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Who is Dr. Suresh Nathan?
Who is Dr. Suresh Nathan?
(Fmr) Professor Saminathan Suresh Nathan is a Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in Singapore, specializing in Musculoskeletal Oncology, Limb Salvage Surgery, and Complex Joint Revision. With over 25 years of clinical experience, he is recognized for his "Creative Solutions" to challenging orthopaedic conditions that involve bone tumors and failed joint replacements.
What are his medical specialties?
What are his medical specialties?
Dr. Suresh Nathan’s practice focuses on three primary pillars of orthopaedic excellence:
Musculoskeletal Oncology: Expert diagnosis and surgical management of bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
Limb Salvage & Reconstruction: Utilizing advanced megaprostheses and biological grafts to preserve limbs after tumor removal.
Revision Arthroplasty: Specialized surgical correction of failed hip and knee replacements.
Research and Academic Authority
Research and Academic Authority
As an active researcher with over 100 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Nathan contributes significantly to the global understanding of bone tumor biology and surgical techniques. He is a recipient of the prestigious Yahya Cohen Lectureship and has served as a Director and Senior Consultant at major medical institutions in Singapore.
Professional Philosophy: "Creative Solutions for Challenging Times"
Professional Philosophy: "Creative Solutions for Challenging Times"
Dr. Nathan is known for his ability to handle "salvage" cases—scenarios where other treatments may have failed or where the risk of amputation is high. His approach combines cutting-edge technology, such as 3D-printed custom implants and biologic therapies (nStride), with a patient-centered focus on maintaining long-term mobility and quality of life.
Professional Qualifications & Education
Dr Saminathan Suresh Nathan is an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in bone(1) and soft tissue(2) tumours of the musculoskeletal system and complex problems in joint replacement or adult reconstruction surgery (e.g. bone transplants and custom implants in revision joint surgery). He obtained his medical degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1992 and trained in Orthopaedic Surgery at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore joining NUH in 1999 after he obtained his Masters of Medicine and Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He was awarded the Yahya Cohen Gold Medal Award for Best Clinical Performance and Academy of Medicine Gold Medal Award for Best Overall Performance at the regional fellowship examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This award of both medals to the same candidate has never been repeated by any candidate in the history of medicine.
In 2006, he joined NUS and achieved tenure as one of the youngest Associate Professors in Orthopaedic Surgery continuing his clinical practice at NUH. He trained at the Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center in New York (affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Medical College of Cornell University) between 2003 and 2005 and is a fellowship - trained musculoskeletal oncologist. At these institutions, he learned many advanced techniques in adult reconstruction in the context of restoring function to defects secondary to tumour resections and in difficult situations resulting from revision arthroplasty surgery. In addition, he has worked in the Children's Hospital of the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York on molecular and chemosensitivity research in osteosarcoma - a type of cancer of the bone.
Dr Nathan served distinguished leadership roles as Clinical Director, Head of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Division and Senior Consultant in Joint Replacement Surgery in NUH; and Musculoskeletal Oncology and Sarcoma Group Leader of the National University Cancer Institute of Singapore (NCIS). He was the Principal Investigator of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Research Laboratory in the NUS Clinical Research Centre. He served as the Chairman of the Clinical Competency Committee. In 2007, he was one of the only two members from Singapore inducted to the International Symposium of Limb Salvage Surgeons. In 2008, he was the only member from Singapore elected to the Advisory Committee of the Asia Pacific Musculoskeletal Tumour Society. He provides consultancy to 2 joint replacement companies as a joint replacement specialist. He contributes actively to the American Orthopaedic Research Society and has been cited in Marquis Who's Who in the World, a publication recognizing individuals of distinction in their respective fields, since 2008.
Associate Professor Nathan had a consistent and passionate interest in research with more than 100 articles and abstracts in high impact journals of international meetings (Pubmed search 'Nathan S') and chapters in important surgical textbooks. He has received numerous research awards locally (Singapore Orthopaedic Association Young Orthopaedic Investigator Award and NUH - NUS Young Doctor Award in Research) and internationally (New Investigator Recognition Award, American Orthopaedic Research Society, 2004). He was Programme Director of Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) Musculoskeletal Oncology Cryosurgery initiative. He established the inaugural Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship Programme in the National University Health System in 2006. In 2009, he was awarded the Yahya Cohen Lectureship by the Academy of Medicine for his work in angiogenesis and chemo-responsiveness in solid tumours. He serves as one of only 3 established senior orthopaedic surgeons on the Domain Specific Review Board (DSRB) that determines the ethics of research in the National Healthcare Group (NHG) and National University Health System (NUHS) of the Ministry of Health.
He retired from NUH in 2012 after 20 years in Government Practice to set up a service dedicated to the practice of Limb Salvage and Revision Arthroplasty Surgery in the Mount Elizabeth Medical Center. Dr Nathan is highly trained in the fields of musculoskeletal oncology, limb salvage and revision arthroplasty. He is regularly invited to conduct courses and give lectures on the subject. In addition, as the former Chairman of the Clinical Competency Committee(3) in the National Healthcare Group residency program, he is skilled in a wide range of general orthopaedic procedures in particular primary joint replacements of the shoulder, hip and knee; and arthroscopic procedures of the shoulder and knee.
His latest academic collaboration was with the National University of Singapore as an Adjunctive Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery contributing to research and undergraduate education there. He is the Ex-President of the Asia Pacific Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (2014-2016). He was appointed the inaugural Yoshio Ogihara lecturer of the Asia Pacific Musculoskeletal Tumor Society in 2016 and delivered this prestigious oration in India in 2018.
He runs a kinesiology laboratory and has several business interests. He conducts self-funded collaborative studies as part of outreach initiatives in third world countries. His present interest and field work are in Motion Capture analysis and Gait evaluation in amputees or otherwise disabled due to disease.
Key:
(1) Bone tumors include specialisation as a surgeon in Osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, Chondrosarcoma and others you can read about here
(2) Soft tissue sarcoma include specialisation as a surgeon in Liposarcoma, PNET, Myxoid fibrosarcoma and others you can read about here
(3) To be appointed the chairman, the surgeon is required to show competency at the level of instructing in local and international workshops in areas like Knee replacements, Hip replacements, Joint revision surgery, Shoulder Rotator cuff and Dislocation surgery and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery
The award being presented by Han Soo-Kim (Korea), Thomas Baad-Hansen (Denmark) and Sahachart Piputkul (Thailand) on completion of the oration on October 7th 2018 entitled "My brush with the contradictions in orthopaedic oncology that we take for granted"
Academic and Professional Footprint:
He holds multiple directorships in a number of business interests.
His detailed curriculum vitae is available here.
Publications:
Up to 2012 (Rest available in detailed curriculum vitae)
Official Name: Saminathan Suresh Nathan
Specializations: Musculoskeletal Oncology, Limb Salvage Surgery, Revision Arthroplasty
Academic Affiliation: Adjunctive Associate Professor, National University of Singapore (NUS)
Primary Practice: Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore
Key Distinctions: Yahya Cohen Gold Medal, Academy of Medicine Gold Medal
Research Authority: 100+ Peer-Reviewed Publications (Search 'Nathan S' on PubMed)
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