My Locations
About Me
I chose to pursue neurosurgery as a career because of my fascination with the human nervous system. In medical school, I developed a keen interest in the diseases that afflict the brain and spine and gravitated towards the only field where I could help treat these diseases with my own hands. I focus on disorders of the spine where my first goal is to help patients avoid surgery if at all possible. If surgery is needed, I treat patients using the most advanced minimally invasive techniques available in order to minimize pain, blood loss, and hospital stay, while maximizing recovery, neurologic function, and quality of life. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I am an avid sports fan and love to eat. I try to stay physically fit by going to the gym and playing ice hockey.
- Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery 2023
- Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery 2023
Call for an Appointment
Areas of Expertise
Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
In the News
Loading
Clinical Focus and Research
My research focuses on clinical outcomes after spine surgery. I particularly enjoy comparing common surgical techniques and devices so that patients and other surgeons can understand the best options available to them. I have written approximately 100 manuscripts and 25 book chapters, and some of my research has won awards. Research is a true passion of mine because it is the only way to improve surgical care for the patients of today and tomorrow.
- Passias, Peter G., Lara Passfall, Peter S. Tretiakov, Ankita Das, Oluwatobi O. Onafowokan, Justin S. Smith, Virginie Lafage, et al. “Have We Made Advancements in Optimizing Surgical Outcomes and Enhancing Recovery for Patients With High-Risk Adult Spinal Deformity Over Time?” Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 28, no. 5 (May 1, 2025): 617–26. https://doi.org/10.1227/ons.0000000000001420.
- Eastlack, Robert K., Jay I. Kumar, Gregory M. Mundis, Pierce D. Nunley, Juan S. Uribe, Paul J. Park, Stacie Tran, et al. “The impact of lower thoracic versus upper lumbar upper instrumented vertebra in minimally invasive correction of adult spinal deformity.” J Neurosurg Spine 42, no. 4 (April 1, 2025): 462–69. https://doi.org/10.3171/2024.8.SPINE231335.
- Paturu, Mounica R., Joshua Woo, Brett Rocos, Peter Passias, Michael Haglund, Douglas Orndorff, C Rory Goodwin, Kristen Jones, and Khoi D. Than. “The Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Spinal Trauma: A Review of Techniques, Outcomes, and Limitations.” Neurosurgery 96, no. 3S (March 1, 2025): S129–38. https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0000000000003342.
- Cheaney, B., and K. D. Than. “Revision Surgery in the Elderly.” In Treatment of Spine Disease in the Elderly: Cutting Edge Techniques and Technologies, 297–309, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12612-3_18.
- Than, K. D. “A New Job: A Steep Learning Curve.” In Surviving Neurosurgery: Vignettes of Resilience, 123–26, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86917-5_23.
- Than, K. D., J. Ohya, and P. V. Mummaneni. “Elective spinal surgery for scoliosis and kyphosis.” In Handbook of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Spinal Medicine for Nurses and Advanced Practice Health Professionals, 383–89, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315382760.
- Mummaneni, Praveen V., Erica F. Bisson, Giorgos Michalopoulos, William J. Mualem, Sally El Sammak, Michael Y. Wang, Andrew K. Chan, et al. “Comparing posterior cervical foraminotomy with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in radiculopathic patients: an analysis from the Quality Outcomes Database.” In J Neurosurg Spine, 41:56–68, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3171/2024.2.SPINE221280.
- Tabarestani, Troy, David Sykes, Kelly Ryan Murphy, Timothy Y. Wang, Christopher I. Shaffrey, C Rory Goodwin, Phillip Horne, Khoi Duc Than, and Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr. “Beyond Placement of Pedicle Screws - New Applications for Robotics in Spine Surgery: A Multi-Surgeon, Single-Institution Experience.” In NEUROSURGERY, 69:130–130, 2023.
- Zaki, Mark M., Rushikesh Sanjeev Joshi, Joseph Raynor Linzey, Michael J. Strong, Timothy Joseph Yee, Yamaan S. Saadeh, Cheerag D. Upadhyaya, et al. “Assessing Correlations Between NASS Patient Satisfaction Index and Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) at 3-month, 12-month, and 24-month Timepoints in Patients Undergoing Cervical Spine Surgery Using the QOD Registry.” In NEUROSURGERY, 69:100–100, 2023.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
-
Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
-
Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
-
Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
-
*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
-
Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
-
*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
-
Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
-
Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
-
Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
-
Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
-
NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- WellCare of North Carolina
-
TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
-
United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
-
*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
-
**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
- Cerapedics
- Depuy Synthes
- SI Bone