Dr. Akash Verma

Dr. Akash Verma was a Senior Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. He is a lung specialist with a Sub-specialty interest in Interventional Pulmonology & lung cancer with blockages in the windpipes. He is trained in both flexible and rigid bronchoscopy with techniques of laser resection of lung cancer, silicone airway stenting, pleuroscopy and navigation bronchoscopy.

After graduation, he trained at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, before obtaining his membership of Royal College of Physicians (United Kingdom). Upon completion of advanced training in Respiratory Medicine and Critical Care, He was conferred a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS). Subsequently he was awarded the Health Manpower Development Program (HMDP) fellowship and was a visiting fellow in the department of Interventional Pulmonology at Samsung Medical Centre-Seoul, Mayo Clinic-USA, and University of Chicago.

Management of malignant central airway obstruction (blocked windpipes from cancer) by balloon dilatation, laser resection, silicone stenting or metal stenting.

Management of benign central airway obstruction (blocked windpipes from tb) by balloon dilatation, laser resection, silicone stenting or metal stenting.

Management of blood clots in airways

Management of masses in the mediastinum by EBUS-TBNA

Management of enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinum

Management of lung masses and lung nodules (white spots)

Management of pleural effusion with pleuroscopy, pleurodesis and tunnelled pleural catheter

Removal of foreign body in the airways

Management of bronchopleural fistula using endobronchial valve placement

Management of broncho-oesophageal fistula

Endobronchial valve placement for emphysema or persistent air-leak from pneumothorax

RIGID BRONCHOSCOPY

1. Verma A, Park H Y, Kim H, et al. CT Imaging to Optimize the Time of Silicone Stent Removal in Post-Tuberculosis Tracheobronchial Stenosis. Radiology. 2012 May; 263(2):562-8.
2. Verma A, Um S W, Kim H et al. Long-Term Stenting in Patients with Benign Tracheobronchial Stenosis. ASAIO J. 2012 Sep-Oct; 58(5):530-4.
3. Chee Kiang Phua, Elmer Algoso Reyes, John Abisheganaden, Albert Y H Lim, Verma A. Failure of Expansion of Covered Self-Expanding Metal Stent during Tracheal Stenting. CRIM. 2015. http://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/crim/article/view/8012
4. Verma A, Wen Yuan Sim, Dessmon Y H Tai, Soon Keng Goh, Ai Ching Kor, Chee Kiang Phua, Benjamin Ho, Albert Y H Lim, Sennen J W Lew, Huiying Xu, Ser Hon Puah, John Abisheganaden. Role of Bronchoscopy in Prompt Discharge from ICU. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2016 Apr; 23(2):123-30.
5. Verma A, Chee Kiang Phua, Qiu Mei Wu, John Abisheganaden. Our Clinical Experience of Self-expanding Metal Stent for Malignant Central Airway Obstruction in Singapore. J Clin Med Res. 2017 Jan; 9(1):58-63.
6. Tan GP, Abisheganaden JA, Goh SK, Verma A. Reversible platypnoea-orthodeoxia syndrome in post-tuberculosis bronchial stenosis. Respirol Case Rep. 2018 Feb 7;6(3):e00303.
7. Verma A, Goh SK, Tai DYH. Outcomes Differences Between Re-canalized Malignant Central Airway Obstruction from Endoluminal Disease versus Extrinsic Compression. Lasers Med Sci. 2019 Jul;34(5):955-962.
8. Verma A, Goh SK, Tai DYH. Outcome of Advanced Lung Cancer with Central Airway Obstruction versus Without Central Airway Obstruction. ERJ Open Res. 2018 Apr 9;4(2). pii: 00173-2017.
9. Chan G, Kwan J, Samol J, Verma A, Pua U. Remote Right Main Pulmonary Bronchus Bronchopleural Fistula Formation after Microwave Ablation of Lung Tumor. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2019 Oct;30(10):1656-1658.
10. Sharlene Ho, Soon Keng Goh, Alan WK. Ng, Verma A. Long-term tolerance of a fractured self-expanding metal stent in a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma. Respir Med Case Rep. 2019; 28: 100960.
11. Verma A, Tai DYH, Goh SK, Goyal R, Kor AC, Alan Ng. Review of a 10-year experience of rigid bronchoscopy at a tertiary centre in Singapore. Precision and Future Medicine [Epub ahead of print] https://doi.org/10.23838/pfm.2020.0003. pISSN: 2508-7940 · eISSN: 2508-7959

