NOTICE: The Taxi stand/drop-off point at the Medical Centre will be closed on November/December 24. Alternative drop-off locations are available at the Medical Centre (after the carpark gantry) or at the Main Lobby of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Dr. Tan Ek Khoon

General Surgery

Credentials MBBS, MMed (Surg), MPH, FRCSEd, FAMS
Language English, Mandarin Chinese, Teochew Dialect, Hokkien Dialect
Info

Dr Tan graduated from the National University of Singapore and completed his General Surgery training at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). He holds a Master of Medicine (Surgery) from the National University of Singapore, and a Master of Public Health from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) and the Academy of Medicine (Singapore). During his training, he was awarded the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) Overseas Research Training Fellowship to study the effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury on hepatic oval cells at the Ochsner Clinic, USA. Upon completing his specialist training he underwent further subspecialty training at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, USA), completing an American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) accredited 2-year fellowship program in abdominal organ transplantation.

Dr Tan’s clinical practice involves looking after patients who have general surgical ailments and subspecialty conditions involving the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and biliary tract. His special interest is in transplant oncology and in the surgical treatment of advanced cancer, both of which may involve complex resection and reconstructive techniques. He believes in delivering individualized patient-centric care through the use of minimally-invasive (laparoscopic and robotic) approaches, and is a firm advocate for collaborative, well-rounded multi-disciplinary care. He is a nationally-gazetted liver transplant surgeon and is presently the only ASTS Transplant Accreditation & Certification Council (TACC) Certified Abdominal Transplant Surgeon in Singapore.

He is committed to providing an up-to-date and academic surgical practice, with active interests in tumour biology, immunology, and novel therapeutics in the treatment of cancer. He has authored, and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has served as invited faculty in local and international specialty conferences. He was the clinical lead for the Value-Driven-Care initiative for Hepatectomy (Liver resections) at SGH and was holding National and Institutional appointments related to transplantation and research, such as Chairperson of the National Organ Transplant Unit (Liver Subcommittee), and Director of Research at the Singhealth Duke-NUS Transplant Centre. He continues to be actively involved with his specialty’s society, medical education, and training.

Associated Treatments

Minimally invasive surgery (Robotic and Laparoscopic)

Hepatopancreatobiliary surgery

Liver Transplantation

Surgical Oncology

Hernia Surgery

Gallbladder Surgery

Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy

Acute general surgical conditions

Special Treatments

Minimally invasive hepatopancreatobiliary surgery (Robotic and Laparoscopic)

Advanced liver, pancreatic, biliary cancers

Surgery for complicated gallstones and bile duct stones

Living donor liver transplantation

Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=MB6ouYcAAAAJ

Achievements

Competitive matched 2-year fellowship at Mayo Clinic (Rochester), USA

National Medical Research Council Overseas Research Fellow Awardee

Member of team that performed the first living donor small bowel transplant in Singapore

Associations

Robotic Surgery Society of Singapore – Life Member

Hepatopancreatobiliary Association (Singapore) – Life Member

Chapter of General Surgeons, College of Surgeons Singapore – Co-opted Board Member

Academy of Medicine, Singapore – Fellow

International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association – Member

Mayo Clinic Alumni -Member

American Society of Transplant Surgeons – Member

Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh – Fellow

Awards and Honours

Visiting International Expert (Australian & Aotearoa New Zealand Hepatic, Pancreatic & Biliary Association) 2024

Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Star) 2023

Singapore Health Quality Service Award 2021

Service with a Heart 2020

Young Investigator Award (Asia-Pacific Hepatopancreatobiliary Association, South Korea) 2019

Surgery ACP Course Sponsorship 2016

National Medical Research Council Overseas Research Training Fellowship 2013

Fellowships and Accreditations

Certified Abdominal Transplant Surgeon, American Society of Transplant Surgeons

Fellow, Academy of Medicine Singapore

Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

General Surgeon, Singapore Medical Council