24/10/2025
🌟 A New Era of Hope for Epilepsy Patients in Sarawak! 🌟
KUCHING, 24 October 2025 — A proud milestone for Sarawak General Hospital (SGH)! 💪
On 23 October 2025, SGH successfully performed Sarawak’s first Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) and its first two Anterior Temporal Lobectomies — groundbreaking surgeries that bring new hope to patients living with severe, drug-resistant epilepsy.
For the first time, Sarawakians can now receive these advanced brain surgeries right here at home, without needing to travel to West Malaysia, leaving their families and community.
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🧠 The Journey to This Achievement
The epilepsy surgery initiative at SGH was first started by Dr. Lim Swee San, who pioneered paediatric epilepsy surgeries several years ago. Early breakthroughs were made possible through collaboration with Dr. Ahmad Rithaudin Mohamed, Consultant Paediatric Neurologist from Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), who provided intra-operative brain monitoring support.
These early efforts laid the foundation for what has now become one of the most advanced neurosurgical services in East Malaysia.
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⚙️ Growing Neuromodulation Expertise
These latest epilepsy surgeries build on SGH’s rapidly expanding neuromodulation programme, which has already achieved eight successful Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) procedures for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.
The DBS journey was made possible with the invaluable contribution and mentorship of Professor Dato’ Dr Abdul Rahman Izani Ghani, whose expertise helped establish SGH’s foundation in functional neurosurgery.
With the addition of Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), SGH now offers a comprehensive range of neuromodulation treatments for patients across Sarawak.
This progress was strengthened through collaboration with PINS, a leading neuromodulation company from China, known for partnerships with Tsinghua University and major neuroscience centres. This partnership ensures that advanced technology remains accessible and affordable to Sarawakians — and may soon expand to include VNS for post-stroke rehabilitation.
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🤝 Teamwork and Leadership That Made It Possible
This milestone was achieved under the expert guidance of Professor Dr. Vairavan Narayanan and Professor Dr. Lim Kheng Seang , Associate Professor Dr. Fong Si Lei, from University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), together with their experienced epilepsy surgery team.
The procedures were carried out in close collaboration with SGH’s dedicated multidisciplinary team:
🩺 Dr. Lim Swee San (Neurosurgeon)
👛 Dr. Alyssa Ooi (Neurosurgeon)
⚡ Dr. Linda Then Yee Yen (Neurologist)
💉 Dr. Wong Li Mei (Neuro-anaesthetist)
🧩 Dr. Chhoa Keng Hong (Neuropsychiatrist)
🩻 Department of Radiology
👨⚕️ Assistant Medical Officers led by Chief Carldrige Gali
👩⚕️ Nursing team led by Senior Staff Nurse Bensy Jagu
Strong leadership from Dr. Donald Liew Ngian San (Head of Neurosurgery) and his predecessor Dr. Albert Wong Sii Hieng turned this vision into reality.
A special note of appreciation also goes to Dr. Ngian Hie Ung, Director of Sarawak General Hospital, for her steadfast support in making these groundbreaking efforts possible. 🙏
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🌏 Bringing Hope Home
This achievement was made possible under the leadership of Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian, in his continuous quest to promote healthcare autonomy and strengthen Sarawak’s medical capability — ensuring better healthcare delivery for every Sarawakian, even here in the heart and jungle of Borneo. 🌿
From its early beginnings in paediatric epilepsy surgery to today’s comprehensive neuromodulation programme, Sarawak General Hospital continues to push boundaries and deliver life-changing care — proving that excellence in medicine can thrive right here in Sarawak. 💙
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👏 Let’s celebrate this milestone in Sarawak’s medical history!
📣 Share this post to spread awareness and inspire pride in our local healthcare achievements!
