Neurosurgeon Bennie W. Chiles III, MD, has been selected as a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, representing the seventh consecutive year he has received this prestigious designation. This recognition places him among an elite group, as only 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians are chosen annually as Castle Connolly Top Doctors within their specialties and regions. Dr. Chiles practices at Westchester Spine and Brain Surgery, PLLC, in Hartsdale, New York, where he provides advanced surgical evaluation and treatment for various spine and brain conditions, with particular emphasis on complex spinal problems requiring operative intervention.
The importance of this recognition extends beyond individual achievement, serving as a valuable indicator for patients seeking specialized neurosurgical care. Castle Connolly's selection process involves peer nominations and rigorous review by a physician-led research team that evaluates medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. This peer-validation system helps patients identify highly qualified specialists in fields where expertise can significantly impact outcomes. The Castle Connolly Top Doctors list is published at https://castleconnolly.com and various partner publications, providing accessible information for healthcare decision-making.
Dr. Chiles' surgical philosophy prioritizes conservative approaches when possible, reserving surgery for cases with clear evidence of significant benefit and no reasonable nonsurgical alternatives. When surgery becomes necessary, he employs state-of-the-art techniques and equipment to maximize safety and optimize outcomes. His practice focuses on managing degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, spinal tumors, and traumatic spinal injuries of the nervous system. Key procedures include microsurgical lumbar discectomy, cervical and lumbar spinal fusion, laminectomy for spinal stenosis, artificial disc replacement, and image-guided navigational surgery.
The implications of this recognition are particularly relevant given the increasing prevalence of spinal conditions and the complexity of neurosurgical interventions. With over 4,000 major operative procedures performed since beginning private practice in Westchester in 1998, Dr. Chiles brings substantial experience to his field. His educational background includes a medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (1991), followed by neurosurgery residency and a combined orthopedic-neurosurgical fellowship in complex spine surgery at New York University Medical Center (1991-1998).
This Castle Connolly designation adds to Dr. Chiles' extensive professional recognition, including six consecutive years as a Top Neurosurgeon by Westchester Magazine (2020-2025) with a seventh feature scheduled for November 2026, annual selection as a Top Neurosurgeon in the New York Metro Area by Castle Connolly since 2021, and five consecutive years in New York Magazine's 'Best Doctors' issue (2021-2025). These consistent honors reflect sustained excellence in a medical specialty where technological advancements and surgical precision continuously evolve. For patients navigating complex neurosurgical decisions, such peer-recognized expertise provides important guidance in selecting specialists capable of delivering high-precision care with modern diagnostic capabilities and specialized surgical planning.
