Chad Purnell, MD, FACS

Trained at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Purnell developed their surgical foundation at institutions widely recognized within American plastic surgery. Dr. Purnell's education reflects a background rooted in complex, detail-driven procedures.

Their reconstructive expertise includes cleft lip and palate care, craniosynostosis, orthognathic (jaw) surgery, facial injury repair, and facial reanimation for nerve palsy. This work demands a precise understanding of how facial tissues, muscles, and bone interact.

That same anatomical fluency informs Dr. Purnell's approach to aesthetic surgery. Dr. Purnell offers rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), and facelift procedures, with attention to how the deeper facial layers shape a natural result.

The deep plane facelift is among the most technically advanced approaches to facial rejuvenation. It repositions the SMAS layer — the sheet of muscle and connective tissue beneath the skin — rather than simply tightening the surface.

Dr. Purnell's craniofacial background is particularly relevant to this technique. Surgeons who work daily with facial nerves and deep tissue planes bring a distinct familiarity to sub-SMAS dissection and tissue repositioning.

Dr. Purnell's practice reflects a whole-face philosophy. Rather than treating features in isolation, Dr. Purnell considers the relationship between the brow, eyes, midface, jawline, and neck to achieve balance.

Dr. Purnell holds academic and professional affiliations that extend their reach beyond the operating room. Dr. Purnell serves as an International Member and has held a role as a PRS Resident Ambassador within the plastic surgery community.

Their clinical homes include UI Health, Shriners Children's, and Dr. Purnell's private practice, Dr. Chad Purnell M.D. Craniofacial and Plastic Surgery. This blend of academic, pediatric, and private settings is uncommon.

Dr. Purnell also contributes to the wider field through teaching and research. Dr. Purnell has lectured nationally and internationally on craniofacial topics and participated in discussions on innovative approaches to pediatric craniofacial care.

For patients considering facial rejuvenation, this reconstructive depth matters. A surgeon accustomed to rebuilding faces after trauma or congenital difference understands facial structure at a level that supports refined aesthetic work.

Recovery is a central part of any deep plane facelift, and Dr. Purnell's structured approach reflects careful patient guidance. Most patients focus on the deeper tissue layers precisely because they tend to yield longer-lasting, natural-looking results.

Chicago provides an ideal setting for this kind of care. The city is a major academic medical center, with strong hospital systems, experienced anesthesia teams, and the infrastructure that complex facial surgery requires.

Dr. Purnell's dual identity — as both a craniofacial reconstructive surgeon and an aesthetic surgeon — defines their profile. It is this combination that shapes how Dr. Purnell approaches facial aging and rejuvenation for adult patients seeking a considered, individualized result.