Dean Chou, MD
Overview
Dr. Chou is the Chief of the Spine Division, Professor, and Vice Chair of Neurosurgery at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Chou has many years of experience and expertise in scoliosis, spinal deformity, spinal tumors, and degenerative conditions of the spine. He has pioneered many minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat these complex conditions, and is also an expert in traditional open surgery. When possible, he uses the least-invasive treatment techniques, providing an individualized, thoughtful approach to every patient.
Dr. Chou attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, completed his residency in Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and undertook a fellowship in complex spinal surgery at The Barrow Neurological Institute under one of the legendary pioneers of spine surgery, Dr. Volker Sonntag. He is board certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Prior to Columbia, he was on faculty at the University of California of San Francisco, rising to the rank of full Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopedics, and eventually the Associate Director of the UCSF Neurospine Center. He is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and has been elected by his peers for 10 consecutive years to the “Best Doctors in America” list, according to Best Doctors, Inc.
Dr. Chou has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in a wide variety of neurosurgery and spine journals. He sits on the editorial boards of the following journals; Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Neurosurgery, and PLOS ONE. He is on the advisory board of the journal, Spine. He serves as Treasurer and on the Board of Directors for the Lumbar Spine Research Society (LSRS) and serves on the Membership Committee for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). He also sits on the Executive and Scientific Program Committees of the AANS/Congress of Neurosurgeons Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, and he has served as an abstract reviewer for many organized meetings. He is a two-time recipient of the Harold Rosegay Resident Teaching Award and has been awarded the Alumni Achievement Award from The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery. He has served as abstract reviewer and faculty member for such organizations as the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), the North American Spine Society (NASS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the AANS, the LSRS, the Global Spine Congress, and the International Meeting for Advanced Spinal Techniques (IMAST).
Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated
- Cervical and Lumbar Spine Surgery
- Cervical Spine Surgery
- Complex Spinal Surgery
- Complex Spine Surgery
- Degenerative Spinal Disorder
- Degenerative Spine Disease
- Minimally Invasive Cervical Spinal Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Procedures
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Spine Techniques
- Reconstructive Spine Surgery
- Revision Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Surgery
- Spine (all aspects)
- Spine Deformity
- Spine Tumors
Academic Appointments
- Professor and Vice Chair of Neurological Surgery
Administrative Titles
- Chief, Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery
- Director, Spine Fellowship, Department of Neurosurgery
- Co-Director, Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery
- Co-Site Chief, New York Presbyterian-Allen Hospital
Gender
- Male
Schedule an Appointment
Virtual Visits/Telehealth
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Phone Appointments
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Location(s)
Insurance Accepted
Aetna
- Aetna Signature Administrators
- EPO
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- NYP Employee Plan
- NY Signature
- POS
- PPO
- Student Health
Affinity Health Plan
- Essential Plan
- Medicaid Managed Care
AgeWell
- Medicare Managed Care
- Special Needs
Amida Care
- Special Needs
Cigna
- EPO
- Great West (National)
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
Emblem/GHI
- Medicare Managed Care
- PPO
Emblem/HIP
- ConnectiCare
- EPO
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
- POS
- PPO
- Select Care (Exchange)
- Vytra
Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield
- EPO
- HMO
- Medicare Managed Care
- PPO
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Essential Plan
- Medicaid Managed Care
Fidelis Care
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Essential Plan
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
Healthfirst
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Leaf (Exchange)
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
- EPO - New Jersey Services
- HMO - New Jersey Services
- POS - New Jersey Services
- PPO - New Jersey Services
Local 1199
- NYP Employee Plan
MagnaCare (National)
- MagnaCare
Medicare
- Railroad
- Traditional Medicare
Multiplan
- Multiplan
MVP Health Care
- Child/Family Health Plus
- Essential Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid Managed Care
Quality Health Management
- Quality Health Management
RiverSpring
- Special Needs
UnitedHealthcare
- Compass (Exchange)
- Empire Plan
- HMO
- Medicaid (Community Plan)
- Medicare Managed Care
- Oxford Freedom
- Oxford HMO
- Oxford Liberty
- POS
- PPO
VNSNY CHOICE
- Medicare Managed Care
- SelectHealth
- Special Needs
WellCare
- Medicaid Managed Care
- Medicare Managed Care
World Trade Center Health Plan
- World Trade Center Health Plan
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- University of California San Francisco
- Internship: The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Residency: The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Fellowship: Barrow Neurological Institute
Board Certifications
- Neurological Surgery
Honors & Awards
2022, 2019, 2017 San Francisco & Marin County Top Doctors, Marin Magazine
2020 Hibbs Award Nominee, Scoliosis Research Society
2020 Alumni Achievement Award, The Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery
2009-2019 Best Doctors in America
2015, 2007 Harold Rosegay Neurosurgery Resident Teaching Award
2015, 2014, 2010, 2009, 2004 Cover Article, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
