MEDIA RELEASE

Singapore, 3 October 2025 – Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has announced the launch of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for robotic-assisted surgery, ensuring orthopaedic surgeons are equipped with knowledge of emerging technologies as the population ages and surgical needs evolve.

The Centre is established as part of a two-year strategic collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with Johnson & Johnson MedTech with an initial focus on training and research in total knee replacement.

Regional Training Hub for Southeast Asia 

The CoE will serve as the primary training destination for surgeons across Southeast Asia, and host comprehensive training programmes and regional preceptorship sessions. 

"This collaboration establishes Singapore as a centre for advanced surgical training and gives surgeons a platform to share knowledge, and learn best practices, raising surgical standards in the region on the whole," said Professor Tan Mann Hong, Chairman, Division of Musculoskeletal Sciences, and Senior Consultant, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at SGH. 

The collaboration encompasses three key areas: 

1. Training Curriculum: SGH and Johnson & Johnson MedTech will co-develop comprehensive training curriculum incorporating the latest breakthroughs and best practices in robotic-assisted total knee replacement surgery for medical professionals, including nurses, from Singapore and Southeast Asia. 
2. Training Facilities: SGH’s state-of-the-art facilities, together with early access to Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s advanced robotic technology, will serve as a regional hub for robotic-assisted surgery training. As the designated centre, SGH will host in-person training sessions and regional preceptorship programmes for surgeons in Singapore and Southeast Asia.  
3. Ongoing Research and Innovation: SGH and Johnson & Johnson MedTech will explore novel surgical approaches to improve patient outcomes. This includes optimising workflows in robotic-assisted surgery environments to improve surgical planning and reduce operating room turnaround times, ultimately enhancing surgical efficiency.  

Recent research led by SGH’s Associate Professor Lincoln Liow, Consultant, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, is a prime example of what could be achieved under the MoU. The team studied the differences in early post-operative and 6-month functional outcomes of 65 patients who had conventional total knee replacement surgery, and another 65 who underwent robotic-assisted surgery using Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s VELYS as there were limited literature. These patients have a mean age of 70 and had their surgeries done between January 2021 and December 2024. 

They found that patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery had shorter surgical duration (78.2 versus 85.5 minutes), improved early mobility with ambulation distances of 22.2 versus 11.3 metres, and shorter hospital stays (2.48 versus 3.66 days). At six months, patients showed improvements in quality-of-life measures, with 76.9 per cent versus 60.0 per cent achieving clinically meaningful improvements in pain management. 

The study findings were presented at the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SICOT) 2025 conference held in September in Madrid, Spain. 

Preparing for Ageing Population 

SGH currently performs more than 2,500 total knee replacement procedures annually and its demand is projected to grow significantly as Singapore's population ages. The situation is similar for countries in the region albeit at different rates. 

“Ageing populations in the region deserve surgeons who understand the options available – conventional or cutting edge – and can deliver the care necessary. At the end of the day, it's about being patient-centred rather than the use of technology for its own sake,” said Associate Professor Darren Tay, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at SGH. 

The MoU was signed by Prof Tan and Guillermo Frydman, Area Managing Director, MedTech Southeast Asia, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, on 30 September 2025.