Craig R. Mahoney, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon with Iowa Ortho, has been named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, marking the 13th time he has received this prestigious designation. Only 7 percent of licensed physicians nationwide are selected as Castle Connolly Top Doctors for their specialties in their regions each year.
Dr. Mahoney serves as the Physician Leader and Vice President of the Orthopaedic Service Line at MercyOne and is a partner at the Iowa Orthopaedic Center. With over 23 years of practice and more than 8,000 successful hip and knee replacements, his philosophy emphasizes exhaustive nonsurgical options before recommending joint replacement surgery. His goals include improving mobility, decreasing pain, and enhancing each patient's quality of life through evidence-based techniques that prioritize long-term outcomes.
Dr. Mahoney performs advanced surgical procedures, including total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, hip and knee revision surgery, computer-navigated joint replacement, impaction grafting, and vascular management in rotationplasty. He earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1995, completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Creighton/University of Nebraska Health Foundation in 2001, and a fellowship in Adult Reconstruction at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York in 2002.
His professional accomplishments include authoring more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in publications such as The Journal of Arthroplasty and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. Dr. Mahoney has held leadership roles as President of the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association and the Iowa Orthopaedic Society and served on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board of Councilors for six years.
Top Doctors are nominated by peer physicians and selected by the physician-led Castle Connolly research team. Castle Connolly publishes its Top Doctors list at castleconnolly.com and in various print and online partner publications. Nominations are open to all board-certified MDs, DOs, and DPMs. The team chooses honorees based on criteria including medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor.
Dr. Mahoney's recognition underscores the importance of specialized orthopaedic care and the commitment to advancing joint replacement techniques. His dedication to patient-centered care and clinical excellence has consistently earned him peer recognition, benefiting the Des Moines community and beyond.
