Xi'an - Doctors at the Stomatological Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, on Thursday successfully removed a malignant retinoblastoma tumor from a 4-year-old girl.

The three-hour operation was part of "Project New Life" series, which has been launched by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Li Ka Shing Foundation. The girl, Jia Wanyan, is the first beneficiary of this project.

Lei Delin, a professor at the hospital, said the doctors completely removed the tumor without any bleeding. "They tried their utmost to protect the girl’s external eye and tarsal plate organization," he said.

"To ensure the child's facial appearance, they also prepared a set of eye models in advance, and it ran very well.

"As a whole, the surgery was perfect, it exceeded our expectations." Lei said.

"It is a big comfort to the child’s family,"said Zhao Yiming, president of the hospital.

"We thank all those concerned and wish more social groups and organizations could pay close attention to sick children in poverty-stricken areas."

On the girl’s future treatment, Lei said the hospital plans to evaluate Jia’s health condition in order to develop chemotherapy and radiation treatment planning.