Dr. James Tan

Dr. James Tan

Dr. James Tan

Specialist Neurosurgeon

  • Spinal Injections for Neck and Back Pain
  • Brain, Spine and Spinal Cord Surgery
  • Radiofrequency Treatment for Neck and Back Pain
  • Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Brain, Neck and Back Surgery

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Gleneagles Hospital
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Biographical Summary

Scholarship and Training:

  • Completed a 2-year HMDP scholarship at Queen Square, London, training under Prof. Alan Crockard and Dr. Michael Powell in 1997.
  • Awarded a second HMDP award to train with Prof. Dieter Grob in Zurich, Switzerland, specializing in Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques in 2003.

Innovative Techniques:

  • First in South East Asia to use the Bryan Artificial Cervical Disc, having performed approximately 50 artificial disc implantations.

Specialization and Expertise:

  • Specializes in minimally invasive techniques and spinal injections for neck and back pain.
  • Treats degenerative diseases of the cervical and lumbar spine, including prolapsed discs, spondylosis, myelopathy, radiculopathy, and spinal and spinal cord tumors.

Teaching Excellence:

  • Actively involved in teaching and training, serving as an invited speaker and instructor at numerous courses and meetings.

Conditions Treated​

Neck Pain

Neck Pain

Back Pain

Back Pain

Hip Pain

Spondylosis

Degenerative Disease of the Cervical and Lumbar Spine (eg. Spondylosis)

Prolapsed discs

Prolapsed Discs

Radiculopathy

Radiculopathy (Nerve Pain Due To Spinal Nerve Root Injury)

Tumours

Brain Tumour

Myelopathy

Neuro-related & Spinal Cord Injury (Myelopathy)

Field of Expertise

Minimally invasive techniques and spinal injections for neck and back pain

Spinal Injections for Neck and Back Pain

Brain

Brain, Spine and Spinal Cord Surgery

Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Spinal Disc Replacements

Radiofrequency treatment for neck and back pain

Radiofrequency Treatment for Neck and Back Pain

Minimally invasive techniques and spinal injections for neck and back pain

Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Brain, Neck and Back Surgery

1989

MD

National University of Singapore Faculty of Medicine

1995

Fellowship

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

1995

Fellowship

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

1999

Fellowship

FRCS (Neurosurgery)

Honors

  • Senior Spinal Neurosurgeon, Singapore
  • Pioneer in the use of the Bryan Artificial Cervical Disc in South East Asia

Certifications

  • 1991 | Designated Factory Doctor (Compressed Air Works)
  • 2000 | Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Certification Course
  • 1995 | FRCS (Edinburgh)
  • 1995 | FRCS (Glasgow)
  • 1999 | FRCS (Neurosurgery)
  • 1989 | MBBS (Singapore)

Awards

  • 1981 | Distinction Award, Anglo-Chinese School
  • 1997 – 1999 | Human Manpower Development Plan (Ministry of Health, Singapore) – London, United Kingdom
  • 2003 | Human Manpower Development Plan (Ministry of Health, Singapore) – Zurich, Switzerland
  • Mobile Cauda Equina Schwannoma – Singapore Medical Journal, 2007 | Feb;48(2):e53-6
  • Microsurgical Treatment of Spinal Tumours – Singapore Med J. 2005 | Feb;46(2):74-7
  • Malignant transformation of oligodendroglioma: MR spectroscopy and diffusionweighted MR imaging features – European Journal of Radiology Extra 49 (2004) 1-6
  • Hypertensive Basal Ganglia Hemorrhage: A Prospective Study Comparing Surgical and Non-Surgical Management (2001) | Surg Neurol 2001 Nov;56(5):287-92
  • Juvenile cerebellar astrocytoma – a study of long term functional outcome – K S O’Neill, K Phipps, J Tan, et al, British Journal of Neurosurgery | Oct 1999 | Vol 13 No 5, p 534 (Proceedings)
  • Transglabellar Approach to Suprasellar Tumours” at Minimally Invasive Techniques and Image Guided Skull Base Surgery, Toulouse | (July 1998) – Oral Presentation
  • Benign Spinal Cord Tumours- Outcome of Surgical Treatment – at 4th Tan Tock Seng Hospital Neuroscience Colloquium | (October 1996) – Oral Presentation
  • Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage – Surgical versus Non-surgical Treatment at 4th Tan Tock Seng Hospital Neuroscience Colloquium (October 1996) | Oral Presentation
  • Retrospective analysis on outcome after hemorrhagic strokes at 34th Singapore Malaysia Congress of Medicine | (August 1996) – Oral Presentation
  • Spinal Cord Tumours – Presentation and Outcome – at the 34th Singapore-Malaysia Congress of Medicine Meeting | (August 1996) – Oral Presentation
  • Use of AO Classification in fractures – the Alexandra Hospital experience at the Singapore General Hospital Annual Scientific Meeting | (1990) – Oral Presentation

Clinic Locations

Gleneagles Hospital Annexe

#02-42 Gleneagles Hospital Annexe 6A Napier Road, Singapore 258500

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