FLEXIBLE BRONCHOSCOPY

1. Verma A, Mui Yok Lee, Chunhong Wang et al. Efficiency of Performing Pulmonary Procedures in a shared Endoscopy Unit: procedure time, turnaround time, delays, and procedure waiting time. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2014 Apr; 21(2):135-41.
2. Verma A, Eric S Edell, John Abisheganaden. Flexible Bronchoscopy: Importance of Standardization of Practice for the Best Route of Insertion. Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews, 2015. 11(3): 224-230.
3. Huey Ying Lim, Ser Hon Puah, Leslie Jonathan P S Ang, Verma A. Subconjunctival Haemorrhage from Bronchoscopy: A Case Report. Respiratory Medicine Case Reports. Volume 16, 2015, Pages 97–100. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4681957
4. Dominic C Marshall MBBS, Rucha S Dagaonkar FCCP, Chan Yeow MMed, Verma A. Experience with the Use of Single-Use Disposable Bronchoscope in the ICU in A Tertiary Referral Centre of Singapore. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2017 Apr;24(2):136-143.
5. Marshall DC, Abisheganaden J, Verma A. Reply: Cost-Effectiveness of Disposable Bronchoscopes: Needs Comparison with Fiberoptic Bronchoscopes too. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2018 Jan;25(1):e7.
6. Phua CK, Wee A, Lim A, Abisheganaden J, Verma A. Fentanyl-induced chest wall rigidity syndrome in a routine bronchoscopy. Respir Med Case Rep. 2017 Feb 28;20:205-207.

EBUS-TBNA

1. Verma A, Kang Y R, Kim H, Um S W. Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration of Lung Mass via Trans-esophageal approach Using Endobronchial Ultrasound    Bronchoscope. Thoracic Cancer 3 (2012) 280–283.
2. Verma A, Kim H, Um S W et al. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for the diagnosis of central lung parenchymal lesions. Yonsei Med J. 2013 May 1; 54 (3):672-8.
3. Verma A, John Abisheganaden, Eric S Edell. EBUS-TBNA: Are Two Needle Revolutions (back & forth movement of the needle in the lymph node) Adequate for Diagnosis of Lung Cancer? J Pulm Respir Med 2014, 5:1 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-105X.1000239
4. Verma A et al. Diagnostic Performance of Convex Probe EBUS-TBNA in Patients with Mediastinal and Co-existent Endobronchial or Peripheral lesions. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Dec; 95(50):e5619.

LUNG CANCER

1. Verma A, Akhil Chopra, Albert Y H Lim, John Abisheganaden. Timeliness of In-Hospital Journey of Suspected Lung Cancer Patients: From First Presentation-to-Start of Therapy. International Journal of Cancer Research and Molecular Mechanisms 1 (1): http://www.sciforschenonline.org/journals/cancer-research/article-data/IJCRMM-1-102/IJCRMM-1-102.pdf
2. Verma A, Albert Y H Lim, Dessmon Y H Tai, John Abisheganaden. Timeliness of Diagnosing Lung Cancer: Number of Procedures & Time Needed To Establish Diagnosis—Being Right the First Time. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Jul; 94 (29):e1216.
3. Chee K. Phua, Wen Y. Sim, Kuan Sen Tee, John Abisheganaden, Verma A. Evaluation of pulmonary nodules in Asian population. Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2016.  http://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/7083
4. Verma A, Chee Kiang Phua, Wen Yuan Sim, John Abisheganaden.  Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Methods Employed for Suspected Lung Cancer. Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews, 2016. http://benthamscience.com/journals/current-respiratory-medicine-reviews/article/139933/
5. Verma A, John Abisheganaden, Albert Lim. Lung cancer new insights. https://corp.nhg.com.sg/Lists/Lifewise/Attachments/45/Lifewise%20Jan-Feb%202016-Lowres.pdf
6. Rucha S Dagaonkar, Caroline V Choong, Atasha Binti Asmat, Verma A. Significance of Co-existent Granulomatous Inflammation and Lung Cancer. J Clin Pathol. 2016 Sep 19.
7. Verma A. Lung cancer management in four critical questions. 2016. http://www.medicalgrapevineasia.com/mg/2016/08/26/lung-cancer-2/
8. Jonathen Venkatachalam, John Abisheganaden, Shuyu Chen, Albert Y H Lim, Dessmon Y H Tai, Soon Keng Goh, Ai Ching Kor, Verma A. Lung Cancer in Asian Octogenarian Population. Annals of Gerontology and Geriatric Research. 2015; 2(2): 1026.

