Dr Mun Khin Chan
Upper Limb SurgeonDr Mun Khin Chan is an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in upper limb surgery — the shoulder, elbow and hand. He graduated with his MBBS from UNSW in 2010 and has worked in orthopaedics since 2013, bringing 13 years of experience to the conditions and injuries he treats.
Bringing together medicine and sport
A lifelong passion for sport set him on this path. A former competitive Taekwondo athlete who represented at several international championships, he wanted a career that brought together his two great interests — medicine and sport — and orthopaedic surgery was the natural fit.
Dr Chan works with two main groups of patients: older patients with degenerative or wear-and-tear conditions, and younger patients with sports or trauma-related injuries.
Upper limb surgery across the shoulder, elbow and hand
Arthroscopic surgery
He’s trained in keyhole (arthroscopic) surgery across the upper limb.
Joint replacement
His training includes joint replacement (arthroplasty) for appropriate upper limb conditions.
Trauma surgery
Dr Chan is also trained in trauma surgery across the upper limb.
Sports and degenerative conditions
He works with older patients experiencing wear-and-tear conditions as well as younger patients with sports or trauma-related injuries.
Listening first
His assessment begins with listening. He gathers detailed information about your symptoms and, just as importantly, your goals, expectations and demands — because every person is different.
Matching symptoms with examination and imaging
He’ll then aim to reproduce your symptoms through physical examination and correlate what he finds with the relevant scans or tests, mindful that modern imaging shows enormous detail but doesn’t always explain the symptoms in front of him. Reproducing the problem, he explains, is a crucial part of reaching a reliable diagnosis.
Do no harm, and do good
Shared decision-making
On whether surgery is the right path, Dr Chan is guided by two principles: do no harm, and do good. He works towards an accurate diagnosis so he can talk through the available options, their risks and their benefits, and tailor them to you.
Putting everything on the table
Everything carries some risk — including non-operative treatment — so he believes in putting everything on the table and respecting the decision you reach together. As he puts it, it’s your life, and you both have to commit to the plan.
Seeing what he sees
He’ll explain your diagnosis in a way that makes sense, showing you your own scans and results so you can see what he’s looking at, before discussing the goals of treatment and deciding together.
Working together before, after and instead of surgery
Physiotherapy and exercise physiology
Physiotherapists and exercise physiologists are central to that plan — vital in prehab before surgery, rehab afterwards, and in non-operative management to avoid or delay surgery altogether. At MTP Health, with everyone under the one roof, he can simply walk over for a chat and bounce ideas around for the patient’s benefit.
Working towards the same goal
For Dr Chan, a successful recovery comes down to the whole team — patient, surgeon, physio and EP — understanding the problem, agreeing on the goal and working towards the same target.
Balancing recovery with progress
He’s particularly interested in shortening recovery times after injury and surgery, as patients increasingly want to get back to work, sport and life as soon as they can — a fine balance to strike.
Surgery doesn’t make the body heal faster
Healing still takes time
One thing he wishes more patients understood: surgery doesn’t make the body heal any faster. A repaired bone, tendon or ligament still needs time to heal, and then more time to build the strength and endurance that helps prevent reinjury, even once the pain has gone.
Education and professional memberships
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), UNSW
- Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
- Member of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA)
- Member of the Australian Medical Association (AMA)
Beyond the clinic
Outside of medicine, Dr Chan enjoys exploring new food places with his wife, and makes time for running and gardening. His advice before booking? Be open about your problem and what you want to achieve, and he’ll be upfront about what he can and can’t do — then you’ll build a plan together.
Book an appointment with MTP Health
Take the next step with the MTP Health team and book an appointment at a time that suits you.