Kushal Patel, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon with Endeavor Health specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery, has been named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, marking his second consecutive year receiving this honor. According to Castle Connolly, only 7% of licensed physicians nationwide are selected annually as Top Doctors for their specialties and regions. Dr. Patel is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and holds a subspecialty certificate in surgery of the hand.
"Being recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor is a profound honor because it reflects the trust of my peers within the medical community," says Dr. Patel. "To me, this recognition isn't just about individual achievement; it's a testament to the high standard of specialized care we provide at Endeavor Health. It reinforces my commitment to bringing the latest advancements in hand and upper extremity surgery to our patients in our community, ensuring they receive the best possible outcomes."
Dr. Patel evaluates and treats a wide range of conditions affecting the hand, wrist, and elbow, including traumatic injuries, degenerative conditions, and congenital anomalies. His surgical expertise includes hand and wrist fracture repair, trigger finger injection and release, anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion, tendon and nerve repair, joint reconstruction of the hand and wrist, management of deQuervain's disease, and surgical correction of syndactyly.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois Hospital where he served as Academic Chief Resident, and pursued advanced fellowship training in hand and upper extremity surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Patel has also contributed to orthopaedic research and global health, having served as the Morgan & Madison McClellan Research Fellow at the Institute for Global Orthopaedics & Traumatology (IGOT) at the University of California, San Francisco. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and chaired the AAOS Resident Assembly Education Committee.
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 partner publications. Nominations are open to all board-certified MDs, DOs, and DPMs. The selection process evaluates medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. Doctors cannot pay to be selected.
