Dr Ong Hang Shyan Desmond

Dr Desmond Ong is an orthopaedic surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Singapore.

He specialises in orthopaedic sports surgery with a focus on the shoulder, elbow and wrist. He also treats patients with other orthopaedic conditions.

Prior to joining private practice, he was a senior consultant in the sports medicine and sports surgery service at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

Dr Ong graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2000 and received his master's degree in orthopaedic surgery in 2006. He is a registered orthopaedic surgeon and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK.

Dr Ong is a recipient of the Health Manpower Development Plan scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Health. In 2011, he was appointed visiting scholar by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s faculty of medicine. During this time, he also worked at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong furthering his clinical interest in advanced arthroscopic upper limb surgery with an emphasis on the wrist and elbow.

Apart from his clinical work, he is involved in teaching as a clinical tutor at NUS. He is a member of the Singapore Orthopaedic Association and the Singapore Society for Hand Surgery, and has presented and lectured at regional and international meetings. He is also a recipient of the Excellent Service Award (Gold) and the Public Service Medal.

Dr Ong was the earliest surgeon in Southeast Asia to perform arthroscopic tendon transfers for massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. He also started wide-awake arthroscopic shoulder labral repair at TTSH.

Known by his patients as the ‘Bowtie Doctor’ for his penchant for wearing a bowtie, Dr Ong is an avid cyclist.