Holding numerous records over his more than 25-year career, Dr Su Jang Wen’s philosophy is that “every effort made by a doctor gives the patient another chance at life.”

Performing an average of nearly 350 surgeries per year, Su Jang Wen, MD, PhD — a cardiovascular, thoracic, and lung cancer surgery specialist from O2 Healthcare Group (Singapore) — shared that for over six years, he has not had a complete vacation. Despite this, the Singaporean doctor always radiates an abundance of energy. He not only earns admiration for his rare talents but also endears himself with his witty conversations and the bright smile that always lights up his face.

As one of Singapore’s leading surgical experts, Dr Su Jang Wen continues to research and improve techniques to provide patients greater chances of survival.

“For me, having a patient entrust their life to me is an immense privilege. It is also a similar privilege when I am entrusted by the patient’s family to save the life of their loved one,” Dr Su Jang Wen confided.

Relentless efforts to bring more life-saving opportunities to patients

Since becoming a professional surgeon in 2007, Dr Su Jang Wen has performed approximately 7,000 lung, heart, and oesophageal surgeries. Of these, over 95% were conducted using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) — a minimally invasive technique with an incision of only 1.5-3 cm.

This advanced technique offers a high success rate in treating many thoracic conditions, including lung cancer. Notably, Dr Su maintains an impressive record with a 0% mortality rate in elective surgeries.

As one of the region’s leading thoracic surgeons, few people know that to achieve his current accomplishments, Dr Su Jang Wen has made significant sacrifices and devoted substantial time to his education and training.

Choosing to pursue medicine as if by fate; Dr Su Jang Wen began his career by studying at the University of Melbourne (Australia). After graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in Australia, he continued his academic journey in the UK and Singapore.

One of the key breakthroughs in his career came when Dr Su had to train in the most challenging environments. From 2007 to 2009, Dr Su Jang Wen undertook intensive training in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Cleveland — the leading cardiac centre in the United States

During his training at Cleveland, Dr Su Jang Wen was advised by his mentor to specialise in either cardiac or lung surgery, but he chose not to give up on either specialty.

During his years of study at Cleveland, the daily schedule for the surgical specialist would begin at 4 am, with outpatient consultations for around 70 patients. At around 9 am, the doctors would start a series of surgeries that lasted until 9 pm, followed by seeing the remaining outpatient cases that had been scheduled.

“I would usually get home at midnight, but if there was an emergency at 2 am, I was still ready to show up. At that time, I ate out because I had no time to cook. When my father was ill and my wife was pregnant, I couldn’t be with them,” Su Jang Wen, MD, PhD recalled of the many sacrifices he made during his training years in the United States

It was precisely the challenging choices and years of “forging” in a high-pressure work environment that helped Su Jang Wen, MD, PhD become one of the rare specialists capable of performing both heart and lung surgeries. With an always packed schedule, averaging more than 350 complex surgeries a year, Dr Su almost never had a day off. There was even a time when, while on vacation abroad with his family, he had to cut the trip short and book a flight home because a critically ill patient needed an urgent surgery from him.

“If someone asks about balancing personal life and work, I have to be honest and say that I can’t do it. I can’t both want to save the patients who come to me and still travel everywhere. Between a memorable vacation in Beijing and a surgery to save a patient’s life, I think the choice is clear,” Dr Su Jang Wen shared.

Surprisingly, the Singaporean doctor talks about the “imbalance” in his life with a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. To him, “giving is receiving.” “When you have a certain extraordinary ability, almost like a gift life has given you, always remember to steer towards your ability. That is one of the reasons I always strive to bring more life-saving opportunities to patients. I know that the balance of life is in giving and receiving.”

For Su Jang Wen, MD, PhD, the challenges in his career don’t lie in difficult surgeries or maintaining a busy schedule, but in those moments when he faces the loss of a patient and their family’s grief.

Recalling a critical case where three major surgeries still couldn’t save the patient, the moment of seeing the father gradually weaken on the hospital bed, surrounded by his children, was heart-wrenching for him.

“The children promised their comatose, brain-dead father that they would study well, behave, and take care of their mother. For me, there is no moment more heart-breaking than that. I always remind myself that when I save a patient, I am helping an entire family,” Dr Su Jang Wen confided.

Joining FV Hospital to open a “new chapter” for lung cancer treatment in Vietnam

Su Jang Wen, MD, PhD’s commitment to expanding his ability to help patients through training and researching surgical methods is driven by his desire to provide high-quality treatment at affordable costs.

Having witnessed many Vietnamese patients traveling to Singapore for cancer treatment, Dr Su Jang Wen saw the struggles and difficulties they faced in seeking life-saving opportunities. Cancer treatment is a long, costly battle, both financially and emotionally.

“Patients selling their homes to afford treatment and being unable to be with their families while enduring significant physical and emotional pain is a concern for me when I see many Vietnamese patients coming to Singapore for treatment,” Dr Su Jang Wen said.

It was these concerns, along with a sense of connection to Vietnam through its culture and cuisine that led Dr Su Jang Wen to seek opportunities for collaboration with a healthcare provider in Vietnam. His goal was to bring his expertise to treat Vietnamese patients in their home country. However, finding a healthcare facility that shared a similar vision and could provide modern treatment methods proved to be challenging.

Dr Su affirmed “I thought I might have to give up until I visited FV Hospital — a member of Thomson Medical Group (Singapore). When I first visited FV, I felt an immediate desire to work here. FV’s infrastructure and operational processes are similar to advanced medical institutions worldwide, meeting international standards for patient care.”

It is the alignment of vision, mission, and values that has created the connection for the collaboration between O2 Healthcare Group — where Dr Su works — and FV Hospital, to jointly develop the Regional Thoracic Surgery Centre at Vietnam.

Dr Su Jang Wen explains that while Singapore has advanced and modern healthcare, the cost of medical care there is notoriously high. Through this collaboration, Vietnamese patients can receive treatment from Dr Su at FV Hospital at a cost reduced by approximately 40% compared to Singapore.

Collaborating with FV Hospital carries significant meaning as it enables patients to receive treatment right here in their homeland, with the comfort and support of family and friends. The emotional encouragement from loved ones has a direct impact on the effectiveness of treatment.

“I hope to create my own ‘legacy’ in Vietnam, which is to help as many patients here as possible. My connection to this land is one of the motivations driving me to work harder. This collaboration will help me achieve my goal and also bring FV closer to its aim of ‘helping Vietnamese patients avoid going abroad for cancer treatment’,” Dr Su Jang Wen emphasised.

As an international hospital, FV’s operational and treatment standards are modelled after the world’s leading advanced medical institutions. These efforts have built the hospital’s reputation and its ability to meet the demands of specialised treatments, particularly in advanced cancer therapies, including lung cancer. Dr Su also expressed his trust in the medical team at FV’s Thoracic Surgery Centre, led by Dr Luong Ngoc Trung.