Dr. Purnell's Training and publications
Clinical Leadership & Training
Dr. Chad Purnell, MD, FAAP, FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon caring for children and adults in Chicago. He serves as Head of Craniofacial Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois Chicago, directs research in its Division of Plastic Surgery, and is an attending surgeon at Shriners Children’s Chicago.
Residency: Northwestern University — Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (completed 2018).
Chicago, IL
Fellowship
University of Washington/Seattle Children's Hospital - Pediatric and Adult Craniofacial Surgery
Seattle, WA
Education
Undergraduate and Medical Schools
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - Pittsburgh, PA
Saint Vincent College - Latrobe, PA
Publications
Textbook Chapters
Selected Book Chapters
Alkureishi LWT, Purnell CA. Virtual reality and augmented reality in surgery. In Dorafshar A, Lopez J (Eds.), Computer-Assisted Planning in Craniofacial Surgery, 1st Edition. Elsevier. 2024.
Purnell CA, Seelaus R, Patel PK. Craniofacial anaplastology: prosthetic osseointegration. In Operative Techniques in Plastic Surgery, 1st Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2019.
Purnell CA, Gosain AK. Tongue-lip adhesion and floor of mouth release for Pierre Robin Sequence. In Operative Techniques in Plastic Surgery, 1st Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2019.
Purnell CA, Gosain AK. Pierre Robin Sequence. In Neligan Plastic Surgery: Craniofacial, Head and Neck Surgery, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, 4th Edition. Elsevier. 2017.
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
Edgar M, Perez MM, Choudhary A, Zorra I, Green KM, Zhao L, Purnell CA. First repair is best: the facial growth consequences of revision cleft surgeries. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2026 Mar 4.
Calzadilla N, Bradley D, Choudhary A, Perez MM, Green KM, Runge ME, Purnell CA. Virtual Surgical Planning and Cutting Guides in Le Fort II Distraction With Zygomatic Repositioning. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. 2025;13(9):e7125. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000007125.
Kazmouz S, Dike C, Bruss D, Santiago G, Choudhary A, DiChiaro B, Perez M, Green K, Zhao L, Purnell CA. Changes in Nasal Cavity Morphology following Subcranial or Transcranial Midface Advancement. FACE. 2025.
Santiago G, Santiago C, Nguyen A, Choudhary A, Zhao L, Purnell CA. Alterations in sphenoid anatomy in craniosynostosis: implications for fronto-orbital advancement. Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. 2025;62(7):1241–1248.
Banerjee AR, Zhao L, Purnell C, Svirinovska N, Alkureishi L. Virtual reality planning for mandible reconstruction: A case report. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. 2025;13(4):e6676.
Choudhary A, Vandevender J, Yang K, Kazmouz S, Edgar M, Lentsevich M, Juarez C, Mendoza J, Bartelt K, Nguyen A, Purnell CA. Comparison of methodologies for craniofacial soft-tissue cephalometrics: The value of virtual reality. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. 2024;91:35–45.
This selection highlights craniofacial surgery, cleft care, midface advancement and surgical planning. Additional publication information is available on request.