Education

The Department of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (DVIR) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) provides a comprehensive range of vascular and non-vascular interventional service. SGH is a 1600 bed acute tertiary hospital, providing cutting edge medical treatment in all spheres.

The Department has access to 8 interventional radiology suites housed under the Division of Radiological Sciences, which are equipped with state of the art machines including the Siemens Artiz Zeego, Siemens and Toshiba DSA with cone beam CT systems, Toshiba hybrid angio-CT systems and Toshiba biplane systems. All IR suites are equipped with Ultrasound scanners for US guided/assisted interventions. DVIR is staffed by 16 Interventional Radiologists and performs about 10,000 vascular and non-vascular procedures a year.

The spectrum of VIR procedures performed include:

Venous access (PICC, tunneled and non tunneled central catheters, ports)
Image guided biopsies (including transjugular liver biopsy) and drainages
Dialysis access / central venous angioplasty, stenting, thrombolysis
Lower limb angioplasty/stenting (including subintimal and infrapopliteal angioplasty, SAFARI technique), thrombolysis and debulking procedures
Aortic stent grafts for aneurysmal disease and dissection
DVT thrombolysis and venous stenting
IVC filter insertion and removal
Embolisation for trauma, tumour, bleeding GIT, PPH, hemoptysis
Testicular vein embolization
Prostatic artery embolization
Fallopian tube recanalization
Uterine fibroid embolisation
Transarterial Chemo-embolisation (conventional TACE, balloon TACE, drug eluting bead TACE) and radio-embolisation (Y90 spheres)
Thermal ablation (RFA; MWA) of liver and lung tumours, as well as benign thyroid nodules
Cryoablation of renal and bone tumors
Vertebroplasty / cementoplasty for augmentation of musculoskeletal tumours
Biliary drainages, dilatations and stenting
Nephrostomies and ureteric stenting
Radiological guided gastrostomy insertion, NJ tube insertion and GI stenting
Fusion and contrast enhanced US guided procedures

Faculty

A/Prof. Tay Kiang Hiong (Senior Consultant and Head of Department)
Prof Tan Bien Soo (Senior Consultant and Chair Radiological Sciences ACP)
Dr Richard Lo Hoau Gong (Senior Consultant)
Dr. Farah Gillan Irani (Senior Consultant)
Dr Sivanathan Chandramohan (Senior Consultant)
Dr Luke Han Wei Toh (Senior Consultant)
Dr Apoorva Gogna (Senior Consultant)
Dr Ankur Patel (Senior Consultant)
Dr Shaun Chan Ju Min (Senior Consultant)
Dr Too Chow Wei (Senior Consultant)
Dr Nanda Kumar (Senior Consultant)
Dr Leong Sum (Senior Consultant)
Dr Zhuang Kunda (Consultant)
Dr Jasmine Chua (Consultant)
Dr Kristen Alexa Lee (Consultant)
Dr Alfred Tan (Consultant)
Dr Mark Wang (Associate Consultant)
Dr Alexander Tan (Associate Consultant)

DVIR Medical Students Electives

DVIR welcomes elective medical students throughout the year. This is an opportunity to experience the many ways interventional radiology impacts upon patient care across many specialties.

Aims of DVIR medical student electives:

Learn how and when various imaging modalities (ultrasound, fluoroscopy, CT) are used to guide procedures
Be familiar with the indications, techniques and potential complications of the following common IR procedures:
Vascular: central venous access, percutaneous angioplasty and stenting
Non vascular: biopsies, drainages, percutaneous nephrostomy and biliary drainage
Oncological: tumour ablation, radio-embolisation, chemoembolization
Learn how patients are prepared for IR procedures and if they are indicated, safe and feasible
Learn radiation protection methods used during fluoroscopic and CT interventions
Opportunity to assist in patient workup, rounds, consent taking and procedures

Types of medical student electives at DVIR

Clinical elective
Clinical plus research elective
Research elective

Electives can either be standalone (i.e. DVIR alone) or in combination with concurrent electives in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology (DDR) and/or Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular imaging (DNMMI).

How to apply

Local medical school students (e.g. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Duke-NUS medical school and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine) should apply via their respective internal medical school application process for electives.

Overseas medical students can find more information on how to apply at the SGH Associate Dean’s Office website.

Contact Information

For more information on DVIR medical student electives, please contact Dr Leong Sum (leong.sum@singhealth.com.sg)

DVIR Trainee Positions available:

Medical Officer (3-6 MO’s at any one time)

3 months of VIR combined with 3 months of Diagnostic Radiology

Application via MOHH

Further information can be obtained from:

http://www.physician.mohh.com.sg/

Mopex MO DVIR contact: Dr Mark Wang (mark.wang.q.w@singhealth.com.sg)

Singhealth Residents

4 months VIR posting (combined with Changi General Hospital) for R1-R4

3 – 12 months VIR posting for R5 applied via Residency Advisory Committee

Further information can be obtained from:

http://www.singhealthresidency.com.sg/Pages/DiagnosticRadiology.aspx

Singhealth Radiology Residency IR Core faculty contact: Dr Jasmine Chua (jasmine.chua.m.e@singhealth.com.sg)

MO / Singhealth Residents Posting Scope and Content

Broad exposure to Vascular and Interventional Radiology (as well as diagnostic radiology)
Involvement in pre-procedure rounds (including imaging review, consent and preparation), post-procedure rounds, management of complications and clinic follow up
Opportunity to develop basic skills in image guided intervention, assist and observe in more complex advanced procedures
Opportunity to learn normal radiological anatomy, develop basic skills in vascular cross sectional imaging (CT and MRI)
Opportunity to participate in research project leading to presentation and publication
Weekly basic lectures in Interventional Radiology for trainees
Weekly DVIR Interprofessional Continuing Medical Education
Weekly multidisciplinary meetings (Hepatobiliary, Vascular, Urology meetings, tumour boards)
More focused individualised training program for residents who aspire to a career in interventional radiology
Extended duties (i.e. out of office hours and Saturday) will be rostered
Trainees are expected to maintain a training logbook