Dr Melvin Tan is a UK fellowship-trained Consultant Surgeon who holds dual appointments in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at both National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital. He is available for consultations at both hospitals.
Dr Tan completed his basic medical degree at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He subsequently embarked on Residency training in Orthopaedic Surgery at National University Hospital, as one of the earliest trainee into the ACGME-I accredited residency programme. He was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh at completion of his specialist training.
Dr Tan specialises in disorders of the hip and knee joints and lower limb. His main fields of practice are joint replacement surgeries of the hip and knee (partial and total), robotic-assisted joint replacements, and knee sports surgery. He is fellowship-trained in complex joint reconstruction, partial knee replacements, minimally invasive surgery, and revision joint replacements (second time surgery) for failed joints. Dr Tan has unique experience in adopting patient-specific pathways for enhanced recovery, with majority of his patients walking and climbing stairs within a day after surgery. He adopts a step-wise, multi-pronged approach in clinical management and emphasizes on customising every patients’ care and rehabilitation to their needs. He has also been a visiting surgeon to various renowned centres in Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom and Shanghai to further enhance his repertoire of skillset in complex joint replacements, robotic-assisted joint replacements and minimally invasive surgical techniques.
Dr Tan was the first international surgeon to be selected for higher surgical training at South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC) at London, United Kingdom, under the Health Manpower Development Plan award conferred by the Ministry of Health Singapore for his fellowship. SWLEOC is a NHS Centre of Excellence for hip and knee replacement surgery that is well recognised both nationally and internationally. At this largest high-volume joint replacement centre in the UK and one of the largest in Europe, Dr Tan underwent comprehensive training in complex joint reconstruction of hip and knee, high-risk joint replacements, minimally invasive hip replacement surgery (including direct anterior approach), partial knee replacements and knee sports surgery. He has refined his use of different modern implants and surgical techniques to improve patient-reported outcomes after surgery in addition to Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. He was under the mentorship of various renowned surgeons in their respective fields, all of whom possess a wealth of surgical skills and expertise. Dr Tan remains grateful for their teachings and guidance till this day.
Apart from clinical work, Dr Tan is also active in educational and administrative roles within the larger healthcare system. He is a clinical tutor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and engages regularly in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Orthopaedic Surgery. He is also a regular examiner for the undergraduate examinations in Orthopaedic Surgery. He was previously the Chief Resident representative for Orthopaedic Surgery in the Singapore Chief Residency Program (SCRP) - a year-long national programme led by the Healthcare Leadership College, Ministry of Health to nurture clinicians in leadership, teaching, management and policy competencies. He has also served as Secretary, Vice-Chairman and Chairman for Singapore Orthopaedic Trainee’s Committee of the Singapore Orthopaedic Association. His experience in these leadership roles continue to help him drive improvements in patient care at both Alexandra Hospital and National University Hospital, as well as the on-going development of the joint replacement centre at Alexandra Hospital. In addition, Dr Tan has been a regular recipient of the hospitals’ service quality awards for patient care. Most recently, he was one of the recipients of the Singapore Health Quality Service Award (SHQSA) 2025 Individual category, a national award to honour and celebrate the exemplary efforts of healthcare professionals in improving patient experience.
Dr. Tan undertakes research and has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at loco-regional and international conferences. At present, he is involved as a co-investigator for a study looking at decision-making tool in treatment of knee osteoarthritis, backed by a prestigious grant conferred by National Medical Research Council, Singapore. Dr. Tan is a keen educator and regularly tutors and lectures medical students and post-graduate trainees on hip and knee conditions. Dr Tan also mentors international clinical fellows and visiting surgeons who seek to enhance their experience in joint replacement and robotic surgeries. Outside of work, Dr Tan enjoys spending time with his family and children, traveling and coffee brewing.
Conditions treated by Dr. Tan are as follows:
