David M. Kalainov, MD

David M. Kalainov, MD

4.9 
1996 ratings  Read Reviews
Northwestern Medicine logoNorthwestern Medical Group

Primary Specialty

Hand Surgery

Secondary Specialty

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Practice Focus Areas

This medical professional has a particular interest or expertise in:

Reasons to Schedule a Visit

This medical professional may be a good choice for you if you are looking for care for any of the following:

  • Bite
  • Cut/laceration/tendon laceration/puncture wound/amputation
  • Cyst
  • Elbow dislocation
  • Elbow pain
  • Finger dislocation
  • Hand cut, laceration (deep cut), tendon laceration, puncture wound, amputation
  • Infection/abscess
  • Pain
  • Pain/other
  • Surgical consult
  • Suspected or known fracture or broken bone(s)
  • Tendonitis or tennis elbow
  • Trigger finger

Education

Medical Education:
MD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine - 1991
Internship:
Johns Hopkins University - 1992
Residency:
Hospital for Special Surgery/Cornell Medical Center - 1996
Fellowships:
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University/TJUH - 1997

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery - Orthopaedic Surgery (Certified)
  • American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery/Surgery of the Hand - Surgery of the Hand (Certified)

Faculty Profile

Professor, Feinberg School of Medicine

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Practice Groups and Affiliations

Medical Group:
Northwestern Medical Group
Alignment Category:
Northwestern Medicine Physician Network
On Medical Staff At:
Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital
Grayslake Ambulatory Surgery Center
Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Ratings and Reviews

At Northwestern Medicine, our patient’s feedback is important to us. While different care providers have their own unique strengths, we strive to be as transparent as possible with our quality of care.

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Overall Rating

4.9
4.9 

1996 Ratings

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Reviews from Patients

100 Most Recent Reviews

Reviews from Patients

Sort By Newest
100 Most Recent Reviews

February 26, 2026

5.0

Dr. Kalainov is an excellent practitioner who is highly skilled.

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February 24, 2026

5.0

exceptional physician

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February 23, 2026

5.0

He was paichiant & willing to listen to my concerns.

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February 23, 2026

5.0

He was wonderfully positive. Very thorough. Very encouraging.

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February 23, 2026

5.0

Physician was also very welcoming and was equally patient but efficient. His exam of my injury was careful and he was clear w/ diagnosis. He gave me my options clearly. I chose my course of action and he also thought this was the right to go He spent 46 minutes with me and I would also only to him for future Orthopaedics needs. Thank you!!!

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February 20, 2026

5.0

Great doctor very skilled and great bedside manor

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February 19, 2026

5.0

Thorough but friendly

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February 19, 2026

5.0

The best

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February 18, 2026

5.0

Very friendly, takes time to explain situation.

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February 16, 2026

5.0

Professional, quality care and kind

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February 16, 2026

5.0

Great doctor

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February 12, 2026

5.0

Straightforward and not hurried. Spent lots of time, explained his thinking and my options.

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February 11, 2026

5.0

Very personable and easy to understand

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February 09, 2026

5.0

Very considerate and very thorough.

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February 09, 2026

5.0

Very thoughtful and intelligent man that made me feel comfortable.

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February 09, 2026

5.0

Knowledge Experience

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February 05, 2026

5.0

Attentive, listened to my medical issue(s) and provided really great feedback on the pain I am experiencing and suggested a logical treatment plan going forward. Dr. Kalainov was pleasant to talk to, he answered my many questions and understood my concerns and that my end goal in getting treatment is to remain active in the sports and activities I love to do. His support staff was as equally excellent making me feel comfortable and answering my questions.

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February 02, 2026

5.0

Explains everything so that you understand what is wrong and what your options are.

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January 30, 2026

5.0

He was polite courteous showed me the x-rays explained everything in detail. I followed his instructions on my last visit and I have had no problems until this accident and now I have no problems again so the care was excellent.

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January 29, 2026

5.0

Helpful and patient in explaining everything with details

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January 26, 2026

5.0

Excellent care

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January 26, 2026

5.0

Patient and full explanations.

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January 23, 2026

5.0

I saw Dr. Kalainov for a minor issue a couple years ago and was thrilled this time when I found out he would be repairing my broken thumb. I have trust in his high level of expertise and he explains everything in a way I can understand.

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January 20, 2026

5.0

Flexible, accessible and service oriented as a whole. Positive results.

