Dr Germaine Xu Guiqin

Dr Germaine Xu Guiqin is an accredited Breast Surgeon with Thomson Medical Centre. She is a visting consultant at Thomson Breast Centre and practises at Germaine Breast and General Surgery Clinic in Thomson. Dr Xu has a special interest in oncoplastic breast surgery, general surgery, and the surgical treatment and reconstruction of pre-malignant breast diseases and breast cancers.

Dr Xu graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2003 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. She obtained her Masters of Medicine (Surgery) in 2007 and completed her advanced general surgical training in 2009. In 2014, she received her fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Dr Xu also undertook a year-long Ministry of Health (MOH) Human Manpower Development Program (HMDP) fellowship in oncoplastic breast surgery at the Nottingham Breast Unit. Additionally, she received training at the Edinburgh Breast Unit, the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), and the Paris Breast Centre.

Dr Xu was pivotal in developing the Breast Oncoplastic Unit at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where she served as a Breast Oncoplastic and General Surgeon. She was the first surgeon in Singapore to perform laparoscopic harvested omental flap partial breast reconstructions after lumpectomy for cancer in 2017.

Dr Xu accepts referrals for all cancer types, with a special clinical interest in breast cancer surgeries, including lumpectomy, mastectomies (simple, skin-sparing, or nipple-sparing), sentinel node biopsy, axillary clearances, and various reconstructive options such as LICAP flaps, latissimus dorsi flaps, implant reconstruction, and lipofiling. She also performs prophylactic mastectomies for women at high risk of breast cancer and treats male breast cancers and gynaecomastia.

In addition to her expertise in breast surgery, Dr Xu is a trained general surgeon skilled in laparoscopic surgeries, including appendectomies, cholecystectomies, hernia repairs, and staging procedures. She also performs elective and emergency endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

Dr Xu has been actively involved in teaching and mentoring. She has served as a clinical tutor at both the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS) and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (NTU). She was an examiner for NUS and trained residents as part of the General Surgical Residency Faculty under the National Healthcare Group. Outside of work, Dr Xu regularly gives talks for the Breast Cancer Foundation to raise awareness and participates in medical missions to countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia.