Penn Medicine Provider
Plastic Surgery
Suhail K. Kanchwala, MD
4.8
(248)
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 18 and up
Penn Plastic Surgery Perelman
View 2 additional locations
Schedule onlineCall 215-662-7300

About me

  • Director of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Penn Plastic Surgery
  • Section Chief, Penn Plastic Surgery, Pennsylvania Hospital
  • Associate Professor of Surgery at the Pennsylvania Hospital

A reconstructive microsurgeon, Dr. Kanchwala specializes in breast reconstruction following mastectomy, using a patient’s own tissues. He has performed more than 3,000 microsurgical breast reconstruction procedures. He leads the breast reconstruction program across Penn Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Kanchwala’s research focuses on improving outcomes in breast reconstruction surgery. He has pioneered minimally invasive techniques that enhance both patient recovery and aesthetics. His goal is to eliminate the use of narcotic pain medication for patients undergoing breast reconstruction.

Recognized by America's Top Doctors for 2017

Recognized in Philadelphia magazine's annual Top Docs issues, 2018 - 2021

Education and training

  • Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
  • Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

What my patients think about me

Average Rating
4.8

248 reviews

Comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Penn Medicine.

April 2025
5.0
5.0
dr satisfactorily answered my questions on my upcoming final surgery.
April 2025
2.0
2.0
i didn't have a good experience
March 2025
5.0
5.0
kanchwala is finding innovative ways to make women feel whole again.
March 2025
5.0
5.0
caring and good

Insurance accepted

My Locations

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Penn Medicine hospital privileges

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Pennsylvania Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
  • Chester County Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Dr. Kanchwala is a Penn Medicine physician.

Qualifications and experience

My research

Wiesemann GS, Cox EA, Nichols DS, Spiguel LR, Heath FD, Kanchwala S, Sorice-Virk S Salvage of nipple-areolar complex ischemia with dimethyl sulfoxide: A case series , Annals of Plastic Surgery: 2023 (Epub)

Ockerman KM, Han SH, Trieu NS, Mardourian M, Neal D, Kanchwala S, Spiguel L, Furnas HJ, Sorice-Virk S Comparison of aesthetic outcomes of epidermal staples vs sutures in deep epigastric perforator flap breast reconstruction , Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, 5: 2023,ojad098

Ockerman KM, Bryan J, Wiesemann G, Neal D, Marji FP, Heath F, Kanchwala S, Oladeru O, Spiguel L, Sorice-Virk S Closed incision negative pressure therapy in oncoplastic surgery prevents delays to adjuvant therapy , Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 11(5): 2023,e5028

Nores GDPG, Kanchwala S Minimally invasive approaches to DIEP flap harvest: A review of current data , Handchirurgie Mikrochirurgie & Plastic Chirurgie, 55(2): 2023,120-125

Lee YJ, Kanchwala SK, Cho H, Jolly JC, Jablonka E, Tanis M, Kamien RD, Yang S Natural shaping of acellular dermal matrices for implant-based breast reconstruction via expansile kirigami , Advanced Materials, 35(6): 2023,e2208088

Glatt BS, Kanchwala S Annual Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons Issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery , Annals of Plastic Surgery, 88(3 Suppl 3): 2022,S143

Glatt BS, Kanchwala S Annual Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons Issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery , Annals of Plastic Surgery, 87(1 Suppl 1): 2021,S1

Shakir S, Spencer AB, Piper M, Kozak GM, Soriano IS, Kanchwala SK Laparoscopy allows the harvest of the DIEP flap with shorter fascial incisions as compared to endoscopic harvest: A single surgeon retrospective cohort study , Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 74(6): 2021,1203-1212

Piper M, Ligh CA, Shakir S, Messa C, Soriano I, Kanchwala S Minimally invasive robotic-assisted harvest of the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap for autologous breast reconstruction , Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 74(4): 2021,890-930

Yan Chen, Wink Jason D, Ligh Cassandra A, Kanchwala Suhail The effects of adjunctive pain medications on postoperative inpatient opioid use in abdominally based microsurgical breast reconstruction , Annals of Plastic Surgery, 85(5): 2020,e3-e6