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Clin Assoc Prof Toh Song Tar

MBBS(S’pore), MRCS(Edin), MMED(ORL), MMED(Sleep Med), FAMS(ORL)

Head ＆ Senior Consultant

Singapore General Hospital

Specialty: Otorhinolaryngology- Head ＆ Neck Surgery, Surgery ＆ Surgical Oncology

Sub-specialties: Snoring, Sleep Apnoea Surgery

Conditions Treated by this Doctor:
Acute Pharyngitis and Tonsillitis, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy (CPAP), Head ＆ Neck Reconstructive Microsurgery, Myofunctional Therapy and Nasal Breathing Exercises, Myofunctional Therapy and Nasal Breathing Exercises, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), Oral Appliance for OSA, Orthognathic Surgery for OSA, Snoring, Swallowing Difficulties, Tonsils and Adenoids, Tonsils and Adenoids, Transoral Robotic Tongue Base and Epiglottis Surgery for OSA.

Clinical Appointments

Head ＆ Senior Consultant Otorhinolaryngology - Head ＆Neck Surgery Singapore General Hospital
Head ＆ Senior Consultant Division of Surgery ＆ Surgical Oncology National Cancer Centre Singapore
Senior Consultant SingHealth Duke-NUS Sleep Centre

Profile

Dr. Toh Song Tar is the Head & Senior Consultant in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology- Head ＆ Neck Surgery, Singhealth Duke-NUS Sleep Centre. He is appointed Adjunct Associate Professor for NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Duke-NUS Medical School. He is appointed Clinical Physician Faculty of the Singhealth Residency Program for Otolaryngology, General Surgery and Family Medicine.

Dr. Toh graduated from the National University of Singapore and completed his specialty training in Otolaryngology in Singapore. He obtained the Ministry of Health’s Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) scholarship to sub-specialize in Sleep Medicine and Sleep Apnea Surgery in Stanford University, School of Medicine. He obtained his Master of Medicine ( Sleep Medicine) from University of Sydney in 2014. He is trained as a console-surgeon in performing transoral robotic surgery (TORS) using the da Vinci robot and Medrobotic system for obstructive sleep apnea. He and his team have done the most cases of TORS for sleep apnea and have the most experience in Transoral Robotic Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Singapore and Southeast Asia to-date. He is often invited to share his experience in this surgical technique in Asia.

Dr. Toh has published various scientific articles in notable peer reviewed journals as well as book chapters. He is volume editor of the March 2019 issue of Sleep Medicine Clinics on Screening, Prevention and Treatments of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Beyond Positive Airway Pressure. He is an invited reviewer for international scientific journals including Sleep Medicine, The Laryngoscope, Archives Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. He held SingHealth Foundation Grant and Singhealth Academic Clinical Program Seed Grant to explore innovative surgical technique in the treatment of sleep apnea. He is often invited as an expert speaker at local, regional and international scientific meeting and conferences on obstructive sleep apnea and its’ surgical management.

Education

MMED (Sleep Medicine): University of Sydney, 2014
FAMS (ORL): Singapore, 2009
MMed (ORL): Singapore, 2006
MRCSEd: Edinburgh, 2004
MBBS: Singapore, 1998

Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships

President, Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2015-2017
National Examiner, Ministry of Health, 2016- Present
Exam Committee, Joint Committee Specialist Training, Academy of Medicine, 2015-present
Exam Committee, Master of Medicine (Otolaryngology), Postgraduate Medical Studies, National University of Singapore, 2016-present
Chairman, SGH Medisave Audit Committee, 2017- present
Chairman, Singhealth Residency Program Evaluation Committee, 2016-present
Board Member, CIRB review board, SingHealth, NHG, NUJS, 2013- present
Board Member, Chapter of Otolaryngology, Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 2011- Present
Exco Member, Singapore Sleep Society, 2010 - Present
Member, Singapore Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, 2008- Present

Awards

Dean’s Award AY2015/2016 for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring. National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Singapore Health Quality Service Award 2014, Superstar Finalist Award
SGH CEO Award 2013 – Singapore General Hospital
Dean’s Award AY2011/2012 for Excellence in Teaching. National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Research Interests

Publications

1: Toh ST. Prevention, Screening, and Treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea:

Beyond Positive Airway Pressure (PAP). Sleep Med Clin. 2019 Mar;14(1).

2: Toh ST, Phua CQ, Loh S. Holistic Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea:

Translating Academic Research to Patient Care. Sleep Med Clin. 2019

Mar;14(1):1-11.

3: Goh KJ, Soh RY, Leow LC, Toh ST, Song PR, Hao Y, Lee KCH, Tan GL, Ong TH.

Choosing the right mask for your Asian patient with sleep apnoea: A randomized,

crossover trial of CPAP interfaces. Respirology. 2019 Mar;24(3):278-285.

4. John Loh, Toh ST. Rethinking Neck Circumference in STOP-BANG for Asian OSA. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare. 2018 :1-5

5. Ong JSB, Kai Chua AJ, Toh ST, Suppurative thyroiditis in a pregnant patient,

Otolaryngology Case Reports (2018)

6: Goh JC, Tang J, Cao JX, Hao Y, Toh ST. Apnoeic and Hypopnoeic Load in

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: Correlation with Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Ann Acad Med

Singapore. 2018 Jun;47(6):216-222.

7: Chan CY, Han HJ, Lye WK, Toh ST. Complications and Pain in Obstructive Sleep

Apnoea - Comparing Single and Multilevel Surgery. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2018

Mar;47(3):101-107.

