About

Richard V. Chua, MD, is a Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson. He is actively involved in teaching within the Neurosurgery Residency Program and provides general neurosurgical care at Banner University Medical Center – Tucson. Dr. Chua serves as the director of Spine Minimally Invasive Surgery and Robotics and is the medical director for the Comprehensive Spine Program. He is a founding member of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) and is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). His clinical specialties include degenerative spine disease, motion preservation surgery of the cervical spine (arthroplasty), image-guided and robotic-assisted techniques for instrumented spinal fusions, and minimally invasive surgeries of the entire spine. Dr. Chua earned his MD from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1992 and completed his residency in neurological surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine from 1993 to 1998. He is also involved in surgeon education both domestically and internationally, frequently hosting visiting surgeons in Tucson and participating as an invited guest lecturer at various U.S. and international spine meetings.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Medical physics
• Orthodontics

Selected publications

• Minimally Invasive Surgical Experience Using Tubular Retraction for Intradural Extramedullary Spine Pathology: A Case Series and Systematic Review With Pooled Analysis

  Journal of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Technique · 2026-01-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Objective: Research interest in minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) is increasing; however, significant heterogeneity often exists among reported surgical techniques broadly classified as minimally invasive. High-quality data specifically addressing MIS techniques for intradural spinal pathology remain particularly scarce. Here, we present our experience, along with that of other groups, utilizing MIS techniques with an emphasis on tubular retraction for treating intradural extramedullary (IDEM) spinal pathology.Methods: Twenty-four patients with IDEM pathology were treated using MIS techniques, including tubular retraction, from 2006 to 2018. Additionally, a systematic literature review was conducted to enable a pooled analysis of patient demographics and perioperative outcomes.Results: In addition to our own patient series, 16 other case series were identified through systematic review. The resulting combined dataset from these 17 series included 323 patients available for pooled analysis. Nerve sheath tumors and meningiomas represented over 80% of the pathologies. Gross total resection was achieved in 93% of the pooled MIS IDEM cases. The mean estimated blood loss was 131 mL, the mean operative duration was 169 minutes, and the mean hospital stay was 4.1 days.Conclusion: MIS resection using tubular retraction is a safe and effective approach for managing IDEM pathology. Our pooled cohort provides valuable comparative data for assessing outcomes against open surgical techniques.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Minimally Invasive Robotic-Guided Facetectomy and Laminectomy for Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusions: Feasibility, Workflow, and Early Results

  World Neurosurgery · 2025-05-21 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  OBJECTIVE: Robotic-guided techniques for spinal fusions have improved pedicle screw accuracy, reduced radiation exposure, and minimized complications. Recently, robotic-guided posterior facet decortication and fusion have been introduced. However, no techniques have utilized robotic platforms for spinal decompression procedures such as facetectomy and laminectomy. This study demonstrates the safe and effective integration of robotic-assisted laminectomy into a minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) workflow. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent MI-TLIF using navigation and robotic guidance for facetectomy and laminectomy. The University of Arizona IRB approved the study (STUDY00004352). RESULTS: Nine consecutive patients (13 levels) underwent MI-TLIF using a novel robotic-guided facetectomy and laminectomy technique. The average age was 68 years, and all were women. Most were treated for spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis, synovial cysts, or facet arthropathy. Treated levels included L3-L4 (3), L4-L5 (8), and L5-S1 (2). The average operative time was 163 minutes, with 5.5 decortications per level. Six patients were discharged from the recovery room, while 3 required an overnight stay. No complications, including durotomy or nerve root injury, occurred. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study demonstrates that robotic-guided facetectomy and laminectomy can be safely incorporated into MI-TLIF. With advancements in robotic technology, further expansion to interbody preparation, cage placement, and rod delivery may enhance surgical precision and outcomes. Future research is necessary to optimize robotic-assisted spinal surgery.

