Dr. Michael Svestka, MD, FACS, a general surgeon at Virginia Hernia & General Surgery in Fairfax, Virginia, has been named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor. This is the first year he has received this esteemed designation, which is awarded to only 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians based on peer nominations and rigorous selection criteria.
Dr. Svestka's practice focuses on advanced abdominal wall reconstruction and comprehensive hernia care, treating conditions from routine groin and ventral hernias to complex recurrent and reconstructive cases. He is highly trained in the Transversus Abdominis Release (TAR) technique, an important innovation for repairing complex incisional hernias and large defects. His training included a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Hernia Center, one of the nation's leading hernia programs.
"Being recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor is a tremendous honor, particularly because the selection process is driven by peer recognition," Dr. Svestka said. "To me, it reflects not only surgical expertise, but also the trust of colleagues, patients, and the broader medical community." He emphasized that hernia surgery is not one-size-fits-all and that individualized care, from consultation through recovery, is central to his practice.
Dr. Svestka earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2013 and completed a five-year general surgery residency at Stony Brook University Hospital, where he served as Administrative Chief Resident and received five teaching awards. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and maintains memberships in the American Hernia Society and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. He also contributes as a peer reviewer for Surgical Endoscopy.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors are nominated by peer physicians and selected by the physician-led Castle Connolly research team based on medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. Doctors do not pay to be selected. The list is published at castleconnolly.com and in partner publications.
