Our Surgeon & Physician – Dr Chuah Chin Tek 蔡进德医生
Dr Chuah obtained his medical education and MBBS from the National University of Singapore and graduated in 1992. After housemanship and a broad based grounding in the various fields of medicine and surgery, Dr Chuah was selected to undergo a training stint at the Singapore National Eye Centre to prepare him for the task of looking after the visual needs of pilots in the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
From 1994 to 1996, Dr Chuah was the Aviation Eye Medical Officer for the RSAF. He was responsible for all aspects of EYE CARE and visual demands pertaining to a high performance environment, as is the situation with Fighter Pilots and Air Operations Communication Officers (Radar Operators), and was appointed to the Board of Certified Examiners by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. He is thus familiar with the exacting visual demands of high performance individuals.
Dr Chuah secured a 3-year training post from the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore, by merit, to undergo Basic Specialist Training in Ophthalmology and started specialist training in Eye Surgery at the Singapore National Eye Centre, receiving a solid grounding in General Ophthalmology, cataract and refractive surgery (LASIK), glaucoma, paediatric eye conditions, Oculoplastics and retinal conditions. This was followed by 3 more years of Advanced Specialist Training culminating in exit certification and his admission to the Specialists Register by the Specialist Accreditation Board.
He subsequently subspecialised in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and trained under the best Eyelid and Ophthalmic Plastic surgeons in Singapore for a further 2 years and was awarded a MOH Award to further hone his skills in the realm of Oculoplastic and Facial Plastic surgery in Salt Lake City, USA.
Dr Chuah began his love affair with aesthetic medicine right from the time he began his specialist training (the pioneer of using Botox for a cosmetic purpose was actually an Eye Surgeon, Dr Jean Carruthers). He has also been injecting hyaluronic acid (the basis of Fillers) into the eye as far back as 1997 even before it was used for injections into the face.
He has been injecting Botox as early as 1999, and had received structured and supervised training in the USA in IPL and laser devices as applicable to Aesthetic Medicine.
He formalized his training in Aesthetic Medicine in order to provide his patients with care of the highest quality by obtaining firstly his Certificate and subsequently his Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine from the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine.
He balances a high volume cataract and refractive surgery practice with a busy aesthetic surgical subspecialty service and completes the comprehensive suite of services available to his patients by practicing aesthetic medicine.
Dr Chuah decided to share his experiences with his patients in the private sector after 15 years of institutional practice.
He retired from International Rugby after 1993, and now practices what he preaches to his patients – exercise – by jogging and occasionally running after his two children.