Dr Ho Choon Kiat
HepatoBiliary, Pancreas & General Surgeon
Adjunct Assistant Professor,
NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Clinical Interests
- Gallbladder Stones, Gallstones
- Common Bile Duct Stones
- Liver Cyst
- Liver Cancer
- Bile Duct Cancer
- Pancreas Cancer
- Cystic Tumours of Pancreas
- Neuroendocrine Tumours
- Stomach and Small Bowel Surgery
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
- Haemorrhoids, Piles
- Surgical Oncology
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Hernia Surgery
- Gastroscopy
- Colonoscopy
Speciality
General Surgery
Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery
Languages Spoken
- English
- Mandarin
- Hokkien
- Cantonese
Education & Fellowship
Dr Ho graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1994. He started his surgical training after his National Service. He completed his specialty training in General Surgery in 2003 having obtained the qualifications of FRCS (Edin), FRCS (Glasg), M.Med (Surgery) and FRCSEd (Gen) along the way.
He was admitted as a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, in 2005.
Clinical Fellowship – Chirurgische Klinik Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg
(Surgical Clinic of the University Hospital Heidelberg)
Pancreatic Surgery and Surgical Oncology
Heidelberg, Germany 2004
Mentors: Professor Marcus Büchler and Professor Helmut Friess
Clinical Fellowship – Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery
Brisbane, Australia, 2005
Mentors: Drs Les Nathanson and Nick O’Rourke
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine – Bachelor of Surgery, National University of Singapore
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Glasgow, UK
- Master of Medicine (Surgery), National University of Singapore
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (General Surgery), UK
- Fellow of the Academy of Medicine (General Surgery), Singapore
Research and Publications
- 1. A right renal angiomyolipoma with IVC thrombus and pulmonary embolism. Tan YS, Yip KH, Tan PH, Cheng WS. International Urology and Nephrology, 16 Jul 2009, 42(2):305-308
- Tantas platonem eos. Mazim nemore singulis an ius, nullam ornatus nam .
- Quidam officiis similique sea ei, vel tollit indoctum efficiendi eingj.
Local Journals
- Hepatolithiasis—A Case Series CT Heng, KH Liau, CK Ho, CY Chan, M Wong, SP Chew Ann Acad Med Singapore 2002; 31: 97-101
- Starting a laparoscopic hepatectomy programme. Wang E, Low AW, Chan CY, Liau KH, Ho CK SMJ 2009; 50:354-9
- New Hope for an old cure: a pilot animal study on selective venesection in attenuating the systemic effects of ischaemic-reperfusion injury Ho CK, Lee CW, Lu J, Wu J, Chan CY, Homer-Vanniasinkam S, Chao AK Ann Acad Med Singapore 2009; 38: 569-7
- Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration: our first 50 cases Tan KK, Shelat VG, Liau KH, Chan CY, Ho CK. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2010; 39: 136-42
- Laparoscopic exploration can salvage failed endoscopic bile duct stone extraction. Shelat VG, CY Chan, KH Liau, CK Ho SMJ 2012; 53: 313-317
International Journals
- Mirizzi syndrome: a diagnostic and operative challenge Chan CY, Liau KH, Ho CK, Chew SP Surgeon 2003; 1(5): 273-278
- Complications of pancreatic surgery CK Ho, J Kleeff, H Friess, MW Buechler HPB 2005; 7(2): 99-108
- KA11 inhibits anchorage-dependent and independent pancreatic cancer cell growth Guo XZ, Xu JH, Liu MP, Kleeff J, Ho CK, Ren LN, Li HY, Koniger J, Cui ZM, Wang D, Wu CY, Zhao JJ, Friess H Ocol Rep 2005; 14(1): 59-63
- Perioperative and follow-up results after central pancreatic head resection (Berne technique) in a consecutive series of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Müller MW, Friess H, Leitzbach S, Michalski CW, Berberat P, Ceyhan GO, Hinz U, Ho CK, Köninger J, Kleeff J, Büchler MW. Am J Surg. 2008 Sep;196(3):364-72
- Emergency Hartmann’s procedure: morbidity, mortality and reversal rates among Asians.. Leong QM, Koh DC, Ho CK. Tech Coloproctol.2008 Mar; 12(1):21-5
- Striving for a better operative outcome: 101 Pancreaticoduodenectomies. Kow AW, Chan SP, Earnest A, Chan CY, Lim K, Chong SY, Lim KH, Ho CK, Chew SP, Liau KH. HPB (Oxford). 2008;10(6):464-71
- An audit of ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a Singapore institution: are we ready for day-case laparoscopic cholecystectomy? Chieh Kow AW, Tan A, Chan SP, Lee SF, Chan CY, Liau KH, Kiat Ho C. HPB (Oxford). 2008;10(6):433-8.
