Dr Chou Ning

Dr Chou Ning is a Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon with extensive experience across both cranial and spinal neurosurgery.

His clinical practice encompasses complex brain and spine disorders, with particular expertise in cerebrovascular neurosurgery, cerebral aneurysms, brain and spinal tumours, skull-base surgery, pituitary surgery, paediatric neurosurgery, neurotrauma and complex degenerative spinal conditions.

Before entering private practice, Dr Chou spent more than two decades in Singapore's public healthcare system. He previously served as an Associate Clinical Professor in Neurosurgery and Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at the National University Hospital, and was Head of the Division of Neurosurgery at the National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital from 2001 to 2010.

During this period, he was also the paediatric neurosurgeon at the Children's Cancer Centre at the National University Hospital, giving him substantial experience in the management of neurosurgical conditions affecting children, including brain tumours, spinal tumours, hydrocephalus and other complex paediatric neurological disorders.

Dr Chou underwent advanced neurosurgical training at the Royal London Hospital in the United Kingdom from 1994 to 1997 after receiving a Health Manpower Development Plan award. His overseas training contributed to the development of his expertise in microsurgical neurosurgery, skull-base surgery, pituitary surgery and complex cranial procedures.

A major focus of Dr Chou's career has been cerebrovascular neurosurgery. His experience includes microsurgical treatment of cerebral aneurysms, cerebral revascularisation and extracranial-to-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery for carefully selected patients with complex cerebrovascular disease and impaired cerebral blood flow.

Over the course of his neurosurgical practice, Dr Chou has performed more than 300 anterior-circulation cerebral aneurysm clipping procedures.

He has also developed particular experience in skull-base and cerebellopontine-angle tumour surgery, including the retrosigmoid approach, where preservation of cranial-nerve function and careful microsurgical dissection are central considerations.

His tumour practice includes the assessment and treatment of conditions such as gliomas, meningiomas, cerebellopontine-angle tumours, pituitary tumours, skull-base tumours, brain metastases and spinal tumours. Depending on the condition, management may include surveillance, biopsy, microsurgical resection, neuroendoscopic techniques or multidisciplinary treatment.

Dr Chou's spinal practice encompasses cervical and lumbar degenerative disease, slipped discs, sciatica, spinal stenosis, spinal cord and nerve-root compression, spinal tumours, vertebral compression fractures and selected complex spinal conditions.

Where surgery is required, his practice includes procedures such as spinal decompression, discectomy, laminectomy, foraminotomy, spinal fusion, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty according to the individual patient's condition.

Beyond clinical practice, Dr Chou has been actively involved in neurosurgical education, specialist training and research. He has published more than 45 scientific papers and has held appointments relating to neurosurgical residency training and specialist accreditation.

His approach to neurosurgery is based on careful clinical assessment, detailed review of imaging and a clear understanding of the risks and benefits of the available treatment options.

Not every patient presenting with a brain or spinal condition requires surgery. Dr Chou places emphasis on establishing the correct diagnosis, understanding the natural history and severity of the condition, and determining whether observation, medical treatment, rehabilitation, minimally invasive treatment or surgery represents the most appropriate course of care.

He currently provides specialist brain and spine care through Chou Neuroscience Clinic at Farrer Park and Gleneagles, as well as APEX Brain and Spine Surgical Centre at Parkway East.