American engineer came to Dongguan to keep his gallbladder

On the morning of May 5, Sherwin Castor, a software engineer from Seattle, was discharged from Dongguan Nancheng Hospital, also known as Dongguan Hepatobiliary Hospital. " This has been the best hospital experience of my life, and one I will always remember, " he said.

For two years, Cast or had suffered intermittent pain in his upper right abdomen. A medical examination in Washington State on December 3, 2025, revealed a movable gallstone measuring 2.9 centimeters. In the United States, if the pain became unbearable, the usual option would be to remove the gallbladder altogether. Casto r was reluctant. He wanted another possibility.

H e spent much of his spare time searching for alternatives to gallbladder removal. In April 2026, with the help of artificial intelligence, he came across a gallbladder-preserving stone removal procedure advocated by Wang Sangui, Party branch secretary of Dongguan Nancheng Hospital .

Casto r emailed him immediately. To his surprise, Wang replied warmly, reviewed his ultrasound results, and confirmed that he was a suitable candidate.

Late on April 29, Casto r and his wife arrived in Dongguan after a 14-hour flight from Seattle to Hong Kong, followed by high-speed rail to Humen and a metro ride into the city. It was their first time in China. They did not speak Chinese, but translation apps , and the kindness of strangers and hospital staff , carried them smoothly through the journey.

At the hospital, Casto r was struck by the efficiency. " Within two hours, I had blood tests, ultrasound, CT and MRI scans, " he said. " In the U.S., arranging all this might take months. "

On the morning of May 2, Dr. Wang Sangui performed the minimally invasive procedure, removing a gallstone of about three centimeters while also treating gallbladder polyps and a hernia as required. The operation went smoothly.

Two days later, Wang and another doctor took Casto r outside the hospital for lunch and a short tour of Keyuan Garden and the Haogang Site Museum. "Dr. Wang is extremely busy, but he spent so much time showing us the city," Castor said. "Everyone in this hospital has been so kind and helpful."

Wang explained with a smile that the outing can help the couple better understand China and Dongguan. It was also a way to observe Casto r' s recovery before the couple continued their trip to Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

On May 5, Casto r was discharged. "This has been the best hospital experience of my life, and one I will always remember," he said.

They are even considering letting their children learn Chinese. " For us, learning Chinese is difficult, " Castor said. " But we are thinking maybe we should teach our children Chinese, so when they grow up, they can come to China and live here. Maybe. You know. "

Sources: DongguanToday