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January 19, 2026

5.0

Very knowledgeable and thorough. Explains everything well

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January 18, 2026

5.0

Excelente doctor

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January 18, 2026

5.0

His injection was almost painless and worked very well. He explained everything clearly.

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January 17, 2026

5.0

A trustworthy physician who makes decision that are pragmatic and generate great outcomes.

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January 14, 2026

5.0

Pleasant and efficient

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January 14, 2026

5.0

Dr Kalainov is just a great guy. Easy to talk to and great at what he does

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January 13, 2026

5.0

Professional, extremely knowledgeable and personable.

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January 12, 2026

5.0

Clear communication. Clearly read my background information and listened to me. Took the time to gather information and allow me to ask questions. Treated me as a priority even though he was very busy.

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January 12, 2026

5.0

Professional, knowledgeable, kind and a little humor

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January 12, 2026

5.0

Dr was very informative! Easy to converse with.

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January 09, 2026

5.0

Dr Kalainov is highly skilled and clearly explains everything. I know that I am in the best hands and that brings a lot of calm to a stressful situation.

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January 08, 2026

5.0

Addressed my concern.

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January 04, 2026

5.0

He was very helpful and personable

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January 03, 2026

5.0

Professional, helpful, actually listens to you, upbeat, offers great suggestions

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January 02, 2026

5.0

Gets the job done.

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December 31, 2025

5.0

Great communicator, professional while being friendly too.

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December 19, 2025

5.0

Very good

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December 19, 2025

5.0

Competent and personable.

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December 18, 2025

5.0

The doctor was informative of my situation and the procedure went well.

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December 15, 2025

5.0

Efficient. Super friendly staff

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December 15, 2025

5.0

Third surgery with him. Very professional

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December 14, 2025

5.0

He's. Extremely confident & gives you His honest. Opinion always

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December 13, 2025

5.0

Great bedside manner

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December 11, 2025

5.0

Very courteous. Explains things very well. Understanding.

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December 10, 2025

5.0

Provided excellent care

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December 10, 2025

5.0

Dr. Kalainov is personable, professional, and collaborative. My Doctor/patient relationship with him is excellent.

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December 08, 2025

5.0

He's outstanding, as is his assistant Heather.

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December 05, 2025

5.0

Dr. Kalainov is everything you could ever hope for in a physician - great listener, great at explanation, great at injection and really pleasant to talk with. I was referred to him by two friends who said he was the best, and they were totally right.

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December 04, 2025

5.0

He is patient with all questions and explanations. And, he draws world-class diagrams on his own hand of what the surgery entails.

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December 03, 2025

5.0

Per my comments in Q1, Dr. Kalainov communicates clearly and professionally. Yet, when speaking to a non-medical patient, he can explain what the issue is and, more importantly, what 'the fix' is for the problem. He presented treatment options and pros and cons and together we made my treatment plan.

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December 03, 2025

5.0

David M. Kalainov, MD made me feel like a valued client. David M. Kalainov, MD, in our experience, was excellent in both care and treatment. Also, on a "follow up" phone call we made to NM Orthopaedic Surgery, Patient Access Specialist (aka PAS) Claudia (sp?) was knowledgeable, clear and friendly. Because of the manner in which we were treated, we will recommend NM (Chicago) to business associates, colleagues, friends and family. David M. Kalainov, MD and his staff made us feel comfortable in each clearly stated action.

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December 03, 2025

5.0

Excellent care. Listens and explains everything. Creates a comfortable atmosphere. Good sense of humor.

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December 01, 2025

5.0

Dr Kalainov is very easy to talk to about your medical issues.

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November 26, 2025

5.0

Great care

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November 21, 2025

5.0

Excellent physician.

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November 19, 2025

5.0

Dr K is so reassuring, he made me confident in his abilities. His staff is great

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November 17, 2025

4.0

The people in this office are super! Professional. Compassionate. Helpful. Explain things clearly. This is how patients should be treated. Thank you, Gang!

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November 11, 2025

5.0

Took time to figure out the exact source of pain non responsive to cortisone injection. Did not give up so fast like other knee joint docs I have seen.

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November 08, 2025

5.0

Listened well.

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November 05, 2025

5.0

He's the best!

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November 04, 2025

5.0

Explains everything. To the point. Skilled surgeon.

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November 03, 2025

5.0

He is so skilled and has taken great care of my medical issues. He explains everything clearly and has a great bedside manner. He has helped to manage my hand pain so well and I am very grateful for his help.

