Education Qualifications: MBBS, FFARCSI, FAMS, GDAcu
Professor Hwang, a Singaporean, graduated with MBBS from the National University of Singapore in 1985. He began his training in anaesthesia in Singapore General Hospital in 1987 and continued his anaesthesia training in the UK. While working at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK, in 1992, he obtained his FFARCSI.
From mid-1995 to mid-1996, Professor Hwang received his training in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK. After his return to Singapore, he helped to set up the cardiothoracic anaesthetic service in Singapore General Hospital.
Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships:
- Senior Consultant, Department of Anaesthesiology, SGH & Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia, NHCS
- Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Past Head, Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia, NHCS (May 2003- April 2017)
- Member, SingHealth HMDP committee
Awards:
- Master Academic Clinician 2024, Duke-NUS Medical School
- SGH Division of Anaesthesia Research Incentive Award (Most Productive Researcher category) (2019)
- 1st Runner up Poster presentation at 3rd SingHealth Duke-NUS education Conference (2017)
- Distinguished Educator Award, SingHealth Excellence Award (2016)
- Outstanding Faculty for Learning (Body & Disease) (Faculty Appreciation Award voted by Duke NUS GMS Class of 2017)
- Outstanding Faculty for Learning (Body & Disease) (Faculty Appreciation Award voted by Duke NUS MS Class of 2016)
- Outstanding Faculty for Learning (Anaesthesiology) (Faculty Appreciation Award voted by Duke NUS GMS Class of 2015)
- Outstanding Faculty for Advocacy (Body & Disease) (Faculty Appreciation Award voted by Duke NUS MS Class of 2015)
- Outstanding Faculty for Engagement (Body & Disease) (Faculty Appreciation Award voted by Duke NUS MS Class of 2014)
- Outstanding Innovator award (Body & Disease) (Faculty Appreciation Award voted by Duke NUS GMS Class of 2012)
- Excellent Service Award (Star) (2008)
- GCEO Excellence Award (Professional Category - Medical) (2008)
- Best SGH QA project award (2008)
- Spring Singapore Gold Award for CPIP group project (2005)
- Finalist, Young Investigator's Award, SGH (1995)
- Dermatological Society of Singapore Book Prize (1985)
Leadership positions / roles in Education:
- Director for Education, Division of Anaesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, SGH
- Director, Postgraduate Medical Institute, SGH
- Vice-Chair, Postgraduate Fellowship Programme, College of Clinical Medicine, SingHealth Academy
Research Interests:
- Cardiac surgery associated morbidity
- Heparin resistance in cardiac surgery
- Blood conservation in cardiac surgery
- Emergence delirium
Selected Publications:
Strategies for left ventricular decompression during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation - A narrative review. DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2019.08.024
Challenges of brain death and apnea testing in adult patients on extracorporeal corporeal membrane oxygenation - A Review. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2019;33:2266-72.
Update on anaesthesia management for explantation of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in adult patients. Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia. 2019.22(4)
Facilitating noncardiac surgery for the patient with left ventricular assist device: A guide for the anesthesiologist. Ann Card Anaesth. 2018;21:351-62
Cardiac surgery in the frail patient: managing the increased risks. Heart and metabolism 2018;76
Acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: A narrative review of the literature. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2019;33:1122-38
Frailty in cardiac surgery. J Cardiothorac Vascular Anesthesia 2019;33:521-31
Advances in left ventricular assist devices and mechanical circulatory support. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2018;32:1193-213
Six-month outcomes after restrictive or liberal transfusion for cardiac surgery. N Engl J Med. 2018;379:1224-33
Restrictive or liberal red-cell transfusion for cardiac surgery. N Engl J Med. 2017;377:2133-44.
Preventive strategies for minimizing hemodilution in the cardiac surgery patient during cardiopulmonary bypass. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2015;29:1663-71
Anesthesia management for MitraClip device implantation. Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia 2014;17:17-22.
Combined heart-liver transplantation with extended cardiopulmonary bypass. Singapore Med J. 2011;52:e48-51.
Percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve replacement: first transpical implant in Asia. Singapore Med J 2010;51:69-72
Percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve replacement: first transfemoral implant in Asia. Singapore Med J. 2009;50:534-7.
Quadriparesis after cardiac surgery: a case report. Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesia. 2008;22:587-9.
Less traumatic method of inserting nasotracheal; tube in children. Pediatric Anesthesia 2008;18:355-6
ProSeal laryngeal mask airway in a myasthenia gravis patient for thymectomy. Anaesth Intensive Care. 2007;35:310.
Measurement of cardiac output using Physio Flow with different positions of electrode placement. Singapore Med J. 2006;47:967-70.
A statistical analysis of factors predisposing patients to heparin resistance. Perfusion 2006;21:99-103.
The effect of mixing lidocaine with propofol on the dose of propofol required for induction of anesthesia. Anesth Analg. 2003;97:461-4.
Inhalation of nitrous oxide reduces the induction dose of propofol. Anesthesia and Analgesia 2000; 90:1213-6.