  PublisherDOI

• P51. Minimally invasive robotic-guided facetectomy and laminectomy for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions: feasibility, workflow, and early results

  North American Spine Society Journal (NASSJ) · 2025-07-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Chiari malformation type I with an associated syrinx presenting as acute central cord syndrome in a child: illustrative case

  Journal of Neurosurgery Case Lessons · 2025-04-14 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) usually manifests with chronic symptoms. The most common symptoms observed in the pediatric population include headache, neck pain, vertigo, and ataxia. Some unusual presentations have been reported in children, including a diversity of acute neurological deficits in previously asymptomatic patients. OBSERVATIONS: The authors report the case of a 4-year-old previously healthy boy who presented to the emergency department with clinical findings of incomplete cervical spinal cord injury and respiratory function decline after a minor fall. The cervical spine CT scan did not show evidence of fracture. MRI revealed findings of CM-I, a complex cervicothoracic cyst syrinx, and spinal cord signal hyperintensity. The patient required urgent intubation and mechanical ventilation for airway protection and was thought to have an ascending cervical cord injury. He underwent suboccipital craniectomy, C1 and C2 partial laminectomies, and patch duraplasty. After surgery, he showed progressive improvement and was discharged to acute inpatient rehabilitation. Postoperative MRI showed near-complete resolution of the cord edema and the syrinx. LESSONS: The authors describe the case of a previously healthy child presenting with acute central cord syndrome and a decline in respiratory effort as the initial presentation of CM-I with a syrinx. Although rare, clinicians should consider CM-I in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients presenting with acute cervical spinal cord injury, especially if imaging does not show spinal fractures. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24829.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Symptomatic cerebral spinal fluid leak (or intracranial hypotension) due to sacral extradural cyst rupture after sacral fracture: illustrative case

  Journal of Neurosurgery Case Lessons · 2025-06-16 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Intracranial hypotension due to a CSF leak has many possible etiologies including traumatic dural tears, CSF-venous fistulas, iatrogenic causes, and elevated intracranial pressure. An example of traumatic rupture of a preexisting congenital spinal cyst (SC) in the sacrum causing a symptomatic CSF leak has not been described in the literature; therefore, the authors present the case of a 13-year-old female with a previously undiagnosed SC (Nabor type IB, sacral meningocele) found to have symptomatic intracranial hypotension following a ground-level fall. OBSERVATIONS: Traumatic rupture of SCs may cause a dural tear, resulting in stigmata of intracranial hypotension. LESSONS: SCs are rare entities that are often asymptomatic but should be carefully considered in the differential diagnoses for intracranial hypotension, even following low-impact trauma. Symptoms resolve with definitive treatment of dural tear, and recurrence rates are low. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE2555.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pedicle Screw Placement Accuracy in Robot-Assisted Spinal Fusion in a Multicenter Study

  Annals of Biomedical Engineering · 2023 · 16 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Medicine
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extraforaminal lumbar herniated disc mimicking foraminal tumor

  Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine · 2022-01-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Herniated discs in the lumbar spine are common, however, extraforaminal disc herniations are less frequently encountered. Occasionally, rare disc herniations can mimic other pathologies such as nerve tumor. We present such case and a review of similar cases in the scientific literature. A 71-year-old male who presented with back pain and right-side sciatic pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a fusiform enhancing 3 cm × 2 cm lesion that was concerning for a nerve sheath tumor. A minimally invasive lateral trans-psoas approach was performed for a biopsy that revealed disc fragments and a full resection was performed. The patient's symptoms improved at follow-up. Although uncommon, extraforaminal disc herniations can be mistaken for peripheral nerve tumors on imaging. The spine surgeon should remain vigilant about these entities and plan the surgical treatment accordingly.

  PublisherDOI

• Robotic-assisted cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screws using the Mazor X Stealth Edition (MXSE) system: workflow and technical tips for safe and efficient use

  Journal of Robotic Surgery · 2020 · 51 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Medicine
  • Medical physics
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• John Pollina

  Jacobs (United States)

  3 shared

• Ronald A. Lehman

  3 shared

• Karen Eliahu

  University of Miami

  2 shared

• Jason I. Liounakos

  University of Miami

  2 shared

• Victoria L. Volk

  Micron (United States)

  2 shared

• Avery L. Buchholz

  2 shared

• Jeffrey L. Gum

  Norton Healthcare

  2 shared

• Christopher R. Good

  2 shared

Awards & honors

• Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons…
• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS)
• Founding member of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine…