Dr Ho Choon Kiat

Dr Ho Choon Kiat is a general surgeon practising Thomson Medical Centre. Dr Ho specialises in the treatment of liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile duct cancers, as well as benign hepatobiliary diseases like gallstone, bile duct stone, pancreatitis, cystic tumours of the pancreas and neuroendocrine cancer.

A surgeon with 20 years experience in the field, Dr Ho's other clinical interests include digestive tract surgery, cancer surgery, laparoscopic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, hernia surgery, endoscopy (gastroscopy and colonoscopy).

Dr Ho graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the National University of Singapore in 1994. After his National Service, he trained in general surgery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital under Professor Low Cheng Hock. He was admitted as a Fellow to the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1999.

In 2003, through the Health Manpower Development Programme (HMDP) award, he undertook subspecialty training in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery at the Surgical Klinik of the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Under the mentorship of Professor Marcus Bachler and Helmut Friess, two of the best published pancreatic surgeons, Dr Ho was trained in management of pancreatic cancer as well as cancer surgery in general.

In 2004, Dr Ho was awarded the TTSH Scholarship and received formal training in advanced laparoscopic surgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital under the mentorship of Drs Les Nathanson and Nick O'Rourke. Following his return, he started the advanced laparoscopic service which provides laparoscopic liver, pancreas and bile duct surgery.

Prior to establishing his private practise, Dr Ho was a consultant at the Department of Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He also served as the Director of Endoscopy Centre. Dr Ho served in the Ex-Co of the Chapter of General Surgeons, College of Surgeons, from 2011 to 2017. He is a founding member of the Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Association of Singapore.

Dr Ho has authored many publications and book chapters. His key publications involve laparoscopic surgery and management of hepatobiliary and pancreatic conditions. Dr Ho was also invited to write a book chapter titled "Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple operation), Distal Pancreatectomy, Segmental Pancreatectomy, Total Pancreatectomy and Transduodenal Resection of the Papilla of Vater". This was published in Dr Leslie "Blumgart's Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas 4th Edition"

Dr Ho's other passion is in surgical education. He is an adjunct assistant professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS. Besides teaching, he is also an examiner for the MBBS Final examination at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Dr Ho also volunteers at Healthserve where he provides medical services to migrant workers in Singapore.

Awards

• Health Manpower Development Plan Postgraduate Scholarship (2003)
• Tan Tock Seng Hospital Overseas Clinical Fellowship Scholarship (2004)