Richard U Kalu MD, MPH is a graduate of Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency at Henry Ford Health systems in Detroit, Michigan. In addition, Dr. Kalu obtained a master’s degree in public health at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Kalu has special interests in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), benign and malignant colon, rectal and anorectal pathologies, incontinence, pelvic floor diseases and colonoscopy. Dr. Kalu practices minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic, transanal) as well as traditional approaches for the management of these diseases.
As a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Kalu strives to employ evidence-based medicine while treating his patients with utmost respect, compassion, and dignity.
Colon and Rectal Fellowship
Lehigh Valley Health Systems, Allentown, PA
07/2022 – 07/2023
General Surgery Residency
Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI
06/2015 – 06/2022
General Surgery Residency – Research year (Colon and Rectal surgery division)
Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI
07/2019 – 06/2020
Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA
May 2012 – MD.
Lincoln University, Oxford, PA
May 2006 – BSc in Biology/Pre-Medicine; minor in Computer Science
Summa Cum Laude, Beta beta beta
American Board of Surgery
Certified: 11/2022
American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery
Board eligible
08/2022 da Vinci Systems Training Equivalency – Detroit, MI
06/2023 da Vinci Systems Training Course – Atlanta, GA
02/2023 Advanced Endoscopy Colorectal Fellow Course, Los Angeles, CA
07/2023 Medtronic InterStim System Simulator Training Program, Allentown, PA
Sood, A., Majumder, K., Kachroo, N., Sammon, J. D., Abdollah, F., Schmid, M., Hsu, L., Jeong, W., Meyer, C. P., Hanske, J., Kalu, R., Menon, M., & Trinh, Q. D. (2016). Adverse Event Rates, Timing of Complications, and the Impact of Specialty on Outcomes Following Adrenal Surgery: An Analysis of 30-Day Outcome Data From the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Urology, 90, 62–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2015.12.031
Murphy, A. B., Nyame, Y. A., Batai, K., Kalu, R., Khan, A., Gogana, P., Dixon, M., Macias, V., Kajdacsy-Balla, A., Hollowell, C. M., Catalona, W. J., & Kittles, R. (2017). Does prostate volume correlate with vitamin D deficiency among men undergoing prostate biopsy? Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases, 20(1), 55–60. https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2016.41
Leonard-Murali S, Lezotte J, Kalu, R., Blyden DJ, Patton JH, Johnson JL, Gupta AH. Necrotizing pancreatitis: A review for the acute care surgeon. Am J Surg. 2020 Aug 26:S0002-9610(20)30519-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2020.08.027. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32878690.
Kalu, R., Boateng P., Carrier L., Garzon J., Tang A., Reickert C., Stefanou A. Effect of preoperative versus postoperative use of transversus abdominis plane block with plain 0.25% bupivacaine on postoperative opioid use: a retrospective study. BMC Anesthesiology
Stefanou AJ, Kalu, R., Tang A, Reickert CA. Bowel Preparation for Elective Hartmann Operation: Analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2022 Jun;23(5):436-443. doi: 10.1089/sur.2022.032. Epub 2022 Apr 22. PMID: 35451876.
Sakumoto, M., Ye, J., Kalu, R., Jackson, K. L., Rittner, S., Long, T., Goel, M. S., & Walunas, T. L. (2022). Patient Portal Perceptions in an Urban Community Health Center Setting: Insights for Telehealth. Telehealth and Medicine Today, 7(5). https://doi.org/10.30953/thmt.v7.373
Kandagatla, P., Kalu, R., Shenoy R., Tang A., Reickert C., Stefanou A. Morbidity and Mortality after a Colectomy in Elderly Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The American Journal of Surgery.
Kalu, R., Wood E., Tang A., Reickert C., Nalamati S., Megumi A. Chemoradiation With or Without Surgery is Beneficial in the Management of Primary Rectal Small Cell Cancer.
Kalu, R., Capese S., Hashmi H., Sangster W., Park J., Halm K. Distal Rectal Carcinoids: A Case Report.
Kalu, R., Capese S., Hashmi H., Sangster W., Park J., Halm K. Distal Rectal Carcinoids: A Case Report. American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeon, Seattle, WA 06/2023.
Crohn’s disease management – a case report. IBD combined gastroenterology-colorectal surgery conference. Lehigh Valley Health Network, 06/2023.
Anal Melanoma case report. Pennsylvania Association of Colon and Rectal Surgeons “Stump the Chumps” conference, Allentown, PA, 02/2023.
Distal Rectal Carcinoid – A Case Report. Pennsylvania Association of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Residents Research Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 05/2023.
Effect of preoperative versus postoperative use of transversus abdominis plane block with plain 0.25% bupivacaine on postoperative opioid use: a retrospective study. Academic Surgical Congress (Virtual Presentation), 02/2021
Chemoradiation With or Without Surgery is Beneficial in the Management of Primary Rectal Small Cell Cancer (Virtual Presentation). American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeon, 06/2020.
Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) Block Using Nonliposomal Bupivacaine Reduces Postoperative Intravenous Narcotics Use After Colorectal Surgery (Virtual Presentation). American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeon, 06/2020.
Bowel Preparation for Elective Hartmann Procedure: An ACS-NSQIP Analysis (Virtual Presentation). Henry Ford hospital Medical Education Research Forum, 05/2020.
Does 81mg Aspirin Reduce the Risk pf Postoperative Deep Vein Thrombosis? Michigan Chapter Academy of Surgeons Annual Meeting, Grand Rapids, MI, 05/2019.
The Role of Pre-Operative Bowel Preparation in Elective Colectomy with Ostomy Creation – A Retrospective Analysis of ACS-NSQIP. Michigan Chapter Academy of Surgeons Annual Meeting, Traverse City, MI, 05/2018.
Assessing Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Patients’ Perspective on the Implementation of a Patient Portal system (Thesis Presentation). Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 05/2015.
Assessing Patients’ Perspective on Patient Portals in a Community Health Center. Chicago Consortium for Community Engagement, Chicago, IL, 10/2014.
Penile Rehabilitation Following Radical Prostatectomy. RUSH Medical Center – Division of Urology, Chicago, IL, 09/2014.
Deans University Scholarship, 2009 – 2012
Beta Beta Beta Biology Award, 2004 – 2005
Presidential Scholars-Lincoln University, 2002 – 2005
President’s Award, 2002 – 2005
Dean’s List of Lincoln University, 2002 – 2005
National Dean’s List, 2002 – 2005
Academic Surgical Congress, 2020 – Present
Surgical Infections Society, 2019 – Present
Pennsylvania Association of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, 2022 – 2023
Michigan Chapter ACS, June 2015 – Present
Detroit Surgical Association, June 2015 – Present
American College of Surgeons, June 2015 – Present
American Medical Association, August 2008 – Present
American College of Physicians, August 2008 – Present
Student National Medical Association, 2008 – 2012
Rotaract Club – Lincoln University Chapter, September 2002 – May 2006
