Dr Lai Jen Ming
Dr Lai Jen Ming
Senior Consultant Hand Surgeon
Hand & Wrist Specialist in Singapore
Specialty: Hand Surgery
Subspecialty Focus:
- Arthroscopic (keyhole) hand and wrist surgery
- Minimally-invasive tendon and nerve surgery
- Ultrasound imaging and assisted interventions for hand and wrist
- Return-to-sport interventions for hand and wrist injuries
- Acute hand and wrist trauma
Qualifications
- MBBS - National University of Singapore
- MRCS - Royal College of Surgeons (United Kingdom)
- FAMS (Hand Surgery) - Academy of Medicine, Singapore
Practice Location
- Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
- Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre
- Gleneagles Medical Centre
- HMI Medical Centre
Previous Hospital Role
- Consultant Hand Surgeon, Dept of Hand & Reconstructive Microsurgery Singapore General Hospital
- Consultant Hand Surgeon, Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery Woodlands Health Campus
Common Conditions Treated
- Hand, Wrist and Forearm fractures
- Trigger Finger
- De Quervain tenosynovitis ("mummy's thumb", "designer's thumb")
- Carpal/Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Hand/Wrist Arthritis
- Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injuries
- Nail bed injuries / deformities
- Hand/Wrist lumps/swellings (including ganglion cysts)
Procedures Performed
- Fracture fixations
- Wrist arthroscopic surgery
- Endoscopic nerve surgery
- Ultrasound-guided tendon surgery
- Hand/Wrist Joint replacement
- Ligament repair/reconstruction
Looking for a Hand and Wrist Specialist in Singapore?
Dr Lai Jen Ming is a Singapore Specialist Accreditation Board-certified hand surgeon who specialises in providing care for hand, wrist, forearm and peripheral nerve conditions.
Before entering private practice, Dr Lai has served as Consultant Hand Surgeon at:
- Dept of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital
- Dept of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Singapore General Hospital
- Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery, Woodlands Health
An avid sportsman and former violinist, Dr Lai has a special interest in sports and performing arts-related injuries. He is experienced in utilizing a combination of non-surgical therapies and minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat a variety of conditions ranging from sports injuries and fractures to chronic conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, hand arthritis and overuse tendinopathies. This may include:
- Motion analysis
- Hand rehabilitation
- Targeted injections
- Minimally-invasive surgery
- Ligament, joint, bony reconstruction
What conditions does Dr Lai Jen Ming treat?
Dr Lai commonly sees patients with stiffness, numbness, or pain of the hand and wrist.
Hand Conditions
- Trigger Finger
- Metacarpal/Phalangeal fractures
- Carpal/Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Nail deformities
- Joint arthritis
- Tendon injuries
Wrist Conditions
- De Quervain tenosynovitis
- Ganglion cysts
- Distal radius fractures
- Scaphoid fractures
- Triangular fibrocartilage (TFCC) injuries
- Carpal ligament injuries
Procedures
- Wrist arthroscopy
- Joint replacement surgery (Wrist/Finger)
- Excision biopsy of tumours
- Finger/Wrist ligament reconstruction
- Percutaneous/Ultrasound guided surgery
- Endoscopic nerve surgery
When should you see a Hand Surgeon?
You may benefit from a hand surgery consult if you experience:
- Numbness of the hands when waking or during the day
- Wrist pain on loading or carrying objects
- Clicking or sensation of the wrist giving way
- Inability to bend or extend certain fingers
- Persistent pain and swelling
- Any growth in the hand or wrist that is changing in size
A hand surgery evaluation typically includes history taking, clinical examination and imaging such as X-rays or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), depending on the symptoms.
Training
Dr Lai graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2008 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).
His postgraduate training includes:
- MRCS (2011) - Royal College of Surgeons (United Kingdom)
- FAMS (Hand Surgery) 2018 - Academy of Medicine Singapore
Academic and Teaching Contributions
Dr Lai Jen Ming was previously a Clinical Lecturer and Clinical Tutor for Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS. He also practised as a Clinical Teacher and Content Expert for Upper Limb Anatomy for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU.
He has continued to stay involved in education as a house mentor for medical students in Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore.
Besides medical students, Dr Lai was also Clinical Faculty at both the SingHealth Hand Surgery and NHG Orthopaedic Surgery/Hand Surgery residency programs. He received the NHG Teaching Award for Senior Doctors in 2022.
With an interest in adult learning and teaching pedagogy, Dr Lai continues to teach at Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Student/Instructor courses at the Life Saving Training Centre (LSTC).
Professional Memberships
- Board Member, Hand Surgery Chapter, Academy of Medicine Singapore
- Fellow, College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine Singapore
- Member, Faculty of Medical Experts, Academy of Medicine Singapore
- Member, Singapore Society for Hand Surgery
- Member, Sports Medicine Association Singapore
Beyond the clinic
Having tried various sports like rock-climbing, parkour, and swing dancing, Dr Lai currently stays active by playing basketball, running, and learning mixed martial arts. He also participates in dragon boating and captained a team for the 2025 Singapore Sea Regatta. His interest in sporting activities led him to also complete his certification as a strength and conditioning coach.
