Dr. Aaron Gan

Dr Aaron Gan graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2005. He underwent Basic Surgical Training (BST) from 2006 to 2009, during which he developed a keen interest in microsurgical reconstruction through his rotations in plastic surgery and hand & reconstructive microsurgery. He successfully entered the Advanced Surgical Training (AST) programme in Hand Surgery right after completion of his BST. In 2012, Dr Gan completed his AST, succeeded in the exit examinations and obtained his specialist accreditation in Hand Surgery.

He was awarded the Singapore Society for Hand Surgery Travelling Fellowship in the same year and deepened his insights into perforator flap surgery at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of Hanyang University Medical College in Seoul, South Korea. He was mentored by world-renowned Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, Professor Jeong-Tae Kim. In the same year, he underwent a clinical observership at Seattle Children’s Hospital and studied brachial plexus birth palsy and paediatric hand conditions.

In 2014, Dr Gan was appointed as Consultant in the Department of Hand & Reconstructive Microsurgery of the National University Hospital. He has been personally involved in over 60 microsurgical free tissue transfer surgeries, a majority of which were for reconstruction of upper and lower limb traumatic injuries. Dr Gan works closely with his Orthopaedic Trauma colleagues in managing open upper and lower limb fractures requiring soft tissue resurfacing.

On top of this, Dr Gan’s microsurgical experience include 5 major limb replantations, over 50 digital replantations and critical revascularisations, including distal replantations employing supermicrosurgical techniques. In addition, Dr Gan has been a member of the National University Hospital Liver Transplant Team and has performed 25 microsurgical hepatic artery anastomoses for both adult and paediatric liver transplants. This includes 2 cases of paediatric liver transplants done in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital of the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. Dr Gan has a current track record of 100% success in hepatic artery anastomosis.

Dr Gan is also very experienced in managing hand and wrist trauma in view of his busy practice in the National University Hospital as well as Jurong Medical Centre, where he is serving as Visiting Hand Surgery Consultant with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He has performed hundreds of cases of distal radius fracture fixations and hundreds more of fracture fixations in the fingers and hand. Dr Gan is also a proponent of minimally-invasive surgery, which includes wrist arthroscopy in the treatment of both traumatic and degenerative wrist conditions. Whenever possible, he performs minimally-invasive percutaneous fixations of fractures in the hand to minimize complications related to open surgery. He is able to achieve a shorter recovery period and earlier restoration of hand function in his patients using these methods.

Dr Gan continues to be a Visiting Consultant with the Department of Hand & Reconstructive Microsurgery at the National University Hospital, as well as the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Jurong Health Services in Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Medical Center.

In addition to hand and wrist trauma, Dr Gan specializes in microsurgical resurfacing in upper and lower limb trauma, perforator flap surgery, supermicrosurgical distal digital replantation, hepatic artery anastomosis in liver transplantation, minimally-invasive hand surgery, and wrist arthroscopy.

Journal Articles

1. Gan AWT, Puhaindran ME, Pho RWH. The Reconstruction of Large Bone Defects in the Upper Limb. Injury 2013 Mar;44(3):313-7..
2. Gan AWT, Neo PY, He M, Yam AKT, Chong AKS, Tay SC. A Biomechanical Comparison of 3 Loop Suture Materials in a 6-Strand Flexor Tendon Repair Technique. J Hand Surg Am 2012; 37A:1830-1834.
3. Foo TL, Gan AWT, Soh TLT, Chew WCT. Mechanical failure of distal radius volar locking plate. J Orthop Surg (HK) 2013;21(3):332-336.
4. He M, Gan AWT, Lim AY, Goh JC, Hui JH, Lee EH, Chong AK. The effect of fibrin glue on tendon healing and adhesion formation in a rabbit model of flexor tendon injury and repair. J Plast Surg Hand Surg 2013;47(6):509-512.
5. Low SW, Gan AWT, Tan WK. A Century of Medical Students’ Activities (Medical College Union / Medical Society). Ann Acad Med Singapore 2005;34:152C-154C.
6. Kang GCW, Gan AWT, Yam A, Tan ABH, Tay SC. Mycobacterium abscessus hand infections in immunocompetent fish handlers: Case report. J Hand Surg Am 2010; 35A:1142-1145.
7. Liao JC, Gan AWT, Aberrant Flexor Digitorum Superficialis of the Little Finger Causing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Case Report. UOHJ 2014: 66-69.
8. Kim JD, Kim JT,Gan AWT, Youn S, Kim YH. Pulmonary artery re-thrombosis following interruption of anti-thrombotic therapy for bilateral carpal tunnel release surgery: An update of current protocols. JPRAS 2013;66:999-1002.
9. Tay BC, Chow T, Ng BK, He M, Gan AWT , Chong AKS. Role of optical coherence tomography for flexor tendon imaging in a rabbit model. Microwave and Optical Technology Letters 2013;55(5):990-995.
10. He M, Sebastin SJ, Gan AWT,Lim AY, Chong AK. Biomechanical comparison of different suturing techniques in rabbit medial gastrocnemius muscle laceration repair. Ann Plast Surg. 2014 Sep;73(3):333-5.

 Book Chapters

1. Gan AWT, Peng YP. Chapter 16: Fundamental Principles of Microsurgery and Replantation. IN Essentials of Hand Surgery. Chung KC. 2015 JP Medical.

 Overseas Lectures

1. Workshop Instructor for Synthes 2.4mm Distal Radius VAL Plate. Indonesia Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting, Jakarta. 19^th Nov 2014.
2. Overseas Faculty AO Basic Foundation Course Jakarta 21^st – 23^rd May 2015.