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 he has received the designation, which is awarded to only 7 percent of licensed physicians nationwide based on peer nominations and a rigorous selection process.
Dr. Svestka's practice focuses on advanced abdominal wall reconstruction and comprehensive hernia care, managing conditions 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." He emphasizes a philosophy of individualized care, noting that "hernia surgery is not one-size-fits-all."
Dr. Svestka evaluates and treats a wide range of abdominal wall conditions, including primary inguinal hernias, umbilical hernias, ventral hernias, large abdominal wall defects, and complex recurrent hernias. He also manages mesh complications and performs revisional surgery. His surgical repertoire includes open, minimally invasive, and reconstructive techniques, with particular expertise in the Transversus Abdominis Release (TAR) technique for complex incisional hernias.
He 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. Following residency, he trained in abdominal wall reconstruction at the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Hernia Center, learning directly from surgeons who developed the TAR technique. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and holds memberships in the American Hernia Society and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. He also serves 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. More information is available at castleconnolly.com.
