Dr Esther Chan

Dr Esther Chan is a paediatric surgeon at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Singapore. She obtained her degree in Genetics from the University of Cambridge and completed her medical degree in Imperial College, London. She trained subsequently in paediatric surgery and was awarded the Academy of Medicine Singapore College of Surgeons Gold Medal in paediatric surgery for outstanding performance at the specialist exit examinations. Apart from general paediatric and neonatal surgery, she has a keen interest in paediatric thoracic surgery.

Dr Chan also has a strong interest in medical education, digital innovation and sustainable healthcare. Passionate about developing the next generation of doctors, she is actively involved in designing and delivering educational programmes that enhance learning across all stages of medical training. Her work explores how technology and artificial intelligence can be thoughtfully integrated into clinical practice and education to improve patient care, streamline workflows and create more effective learning experiences. She also advocates for sustainability in healthcare, seeking practical solutions that reduce environmental impact while maintaining high standards of clinical excellence and patient-centred care. Above all, as a mother of two young children, she understands the importance of empathy and human connection and firmly believes that the best healthcare is delivered through compassionate service that comes from the heart.

• FAMS (Paediatric Surgery) 2025
• MRCS (England) 2015
• MBBS (Imperial College, London) 2014
• MA Genetics (University of Cambridge, England) 2011

• Associate Consultant, Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
• Visiting Consultant, Singapore General Hospital
• Adjunct Lecturer, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore
• Adjunct Research Fellow, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
• Physician Faculty Member, Singapore Integrated Programme for Paediatric Surgery
• Fellow, Academy of Medicine, Singapore (Paediatric Surgery)

• College of Surgeons Gold Medal in Paediatric Surgery, Academy of Medicine, 2025
• Singapore Health Quality Service Awards (Silver), 2025
• Robotic Surgery Hands-On Training Competition, Urology Residents’ Course, Singapore – Gold Award (1^st place), 2025
• HBP Surgery Week & the 60th Annual Congress of the Korean Association of HBP Surgery – Conference Travel Award, 2024
• International Society of Liver Surgeons - Single Topic Symposium 2024 – Conference Travel Award, 2024
• KKH Trauma Conference Debate: “APS is better than ATLS for the resuscitation of major paediatric trauma” – Best Speaker Award, 2022
• 20th Annual Congress of Asia Pacific Association of Paediatric Urologists – JJ Corkery e-Poster Award for Best e-Poster, 2018
• Lung and COPD Congress 2018 – Young Researchers Award, 2018
• North West Thames Foundation School Merit Award for Clinical Excellence, 2015
• North West Thames Foundation School Merit Award for Foundation e-Portfolio, 2015

• Ileo-ileal intussusception and necrotising enterocolitis after indomethacin exposure masquerading clinically as solitary intestinal perforation. Tu IWH, Chan EEH, Laksmi NK. BMJ Case Rep. 2025;18(1):e263126. doi:10.1136/bcr-2024-263126
• Spontaneous bilateral pampiniform plexus thrombosis in a teenager. Chan EEH, Li FX, Goh MCE, Sim SW. BMJ Case Rep. 2024;17(6):e259222. doi:10.1136/bcr-2023-259222
• Diagnostic dilemma and challenges in management: Hirschsprung's disease, anal stenosis and reduced interstitial cells of Cajal enteric mesenchymopathy. Chan EEH, Merchant K, Othman MY, Laksmi NK. BMJ Case Rep. 2023;16(4):e252484. doi:10.1136/bcr-2022-252484
• Long term surveillance of pancreatic cysts and its value. KS Chan, V Shelat, EHE Chan, JK Low, CWT Huey, S Junnarkar. HPB Online. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpb.2020.11.570
• Outcome of boys with posterior urethral valves from a single tertiary hospital in Singapore. Chan MT, Chan EE, Ng YH, et al. ANZ J Surg. 2022;92(5):1159-1164. doi:10.1111/ans.17445
• Index admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis restores Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) score. Yu H, Chan EE, Lingam P, et al.. Ann Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg. 2018;22(1):58-65. doi:10.14701/ahbps.2018.22.1.58
• Left video-assisted thoracoscopic enucleation of a giant horseshoe oesophageal leiomyoma. Chan EE, Agasthian T. J Vis Surg. 2017;3:63. Published 2017 May 4. doi:10.21037/jovs.2017.03.19 (The first author is the patient)
• A review of prognostic scores after liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma: the MSKCC, SLICER and SSCLIP scores. Chan EE, Chow PK. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2017;47(4):287-293. doi:10.1093/jjco/hyw185
• Pancreaticopleural Fistula Causing Massive Right Hydrothorax and Respiratory Failure. Chan EE, Shelat VG. Case Rep Surg. 2016;2016:8294056. doi:10.1155/2016/8294056
• Hyperbilirubinaemia and vitamin D deficiency in full-term neonates. YL Wong, E Chan, M Watson. HK J Paediatr (New Series) 2015;20:262-263.
• Repeat prescriptions: do patients know why they're taking their medication? Emma Kenney-Herbert, Vafa Pirjamali, Adam Gunasekara, Christopher Lai, Douglas Burke, Hyoung-Jin Cho, Jennifer Patel, Melanie Kwan, Esther Chan, Nina Kumari and Aamir Kamor. Brit J Gen Practice. http://bjgp.org/content/64/622/259.e-letters
• Laparoscopic management of obstructed partial duplex with Y ureteric configuration. Chan E, Nataraja R, Steinbrecher H, Farrugia MK. J Pediatr Urol. 2014;10(4):774.e1-774.e7742. doi:10.1016/j.jpurol.2014.01.033
• Retroperitoneoscopic left upper moiety heminephroureterectomy for dribbling incontinence. Chan E, Steinbrecher H, Madden N, Farrugia MK. J Pediatr Urol. 2014;10(1):193.e1-193.e1933. doi:10.1016/j.jpurol.2013.09.021