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November 03, 2025

5.0

As per above. Also very easy to understand, gentle examinations, takes his time with pts..

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October 31, 2025

5.0

Compassionate, empathetic and has served me very well over all the yeaars

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October 30, 2025

5.0

I like dave

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October 30, 2025

5.0

His personality & capability are over the expected

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October 30, 2025

5.0

Professional, courteous, efficient

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October 30, 2025

4.0

Knowledgeable and skilled. Again haven't had enough contact over time to make an assessment on someone

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October 29, 2025

5.0

Great bedside manner

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October 27, 2025

5.0

Knowledgeable, patient, skilled surgeon, answers questions thoroughly, and has a nice, friendly manner.

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October 27, 2025

5.0

Dr. Kalainov takes his time to explain the procedure, he is sensitive to your concerns and has a sense of humor, which is very comforting no matter how minor your surgery might be

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October 27, 2025

5.0

He is smart, kind, and personable. I think he's the best!

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October 24, 2025

5.0

I was well referred to him and he clearly is an expert in his field. Also great bedside manner and an appropriate sense of humor.

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October 22, 2025

5.0

Used in past and great results. Very professional and friendly. Responsive.

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October 22, 2025

5.0

He listened to me, had great suggestion to do OT vs surgery.

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October 22, 2025

5.0

Seemed competent and 'let's get this taken care of today'

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October 21, 2025

5.0

He terrific both in his practice of medicine and helping a nervous patient get thru a procedure she was anxious about

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October 20, 2025

5.0

He diagnosed my issue & explained alternative treatments clearly.

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October 15, 2025

5.0

This doctor is the rock star of his profession.

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October 13, 2025

5.0

He is personable and specific in his diagnosis and treatment.

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October 08, 2025

5.0

Takes his time to explain everything

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October 08, 2025

5.0

Very knowledgeable expert with great experience,excellent bedside manner, accommodating and friendly.

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October 06, 2025

5.0

Seemed extremely competent, professional and personable

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October 02, 2025

5.0

Good listener & good Doc. Nice combo.

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October 02, 2025

5.0

He is thorough, caring, listens to your concerns and explains your condition and how to treat it in simple terms. He also has a great sense of humor.

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October 01, 2025

5.0

His level of expertise, professionalism, execution, and warmth is exceptional.

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October 01, 2025

5.0

Great, personalized care.

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September 29, 2025

5.0

He carefully examined me, understood my problems, and knew how to treat them.

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September 26, 2025

5.0

He explains the options for treatment and makes a recommendation.

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September 24, 2025

5.0

Explain the procedure answered all my questions and explained everything thoroughly

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September 24, 2025

5.0

He listened and was very competent.

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September 24, 2025

5.0

Dr. Kalainov is very nice. He explain everything in details in consider your opinion in the treatment !!! Very easy to approach.

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September 23, 2025

5.0

This MD really wants to take care of you. Listens well, does clinical/physical exam. Discusses options. Very skilled in cortisone injections. Very personable. Obviously read my history as he knew about my me my profession.

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September 22, 2025

5.0

great personal skills

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September 17, 2025

5.0

Dr is friendly and detailed.

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September 17, 2025

5.0

As I mentioned I didn't wait long I didn't mention that but I did not wait long to see him I know these guys are busy he takes a lot of good care I feel and I think that he knows what he's doing and that gives me confidence

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Disclosures

Industry Relationships

Ownership or Investment Interest

Faculty member and/or their immediate family have an ownership or investment interest in the following companies

  • BriteSeed, LLC
  • Whiteboard Coordinator, Inc.
  • Zuri

Faculty member received compensation for medical record consultation and/or expert witness testimony.

External Professional Relationships

Pharmaceutical, device, and biotechnology companies frequently collaborate with basic scientists and physicians within an academic medical center to help advance science and improve patient care. These relationships are important in achieving scientific breakthroughs and in establishing the effectiveness and safety of promising new therapies. In order to assure objectivity in clinical research and patient care, the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Feinberg), Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Children's Hospital of Chicago Medical Center, and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab have adopted integrity policies that require research and clinical faculty (in full-time, part-time, and unpaid/voluntary categories) to report compensated and uncompensated external industry relationships. Patients are encouraged to discuss these disclosures with their physician as well as to inquire as to how these relationships are overseen by Feinberg. To learn more about our Disclosure and Professional Integrity Policy, and the conflict of interest policies of our joint affiliate survey partners, please go to our Office for Regulatory Affairs Policies page.

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