MEDICAL THORACOSCOPY

1. Verma A, Aza Taha, Sridhar V, Augustine Tee. Effectiveness of Medical Thoracoscopy and Thoracoscopic Talc Pleurodesis in patients with Exudative Pleural effusion. Singapore Med J. 2015 May; 56(5): 268–273. 10.11622/smedj.2015075
2. Zackary S. De Pew, Verma A, Wigle, and Dennis et al. Non-Specific Pleuritis: Optimum Duration of Follow-Up. Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014 Jun; 97 (6):1867-71.

PLEURAL EFFUSION

1. Verma A, Abisheganaden J, Light RW. Identifying Malignant Pleural Effusion by A Cancer Ratio (Serum LDH: Pleural Fluid ADA Ratio). Lung. 2015 Dec 17.
2. Verma A, Chee Kiang Phua, Wen Yuan Sim, John Abisheganaden. Pleural LDH as A Prognostic Marker in Adenocarcinoma Lung with Malignant Pleural Effusion. Medicine 2016. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Jun;95 (26):e3996.
3. Verma A, Akhil Chopra, Yeo Wee Lee, John Abisheganaden. Can EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) Alone without Talc Pleurodesis Prevent Recurrence of Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPE) in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Curr Drug Discov Technol. 2016 May 24.
4. Verma A, Rucha S Dagaonkar, John Abisheganaden, R.W. Light. Differentiating Malignant from Tubercular Pleural Effusion by Cancer Ratio plus (Cancer Ratio: Pleural Lymphocyte Count). Can Respir J. 2016;2016: 7348239.
5. John Abisheganaden, Verma A, Rucha S Dagaonkar and R.W. Light. An Observational Study Evaluating Performance of LENT Score in the Selected Population of Malignant Pleural Effusion from Lung Adenocarcinoma in Singapore. Respiration. 2018;96(4):308-313.

OTHERS

1. Verma A. All that wheezes is not Asthma & COPD; Importance of flow volume loop is localizing the source of wheezing. Medical Grapewine  (November 2012; p.12) http://www.medicalgrapevineasia.com/emag/Nov2012/
2. Zackary S. De Pew, Verma A, Fabien Maldonado. Lung flooding allows for transthoracic ultrasonographic visualization of endobronchial forceps. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol. 2014 Oct; 21(4):369-70.
3. Koh J, Xu Y, Yeo L, Tee A, Verma A, Ng A. Achieving Optimal Clinical Outcomes in Ultrasound-Guided Central Venous Catheterizations of the Internal Jugular Vein After a Simulation-Based Training Program for Novice Learners. Simul Healthc. 2014 Jun; 9 (3):161-6.
4. J Abisheganaden, YY Ding, WF Chong, BH Heng, Verma A, TK Lim. Health-Care Associated Pneumonia (HCAP): Identification of Low and High-risk Patients. Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews, 2015. 11(3): 241-246.
5. PP George, BH Heng, TK Lim, JA Abisheganaden, AWK Ng, Verma A, FS Lim. Evaluation of a Disease Management Program for COPD using Propensity Matched Control Group. Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2016.
6. Albert Lim, Verma A, John A. Profiling non-tuberculous mycobacteria in an Asian setting: characteristics and clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients in Singapore. BMC Pulm Med 2018 22;18(1):85.DOI:10.1186/s12890-018-0637-1

Dr Akash pioneered the establishment of the service of “navigation bronchoscopy” in Singapore in 2018 as a part of improving the quality of the journey of the lung cancer patients in the healthcare system. In addition, he undertook initiatives such as formation of dedicated lung cancer clinic and increased utilization of ultrasound guided and rigid bronchoscopy techniques with the emphasis on provision of safe & timely diagnosis with comfort.

Member- Society of Advanced Bronchoscopy – USA