Michael Svestka, MD, FACS, a general surgeon with Virginia Hernia & General Surgery in Fairfax, Virginia, has been named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor. This is the first year Dr. Svestka has received the esteemed designation, which is awarded to only 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians based on peer nominations and a rigorous selection process.
Dr. Svestka's practice focuses on advanced abdominal wall reconstruction and comprehensive hernia care, treating conditions ranging from routine groin and ventral hernias to complex recurrent and reconstructive cases. "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."
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 then trained in abdominal wall reconstruction at the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Hernia Center, one of the nation's leading hernia programs, where he studied directly with surgeons who helped develop the transversus abdominis release (TAR) technique.
His surgical repertoire includes open, minimally invasive, and reconstructive techniques. He is highly trained in advanced abdominal wall reconstruction, including the TAR technique, which is important for repairing complex incisional hernias and large defects. He also treats patients with primary groin (inguinal) hernias, umbilical hernias, ventral hernias, large abdominal wall defects, complex recurrent hernias, mesh complications, and those requiring revisional surgery.
Dr. Svestka is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and maintains active memberships in the American Hernia Society and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. He also contributes to the surgical literature 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. The selection process evaluates medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected. More information about Castle Connolly and its Top Doctors list can be found at castleconnolly.com.
