Dr. Avery L. Buchholz Earns Third Castle Connolly Top Doctor Honor, Highlighting Texas-Area Neurosurgical Excellence

Neurosurgeon Avery L. Buchholz, MD, FAANS, has been named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, marking the third year he has received the designation. Only 7 percent of the nation's licensed physicians are selected each year as Castle Connolly Top Doctors for their specialties in their regions. The recognition is based on peer nominations and a physician-led research process that evaluates medical education, training, hospital appointments, and disciplinary histories. Doctors cannot pay to be selected.

Dr. Buchholz is a board-certified neurosurgeon and spine specialist with Capital Spine and Pain Institute, a leading interdisciplinary practice recognized for comprehensive, minimally invasive spine care and targeted pain management. His selection matters for patients and employers across Texas and the wider region because spine disorders are a leading cause of disability and lost workdays, and access to proven, high-quality specialists can reduce long-term healthcare costs while improving outcomes.

He evaluates and treats a range of complex spine conditions, including adult spinal deformities, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and spinal trauma. His approach prioritizes conservative, non-surgical treatment protocols whenever appropriate. When surgery is required, care plans are tailored to minimize tissue disruption, reduce recovery times, and optimize clinical outcomes. Key procedures include minimally invasive lumbar discectomy and laminectomy, robotic-assisted spinal fusion and instrumentation, complex adult spinal deformity and scoliosis reconstruction, cervical artificial disc replacement, motion-preservation spinal surgery, and image-guided spinal decompression.

Dr. Buchholz completed his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, his neurological surgery residency at the Medical University of South Carolina, and a specialized clinical fellowship in complex spinal deformity and pediatric scoliosis surgery at the University of Virginia. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on spinal surgery outcomes, biomechanics, and surgical safety.

For Texas businesses, the implications are practical. As the state's population grows and ages, demand for advanced spine and pain care rises. A specialist with a national Top Doctor designation can serve as a referral hub, helping employers and insurers direct patients to evidence-based care that may avoid unnecessary surgery and accelerate return to work. Capital Spine and Pain Institute's interdisciplinary model, combining neurosurgical expertise with pain management, reflects a broader shift toward coordinated, value-driven care that Texas health systems and self-insured employers are increasingly seeking.

The recognition also elevates the visibility of the practice and the region's medical community. Patients researching providers can verify credentials through the Castle Connolly directory, where Dr. Buchholz's profile is available. More information about the practice is available at capitalspineinstitute.com/contact-us, and the full Top Doctors list is published at castleconnolly.com. For a state focused on economic growth, retaining and attracting top-tier medical talent is not just a health story; it is an economic one, supporting workforce productivity and the broader life sciences ecosystem.