2014 Becker's Spine Review: Named one of "230 spine surgeons to know"
2013 Becker's Spine Review: Spine Surgeon Leader to Know
2012 Becker's Orthopedics & Pain Management, Named one of "208 Spine Surgeons & Specialists to Know."
2010 Outcomes Committee Award, AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
2007 Who's Who in American Teachers and Educators
2007 Who's Who in Science and Engineering
2000 AANS Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) Grant
Research
Selected Publications
Chou D, Lafage V, Chan AY, Passias P, Mundis GM, Eastlack RK, Fu KM, Fessler RG, Gupta MC, Than KD, Anand N, Uribe JS, Kanter AS, Okonkwo DO, Bess S, Shaffrey CI, Kim HJ, Smith JS, Sciubba DM, Park P, Mummaneni PV, International Spine Study Group (ISSG) ; Patient outcomes after circumferential minimally invasive surgery compared with those of open correction for adult spinal deformity: initial analysis of prospectively collected data.; Journal Of Neurosurgery. Spine; 2021
Chan AK, Mummaneni PV, Burke JF, Mayer RR, Bisson EF, Rivera J, Pennicooke B, Fu KM, Park P, Bydon M, Glassman SD, Foley KT, Shaffrey CI, Potts EA, Shaffrey ME, Coric D, Knightly JJ, Wang MY, Slotkin JR, Asher AL, Virk MS, Kerezoudis P, Alvi MA, Guan J, Haid RW, Chou D; Does reduction of the Meyerding grade correlate with outcomes in patients undergoing decompression and fusion for grade I degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis?; Journal Of Neurosurgery. Spine; 2021
Xi Z, Duan PG, Mummaneni PV, Liu J, Guinn JMV, Wang M, Li B, Wu HH, Rivera J, Burch S, Berven SH, Chou D; Posterior Displacement of L1 May be a Risk Factor for Proximal Junctional Kyphosis After Adult Spinal Deformity Correction.; Global Spine Journal; 2021
Vargas E, Lockney DT, Mummaneni PV, Haddad AF, Rivera J, Tan X, Jamieson A, Mahmoudieh Y, Berven S, Braunstein SE, Chou D; An analysis of tumor-related potential spinal column instability (Spine Instability Neoplastic Scores 7-12) eventually requiring surgery with a 1-year follow-up.; Neurosurgical Focus; 2021
Chou D, Chan AY, Park P, Eastlack RK, Fu KM, Fessler RG, Than KD, Anand N, Uribe J, Okonkwo DO, Kanter AS, Nunley P, Wang MY, Mundis GM, Mummaneni PV, International Spine Study Group; Revision Surgery Rates After Minimally Invasive Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: Correlation with Roussouly Spine Type at 2-Year Follow-Up?; World Neurosurgery; 2021
Duan PG, Mummaneni PV, Berven SH, Mayer R, Ruan HB, Chang CC, Chou D; Revision Surgery for Adjacent Segment Degeneration after Fusion for Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: is there a Correlation with Roussouly Type?; Spine; 2020
Duan PG, Mummaneni PV, Rivera J, Guinn JMV, Wang M, Xi Z, Li B, Wu HH, Ames CP, Burch S, Berven SH, Chou D; The association between lower Hounsfield units of the upper instrumented vertebra and proximal junctional kyphosis in adult spinal deformity surgery with a minimum 2-year follow-up.; Neurosurgical Focus; 2020
Wang M, Mummaneni PV, Xi Z, Chang CC, Rivera J, Guinn J, Mayer R, Chou D; Lower Hounsfield units on CT are associated with cage subsidence after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.; Journal Of Neurosurgery. Spine; 2020
Amara D, Mummaneni PV, Ames CP, Tay B, Deviren V, Burch S, Berven SH, Chou D; Treatment of only the fractional curve for radiculopathy in adult scoliosis: comparison to lower thoracic and upper thoracic fusions.; Journal Of Neurosurgery. Spine; 2019
Chou D, Mummaneni P, Anand N, Nunley P, La Marca F, Fu KM, Fessler R, Park P, Wang M, Than K, Nguyen S, Uribe J, Zavatsky J, Deviren V, Kanter A, Okonkwo D, Eastlack R, Mundis G, International Spine Study Group ; Treatment of the Fractional Curve of Adult Scoliosis With Circumferential Minimally Invasive Surgery Versus Traditional, Open Surgery: An Analysis of Surgical Outcomes.; Global Spine Journal; 2018
For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov
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