Daniel Yong

Dr. Daniel Yong is the current Head of Department of Urology. He is a consultant with clinical interest in Uro-Oncology, Robotic and Minimally-invasive surgery. Upon completing his Urology residency with the National Health Group in 2018, Dr Yong was awarded the Singapore Urological Association-European Board of Urology Book Prize (Nation’s top scorer) in the same year. He has been a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore since 2018. Coming from a diverse educational background, he obtained his 1st class honors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Imperial College, London in 2005. He completed a Masters in Biotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. As the inaugural batch of Duke-NUS Medical School, he graduated with a Doctor of Medicine in 2011. During the course of his study, he was a recipient of the Duke University Research Scholarship and spent 1 year in North Carolina completing a research fellowship under Prof. Glenn Preminger, Prof David Albala and the esteemed faculty of the Department of Urology there. Dr Yong was a recipient of the Japan Urological Association scholarship 2019 and was attached to the Dept of Urology at Okayama University Hospital in 2019 under the tutorship of Prof Mootoo Araki and Prof Yasutomo Nasu. A recipient of Health Manpower Development Plan FY 2020, he completed his HMDP in 2023 at Universitatsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf / Martini-Klinik (Germany) where he learnt advanced surgical techniques such as Neuro-SAFE (Bilateral nerve sparing Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy) from Prof Alexander Haese. He is an appointed proctor for robot-assisted surgery. A keen researcher, he has published various peer-review papers and book chapters. He is also an innovator and have collaborated with industry in the space of prostate cancer biopsy. He is a member of the hospital research committee and also the clinical innovation committee. He is also the inaugural recipient of the Center for Healthcare Innovation Fellowship. His current interest in the field of urology is Robotics, Minimally-invasive surgeries and Urooncology. He also takes pride in nurturing the next generation of doctors and is an adjunct clinical instructor at YLL-SOM NUS and LKC NTU.