8: Neo WL, Ng ACW, Rangabashyam M, Hao Y, Ho KL, Senin SRB, Toh ST. Prevalence of

Cardiac Arrhythmias in Asian Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Singapore

Sleep Center Experience. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Nov 15;13(11):1265-1271.

9: Toh ST, Hsu PP. Robotic Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery. Adv Otorhinolaryngol.

2017;80:125-135. doi: 10.1159/000470882. Epub 2017 Jul 17. Review.

10: Ng AC, Neo WL, Rangabashyam M, Hao Y, Ho KL, Toh ST. Relation of Cardiac

Arrhythmias to Hypoxic Time and Lowest Oxygen Saturation in Patients with

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in an Asian Context: A Singapore Sleep Centre Study. Ann

Acad Med Singapore. 2017 May;46(5):210-212.

11.Toh S.T., Agrawal V. (2016) The Far Eastern Asian Experience. In: Vicini C., Hoff P., Montevecchi F. (eds) TransOral Robotic Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Springer, Cham

12: Huang W, Rangabashyam M, Hao Y, Liu J, Toh ST. Quality of Life in Obstructive

Sleep Apnoea: A Role for Oxygen Desaturation Indices? Ann Acad Med Singapore.

2016 Sep;45(9):404-412.

13: Rangabashyam M, Huang W, Hao Y, Han HJ, Loh S, Toh ST. State of the art

transoral robotic surgery for obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. Robot

Surg. 2016 May 25;3:13-28.

14: Low D, Loh JZ, Lim KH, Toh ST. Facial nerve palsy secondary to Küttner's

tumour of the parotid gland: a case report. Singapore Med J. 2016 Apr;57(4):217.

15: Tan KB, Toh ST, Guilleminault C, Holty JE. A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of

Surgery for Middle-Aged Men with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Intolerant of

CPAP. J Clin Sleep Med. 2015 Apr 15;11(5):525-35.

16: Toh ST, Han HJ, Tay HN, Kiong KL. Transoral robotic surgery for obstructive

sleep apnea in Asian patients: a Singapore sleep centre experience. JAMA

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Jul;140(7):624-9.

17: Teo EH, Toh ST, Tay HN, Han HJ. Transoral robotic resection of lingual

thyroid: case report. J Laryngol Otol. 2013 Oct;127(10):1034-7.

18: Toh ST, Hsu PP, Tan KL, Lu KS, Han HJ. Hyoid expansion with titanium plate

and screw: a human cadaveric study using computer-assisted airway measurement.

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013 Aug 1;139(8):817-21.

19: Toh ST, Lin CH, Guilleminault C. Usage of four-phase high-resolution

rhinomanometry and measurement of nasal resistance in sleep-disordered breathing.

Laryngoscope. 2012 Oct;122(10):2343-9.

20: Toh ST, Yuen HW, Lim KH, Goh YH, Goh HK. Residual cervical lymphadenopathy

after definitive treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: fine needle aspiration

cytology, computed tomography and histopathological findings. J Laryngol Otol.

2011 Jan;125(1):70-7.

21: Toh ST, Lee JC. Onodi cell mucocele: rare cause of optic compressive

neuropathy. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007 Nov;133(11):1153-6.

22: Toh ST, Hsu PP, Ng YH, Teo TW, Tan KL, Lu KS. Incidence of complications

after temperature-controlled radiofrequency treatment for sleep-disordered

breathing: a Singapore sleep centre experience. J Laryngol Otol. 2008

May;122(5):490-4.

23: Toh ST, Yuen HW, Goh YH, Goh CH. Evaluation of recurrent nodal disease after

definitive radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: diagnostic value of

fine-needle aspiration cytology and CT scan. Head Neck. 2007 Apr;29(4):370-7.

24: Toh ST, Yuen HW, Goh YH. Actinomycetes colonization of tonsils: a comparative

study between patients with and without recurrent tonsillitis. J Laryngol Otol.

2007 Aug;121(8):775-8.

25: Low WK, Toh ST, Wee J, Fook-Chong SM, Wang DY. Sensorineural hearing loss

after radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy: a single, blinded, randomized study. J

Clin Oncol. 2006 Apr 20;24(12):1904-9.

26. Toh ST, Eng SP, Chan YM. External Acoustic Cholesteatoma in Asian. Mediterr J. Otol 2005; 1:122-127

27: Toh ST, Lu P, Ong M, Seet B. Prevalence of hearing disorders in Singapore

military conscripts: a role for routine audiometry screening? Singapore Med J.

2002 Dec;43(12):622-7.

28: Low WK, Toh ST, Lim CM, Ramesh G. Schneiderian papilloma of the nasopharynx.

Ear Nose Throat J. 2002 May;81(5):336-8.

Research Trials

Tags: Otorhinolaryngology- Head ＆ Neck Surgery, Surgery ＆ Surgical Oncology, Snoring, Sleep Apnoea Surgery, Acute Pharyngitis and Tonsillitis, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy (CPAP), Head ＆ Neck Reconstructive Microsurgery, Myofunctional Therapy and Nasal Breathing Exercises, Myofunctional Therapy and Nasal Breathing Exercises, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), Oral Appliance for OSA, Orthognathic Surgery for OSA, Snoring, Swallowing Difficulties, Tonsils and Adenoids, Tonsils and Adenoids, Transoral Robotic Tongue Base and Epiglottis Surgery for OSA