are hard to detect and remove. They invented a new minimally invasive procedure, endoscopic inverted mucosal resection, allowing complete removal of these lesions while preserving the anus and avoiding a permanent stoma for colorectal cancer prevention.
Related link: https://www.smu.edu.cn/info/1142/4146.htm
3. Proposal to Include Malignant Tumor Early Screening in Medical Insurance
As a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Liu Side proposed in 2025 that malignant tumor early screening be covered by medical insurance. He argues that early detection of gastric, esophageal and colorectal cancer, whose early diagnosis rate remains below thirty percent, can greatly reduce treatment costs and improve survival for high-risk patients.
Related link: https://www.21jingji.com/article/20250310/herald/f21ae88f2d6c33713cd5800fa9baa5a7.html
4. Case Report: Synchronous Gastric and Right Colon Double Primary Cancer
This case report from Nanfang Hospital’s gastroenterology department describes a seventy-five-year-old woman with synchronous gastric and right colon double primary cancer who presented with lower abdominal pain and constipation. It highlights the value of colonoscopy and endoscopic evaluation in detecting rare synchronous digestive tract malignancies and guiding timely surgical treatment for such patients.
Related link: https://qikan.cqvip.com/Qikan/Article/Detail?id=47028177
5. Artificial Intelligence Research Program in Digestive Endoscopy at Nanfang Hospital
Liu Side’s gastroenterology team at Nanfang Hospital has published a series of artificial intelligence studies in journals including Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Acta Biomaterialia. These works aim to help endoscopists detect early digestive tract tumors and inflammatory bowel disease more accurately, supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment of gastric, esophageal and colorectal cancer in routine clinical practice.
Related link: http://www.xhbnet.com/news/info.aspx?itemid=1048&lcid=6
6. Peer-Reviewed Research on Early Digestive Cancer by Liu Side’s Endoscopy Team
Liu Side has published dozens of first or corresponding author papers and holds multiple invention and utility model patents. His team’s research covers early detection of gastric, esophageal and colorectal cancer, artificial intelligence in digestive endoscopy and inflammatory bowel disease, translating endoscopic technologies into routine practice and helping patients across China receive earlier diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment.
Where Dr. Liu Side practices
Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
Chinese name: 南方医科大学南方医院
Nanfang Hospital, founded in 1941 as a wartime rear hospital and now a national regional medical center of Southern Medical University, is a Grade-A tertiary hospital holding 5 national key disciplines, 17 national key specialties and a nationally leading nephrology program.
Since 1941
85 years of care
2,225
Licensed beds
17
National key specialties
3.32 million (2021)
Licensed beds
Appointments with this physician are booked through official hospital channels only, coordinated end-to-end by Orisene.
Why patients travel to China for treatment
Six reasons international patients now put China on their shortlist — from internationally aligned clinical capability to the policy channels that make treatment here genuinely reachable.
Clinical capability at international standard
Chinese hospitals deliver internationally aligned protocols, performing vast volumes of advanced robotic, minimally invasive, and complex transplant surgeries annually. This massive clinical data and highly specialized workforce ensure world-class outcomes, even for rare and complex cases.
Diagnostics and treatment in days, not months
A full medical workup that typically means months of waiting elsewhere is completed in China within 48–72 hours. Imaging, labs, and multidisciplinary consultations are integrated into a single visit, allowing treatment to commence immediately.
Transparent, itemised pricing
Chinese healthcare offers legally binding, itemised cost estimates before treatment begins, eliminating hidden fees or surprise billing. Due to national centralized procurement, total expenses remain 40–70% lower than comparable care in Western Europe or North America.
Policy channels that open the door
China facilitates access through 240-hour visa-free transit and dedicated medical visa routes. Policies like the Greater Bay Area drug pathway and Boao Lecheng’s pilot zone allow designated hospitals to administer innovative therapies not yet globally approved.
Consulting this physician, step by step
From the first message to the follow-up after you fly home, one coordinator, no paperwork on your side.
01
Day 0
- Share your storyA private consultation with an Orisene advisor, by message, phone or video. Send medical records in any language. Nothing is shared with the hospital yet.
02
Days 1–3
- Records review & matchingOrisene translates and presents your case to the right specialist. The hospital returns a tailored care plan, with costs itemised once that plan is confirmed.
03
Days 3–7
- Your consultationAppointments are booked through official hospital channels only. Your navigator accompanies every visit with real-time interpretation, so you can focus on one thing: being cared for.
04
After you fly home
- Reports & follow-upTranslated reports and prescriptions delivered within days, remote follow-up coordination with your physicians at home, and a standing line to your navigator.
Orisene offers English and multilingual services, a professional medical interpreter at every consultation, plus translation of your records, reports and prescriptions.
Ready to plan your consultation with Dr. Liu Side?
Send your records in any language. An Orisene advisor will reply within 2 hours, present your case to the right specialist, and return a tailored care plan with itemised costs, before anything is booked. Simple. Private. Efficient.
Information Sources
This physician profile is compiled by the Orisene team from publicly available online sources and verified at the time of publication. Details may change, and physician availability is confirmed at the time of booking.
- Nanfang Hospital Digestive Diseases Institute Official Expert Page: http://www.xhbnet.com/ExpertProfile/info.aspx?itemid=80
- PubMed Author Records (colorectal adenoma and endoscopy): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31926918/
Disclaimer: This information is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal medical guidance.
Mention of any specific product, brand, or manufacturer is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Dr. Liu Side.