16th August 2025

Time Session
12:00
13:00
Beyond oncologic outcomes: new approaches to Prostate and Bladder Cancer Care
  • Chi-Fai NgHong Kong, China Speaker Novel Robotic Surgery PlatformsOver the past decades, robotic surgery has become an essential approach in urological care. The recent blooming of different robotic platforms, in particular in Asian countries, has helped popularize robotic surgery in less developed countries. The introduction of robotic technology in endoluminal surgery has also helped to open up opportunities to further improve endourology. In the future, the incorporation of AI in robotic systems will help upgrade the standard of care in urology.
  • Chi-Fai NgHong Kong, China Moderator Novel Robotic Surgery PlatformsOver the past decades, robotic surgery has become an essential approach in urological care. The recent blooming of different robotic platforms, in particular in Asian countries, has helped popularize robotic surgery in less developed countries. The introduction of robotic technology in endoluminal surgery has also helped to open up opportunities to further improve endourology. In the future, the incorporation of AI in robotic systems will help upgrade the standard of care in urology.
    Laurence KlotzCanada Speaker The role of degarelix in the era of ARPI
  • Chi-Fai NgHong Kong, China Moderator Novel Robotic Surgery PlatformsOver the past decades, robotic surgery has become an essential approach in urological care. The recent blooming of different robotic platforms, in particular in Asian countries, has helped popularize robotic surgery in less developed countries. The introduction of robotic technology in endoluminal surgery has also helped to open up opportunities to further improve endourology. In the future, the incorporation of AI in robotic systems will help upgrade the standard of care in urology.
    Daniel YongSingapore Speaker Case Presentation on a locally advanced PCa patient with CV risks
  • Hung-Jen WangTaiwan Moderator Technical Pearls: Nerve-SparingPreserving the neurovascular bundles (NVB) during robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is crucial for maintaining postoperative continence and sexual function, while still ensuring complete cancer removal. We will share "technical pearls" for nerve-sparing in RARP, emphasizing practical innovations that enhance surgical precision without compromising oncologic control. Retrograde nerve-sparing involves a bottom-up (apex-to-base) dissection of the NVB using an athermal, gentle approach. This technique, adapted from open surgery, allows early identification and release of the nerves under direct vision. By minimizing traction and avoiding cautery near the NVB, it reduces inadvertent nerve injury and even lowers the risk of positive margins at the prostatic base. Clinically, adopting a retrograde approach (often with 30° lens “toggling”) has been linked to faster functional recovery of potency, contributing to potency rates approaching 90% at 1 year in fully nerve-sparing cases. Parallel advances in augmented reality (AR) are providing real-time surgical navigation. AR technology superimposes 3D virtual models (e.g. from MRI) onto the operative field, enhancing visualization of patient-specific anatomy. Surgeons can pinpoint tumor location relative to the NVB, enabling selective, confidence-guided nerve preservation even in locally advanced disease. This approach helps modulate nerve-sparing extent on a case-by-case basis, maintaining oncologic safety (low positive surgical margin rates) while maximizing nerve preservation. Finally, refined anatomical landmarks have emerged to guide nerve-sparing. A notable example is the identification of a consistent small arterial branch (“landmark artery”) at the NVB’s medial aspect. This vessel serves as a guide for partial nerve-sparing: dissecting just lateral to it yields an approximate 3 mm tissue margin from the prostatic capsule, sufficient to clear potential extracapsular extension while preserving the remaining nerve fibers. Such landmark-oriented dissection provides a reproducible framework for tailoring nerve-sparing to tumor risk, moving beyond the traditional “all-or-none” approach. These advanced techniques and concepts are empowering robotic surgeons to achieve optimal outcomes. By integrating retrograde nerve-sparing, AR-assisted navigation, and anatomical landmark guidance, one can improve early continence recovery and postoperative sexual function for patients without sacrificing cancer control.
    Jeremy TeohHong Kong, China Speaker Transurethral En Bloc Resection of Bladder Tumor: Where Are We Now?There is increasing evidence that transurethral en bloc resection of bladder tumour (ERBT) could lead to better peri-operative and oncological outcomes in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Modified approaches of ERBT have also been proposed to expand its indications for larger bladder tumours. The quality of resection is also the key for bladder-sparing treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. We foresee an exciting journey ahead for ERBT, and as a urologist, we must embrace this novel technique for the best interest of our bladder cancer patients. To Publish or not to Publish? Navigating the path to academia in urologyDoing good science is the basis for technological advancement in healthcare. However, pursuing a path to academic in urology is often tough, stressful and frustrating. In this talk, I will share with you what I have learnt throughout my 15 years of research work. I will let you know what's the best and fastest way to become a globally renowned and successful researcher. Most importantly, I will explain what it takes to develop a great team and create a positive impact in people's lives. Believe in yourself! If I can do it, so can you.SIU Lecture: Role of MISTs in Male LUTS Surgical Management (Will TUR-P/ Laser Prostatectomy be Replaced?)Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) is the current gold standard in treating patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Laser prostatectomy has also been used widely especially in patients who are on anticoagulants. However, both TURP and laser prostatectomy are associated with several problems including the need of spinal / general anaesthesia and the risk of male sexual dysfunction. In the past decade, we have witnessed the introduction of multiple new technologies including Rezum, Urolift, iTind and Aquablation. in this SIU lecture, we will discuss about the technical details, as well as the pros and cons of every new technology. We will also invite you to be our jury and decide whether TURP and laser prostatectomy will be replaced in the future. Novel Intravesical Therapeutics in the Evolving Landscape of NMIBCNon-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is well known to be a difficult disease to manage, with a 1-year recurrence rate of up to 61% and 5-year recurrence rate of 78%. Despite the use of intravesical BCG therapy, NMIBC patients may still experience recurrence and develop what we call BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. Conventionally, we offer upfront radical cystectomy for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, however, this is an ultra-major surgery with significant risk of complications and could also lead to significant deterioration in quality of life in the long run. We are in urgent need for novel therapies to manage this difficult condition. In this lecture, we will discuss the evidence on the different novel intravesical therapies in treating BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. SIU Lecture: Role of MISTs in Male LUTS Surgical Management (Will TUR-P/ Laser Prostatectomy be Replaced?)
  • Hung-Jen WangTaiwan Speaker Technical Pearls: Nerve-SparingPreserving the neurovascular bundles (NVB) during robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is crucial for maintaining postoperative continence and sexual function, while still ensuring complete cancer removal. We will share "technical pearls" for nerve-sparing in RARP, emphasizing practical innovations that enhance surgical precision without compromising oncologic control. Retrograde nerve-sparing involves a bottom-up (apex-to-base) dissection of the NVB using an athermal, gentle approach. This technique, adapted from open surgery, allows early identification and release of the nerves under direct vision. By minimizing traction and avoiding cautery near the NVB, it reduces inadvertent nerve injury and even lowers the risk of positive margins at the prostatic base. Clinically, adopting a retrograde approach (often with 30° lens “toggling”) has been linked to faster functional recovery of potency, contributing to potency rates approaching 90% at 1 year in fully nerve-sparing cases. Parallel advances in augmented reality (AR) are providing real-time surgical navigation. AR technology superimposes 3D virtual models (e.g. from MRI) onto the operative field, enhancing visualization of patient-specific anatomy. Surgeons can pinpoint tumor location relative to the NVB, enabling selective, confidence-guided nerve preservation even in locally advanced disease. This approach helps modulate nerve-sparing extent on a case-by-case basis, maintaining oncologic safety (low positive surgical margin rates) while maximizing nerve preservation. Finally, refined anatomical landmarks have emerged to guide nerve-sparing. A notable example is the identification of a consistent small arterial branch (“landmark artery”) at the NVB’s medial aspect. This vessel serves as a guide for partial nerve-sparing: dissecting just lateral to it yields an approximate 3 mm tissue margin from the prostatic capsule, sufficient to clear potential extracapsular extension while preserving the remaining nerve fibers. Such landmark-oriented dissection provides a reproducible framework for tailoring nerve-sparing to tumor risk, moving beyond the traditional “all-or-none” approach. These advanced techniques and concepts are empowering robotic surgeons to achieve optimal outcomes. By integrating retrograde nerve-sparing, AR-assisted navigation, and anatomical landmark guidance, one can improve early continence recovery and postoperative sexual function for patients without sacrificing cancer control.
TICC - 1F 101B