Ranjan Gupta, MD

Clinical Expertise

Dr. Gupta’s clinical practice focuses primarily on shoulder surgery and complex reconstruction of the upper extremity. He has particular expertise in shoulder replacement, arthroscopic and minimally invasive shoulder surgery, revision reconstruction, and the management of difficult conditions in which anatomy, prior surgery, nerve injury, or loss of function complicates treatment.

His broader practice includes brachial plexus and peripheral nerve reconstruction, advanced nerve-transfer procedures, fractures and post-traumatic deformity, compressive neuropathies, disorders of the elbow and hand, and distal radius malunions.

Whether treating a common shoulder disorder or a highly complex reconstructive problem, Dr. Gupta’s approach begins with a precise understanding of the patient’s condition and goals. Surgery is recommended only when it offers a meaningful opportunity to reduce pain, restore function, and improve quality of life. His specialized nerve-transfer procedures are among the advanced reconstructive treatments available at only a limited number of centers nationally.

Research and Innovation

Dr. Gupta is a surgeon-scientist whose work bridges clinical investigation, translational neuroscience, biomechanics, and surgical education. His research seeks to answer questions that arise directly from patient care: how injured nerves regenerate, why recovery sometimes fails, how muscles and neuromuscular junctions respond to denervation, and how surgical reconstruction can more effectively restore movement and function.

For more than two decades, his peripheral nerve research program has received sustained extramural support, including funding from the National Institutes of Health. His laboratory investigations have focused on nerve regeneration, Schwann-cell biology, compressive neuropathy, traumatic nerve injury, nerve transfers, and the biological limits of motor recovery.

His additional scholarship includes shoulder arthroplasty, rotator-cuff disease, upper-extremity biomechanics, distal radioulnar joint stability, clinical outcomes, and surgical simulation. He has authored more than 115 scientific publications and has worked extensively with surgeons, neuroscientists, engineers, residents, medical students, and research trainees to translate discovery into better surgical care.

Academic Leadership and Education

Education has been central to Dr. Gupta’s career. He has trained and mentored medical students, residents, fellows, junior faculty, and surgeon-scientists, with an emphasis on clinical judgment, technical excellence, intellectual curiosity, personal accountability, and service to patients.

At Creighton University School of Medicine, he led the development and launch of the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program and is building an academic department designed to unite high-volume clinical training with structured education, biomechanics, translational research, and scholarly inquiry. The program’s mission is to develop surgeons who are technically accomplished, ethically grounded, intellectually curious, and prepared to lead in clinical practice, fellowship training, or academic medicine.

Under his leadership, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the CHI Health Orthopedic Center at Lakeside are being developed as a regional and nationally connected center for comprehensive musculoskeletal care, advanced reconstruction, research, and education. The center brings together specialty care, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, surgical services, biomechanics, clinical investigation, and resident education within a coordinated academic environment.

Education and Training

Dr. Gupta entered the Accelerated Six-Year Biomedical Program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Albany Medical College, earning his undergraduate and medical degrees through this highly selective combined curriculum.

He completed his general surgery internship and orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed an NIH-supported postdoctoral research fellowship. He subsequently pursued advanced fellowship training in hand surgery and microsurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, followed by an international AO Fellowship in hand surgery, traumatology, and shoulder surgery at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

This combination of training in orthopaedic surgery, microsurgery, peripheral nerve reconstruction, trauma, and shoulder surgery established the foundation for a career integrating complex clinical care with translational research and surgical education.

Leadership Background

Before joining Creighton University and CommonSpirit Health, Dr. Gupta served as Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California, Irvine, from 2006 through 2015. During his chairmanship, the department advanced substantially in national standing and became the highest-ranked clinical specialty within UC Irvine Health.

Throughout his career, he has remained committed to the principle that clinical care, research, and education should strengthen one another. His work in Omaha continues that mission: building a department in which patients receive sophisticated and compassionate care, learners are challenged and mentored, and faculty have the environment and institutional support necessary to advance the field.

Building the Future of Orthopaedic Care in Omaha

Today, Dr. Gupta leads the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Creighton University School of Medicine and helps direct orthopaedic strategy across CommonSpirit Health in the Omaha metropolitan area. He continues to care personally for patients with shoulder disorders, complex upper-extremity conditions, and devastating injuries while developing the clinical programs, research infrastructure, and educational culture needed to serve the region for generations.

His guiding objective is straightforward: to bring the standards of a nationally respected academic orthopaedic center to Omaha while ensuring that every patient is treated with precision, honesty, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the best possible outcome.