Clinical Associate Professor Low Shiong Wen obtained his Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery from the National University of Singapore (NUS). He underwent General Surgery post graduate training and went on to obtain the postgraduate General Surgical qualifications: Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) from the United Kingdom in 2007, and Masters in Medicine, M.Med(Surgery) in 2008. He subsequently underwent Neurosurgery specialty training at the National University Hospital, Singapore.
In 2010, he was awarded the Ministry of Health (MOH) Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Fellowship Award where he spent two years in Advanced Neurosurgical training with the Neurosurgery Department at Cambridge University Hospital (Addenbrookes Hospital), Cambridge, UK. This department, headed by Professor John Pickard is the one of the top neurosurgical centres in the United Kingdom for clinical excellence and research. Following his success at the Fellowship Examinations in Neurosurgery from the Royal College of Surgeons FRCS(SN) at end 2012, he returned to Singapore to set up the neurosurgical service at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH). He is the founding Head of Division and is currently still serving in this capacity.
Clinical A/Prof Low has expertise to manage a wide variety of neuro-trauma, neuro-oncologic and neuro-vascular pathologies. He is also trained in Stereotactic radiosurgery such as using gamma knife radiosurgery for cerebral metastasis, vascular malformations and trigeminal neuralgias. He also performs microsurgical cerebral revascularization procedures for stroke patients.
He also has a keen interest in the use of minimally invasive spine surgery, including the use endoscopic techniques in the treatment of spine pathologies.
He has received numerous service quality awards, notably the CEO-CMB service quality award, presented to healthcare staff who consistently provide sterling service to patients. In the area of undergraduate teaching, he has been recognised and awarded the Best Programme Tutor for General Surgery, Best Undergraduate Tutor and the National University of Singapore Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence on multiple occasions.
Administratively, apart from leading the neurosurgical service at NTFGH, Clinical A/Prof Low is the Vice Chairman Medical Board (Patient Experience and Culture).
At the National University Health System (NUHS) cluster level, he is the Vice Group Chairman Medical Board (Clinical Governance and Medicolegal).
Nationally, he contributes his time as the Vice Chairman of the Chapter of Neurosurgeons, Academy of Medicine of Singapore. He is also Mediator for Ministry of Health Holdings.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honors, LL.B (Hons) from the University of London, and has a keen interest in the area of medico-legal issues.
1. Low SW, S Iyer, K Mak, KK Madhavan et al. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis: Safe Implementation of Successful Strategies to Reduce Conversion Rates. Surg Endosc. 2009 Nov;23(11):2424-9. Epub 2009 Mar 5
2. Low SW, TT Yeo, N Chou et al. Long Term Outcomes of Novel Biodegradable Implant for Burr holes. Singapore Med J. 2009 Aug;50(8):777-80.
3. S Lwin, Low SW, TT Yeo et al. External Ventricular Drain infections: successful implementation of strategies to reduce infection rates. Singapore Med J 2012 Apr;53(4): 255-9
4. Yang WR, Ng ZX, Koh KM, Low SW et al. Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for thoracolumbar burst fracture: a Singapore experience. Singapore Med J 2012; 53(9): 577–581
5. SW. Low, C. H. Kuick, K. T. E. Chang, C. L. Tan et al. A Rapidly Fatal Intracranial Anaplastic Hemangiopericytoma with De-Novo Dedifferentiation: Emphasis on Diagnostic Recognition, Molecular Confirmation and Discussion on Treatment Dilemma. Brain Tumor Pathol. 2019 Jan 2. doi: 10.1007/s10014-018-0333-0.
6. Yang Zhang JJ, Low SW, Teo TT, Santarius T et al. Outcomes of Subdural versus Subperiosteal drain after burr-hole evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma: a multicenter cohort study. World Neurosurg. 2019 jul30. pii:S1878-8750(19)32084-4. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.168
7. Zhang JJY, Low SW, Yeo TT, Santarius T et al. Development of a prognostic scoring system to predict risk of reoperation for contralateral hematoma growth after unilateral evacuation of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience vol. 78 (2020): 79-85 doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2020.06.009
8. Hui Min Tan, Shiong Wen Low, Char Loo Tan. A case report of atypia in angiomatous microcystic meningioma: A mimicker and masker of intratumoral metastasis in a patient with no known systemic malignancy. Glioma 2021;4:12-4. DOI: 10.4103/glioma.glioma_31_20
9. Zhang JJY, Low SW, Yeo TT, Santarius T et al. Impact of time to resumption of antithrombotic therapy on outcomes after surgical evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma: A multicenter cohort study.
10. Goh CP, Lim SL, Sun I, Low SW. Case series of pituitary apoplexy presenting as an isolated oculomotor nerve palsy and a review of literature with possible insight into underlying pathophysiology. J Neurosurg Clin Neurol 2(1):https://doi.org/10.38207/JNCN20210057