- Novel approach to laparoscopic resection of tumours of the distal pancreas Soumen Das De, Alfred Wei Cheah Kow, Kui Hin Liau, Khong Hee Lim and Choon Kiat Ho. ANZ J Surg 79 (2009) 288–293
- Emergency colorectal resections in Asian octogenarians: factors impacting surgical outcome Leong QM, Aung MO, Ho CK, Sim R Surg Today 2009; 39:575-9
- Pancreatic tuberculosis mimicking pancreatic carcinoma: series of three cases Tan KK, Chen K, Liau KH, Ho CK Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009 (May)
- Outcome of a Strategy to Reduce Surgical Site Infection in a Tertiary-Care Hospital KH Liau, Khin Thanda Aung, N Chua, CK Ho, CY Chan, A Kow, E Arul, SJ Chia Surgical Infections 2010; 11(2)
- Is Transurethral Catheterisation the Ideal Method of Bladder Drainage? A Survey of Patient SatisfactionWith Indwelling Transurethral Urinary Catheters. GWL Tan, SP Chan, CK Ho. Asian J Surg 2010; 33(1): 31-6
- A case of gastric bronchogenic cyst in Singapore with multiple intrigues. KK Tan, Nandini CL, CK Ho. ANZ J Surg 2010; 80: 286-7
- Emergency surgery for jejunal diverticulosis: our experience and review of literature. KK Tan, J Liu, CK Ho. ANZ J Surg 2011; 81: 358-61
- Surgery for perforated small bowel malignancy: A single institution’s experience over 4 years. KK Tan, CK Ho. The Surgeon 2012; 10: 6-8
- Using percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotripsy for intrahepatic calculus in hostile abdomen. Kow AW, Wang B, Wong D, Sundeep PJ, Chan CY, Ho CK, Liau KH. Surgeon 2011; 9: 88-94
- Is pancreaticoduodenectomy justified in elderly patients? AWC Kow, NA Sadayan, A Ernest, B Wang, CY Chan, CK Ho, LH Liau. The Surgeon 2012; 10: 128-36
- Perioperative Outcome of Laparoscopic and Open Distal Pancreatectomy: Our Institution’s 5 year experience. YF Soh, Kow AW, KY Wong, Bei W, CY Chan, KH Liau, CK Ho. Asian J Surg 2012; 35: 29-36
- Whole exome sequencing identifies clinically relevant mutational signatures in resected hepatocellular carcinoma. Jason Y. Chan, Abner H. Lim, Arnoud Boot, Elizabeth Lee, Cedric C.-Y. Ng, Jing Y. Lee, Vikneswari Rajasegaran, Wei Liu, Shane Goh, Jing H. Hong, Xiaoying Xu, Lavina D. Bharwani, Chung Y. Chan, Alexander Y. F. Chung, Peng C. Cheow, Chee-Kiat Tan, Choon K. Ho, Kui H. Liau, Winston W. L. Woon, Jee K. Low, Akhil Chopra, Gilberto Lopes, Steven G. Rozen, Bin T. Teh, Alex Y.-C. Chang. Liver Cancer Int 2020;00: 1-11
Book Chapters
- Resection for pancreatic cancer CK Ho, J Kleeff, H Friess, MW Büchler Update on pancreas cancer-The European Pancreatic Cancer Research Cooperative (EPC-RC2)
- Pancreaticoduodenectomy, Distal Pancreatectomy, Segmental Pancreatectomy, Total Pancreatectomy and Transduodenal Resection of the Papilla of Vater. H Friess, CK Ho, J Kleff, MW Büchler Surgery of the Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas. 4th Edition. L.H.Blumgart
Accolades and Achievements
Current Appointments:
- Director and Senior Consultant (Nexus Surgical Associates)
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
- Founding Member, Singapore Hepatobiliary Association
- Member, Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Society of Asia
- Member, Panel of Medical Assessors, Singapore Medical Council
Past Appointments:
- Consultant, Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Team, Tan Tock Seng Hospital
- Director, Endoscopy Centre, Tan Tock Seng Hospital
- Senior Clinical Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, NUS
- Vice-Chairman, Chapter of General Surgeons, College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine Singapore
- Chairman, Specialist Interest Group (Surgery), Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
- Chairman, Endoscopy Centre, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
- Vice-Chairman, Medical Advisory Board, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
Awards:
- HMDP Fellowship Award for Surgical Oncology and Pancreatic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Germany
- TTSH Scholarship Award for Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Australia
Professional Profile
Dr Ho is an accredited Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Cancer Specialist in Singapore. Since his graduation from the medical faculty at the National University of Singapore in 1994, Dr Ho has accumulated more than 20 years of clinical experience.
Dr Ho Choon Kiat is a general surgeon practising at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Parkway East Hospital and Mount Alvernia Hospital. 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 more than 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 Büchler 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.
Have a question or need a second opinion?
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