Our Team

Robert Bradley, MD, is board certified in general surgery and specializes in the treatment of hernias using open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches, including component separation open and robotically. He has spent considerable amount of time focusing on hernia surgery and staying up-to-date on the latest trends in techniques. He also has expertise in the management of hiatal hernias. Dr. Bradley takes an active role in the training of the next generation of surgeons. He has been in practice for 14 years.

Stuart Donovan, MD, program director, is a board certified general surgeon in practice for more than 25 years, focusing on minimally invasive hernia repair (both laparoscopic and robotic), complex hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction for more than 10 years. He has taught courses and given presentations on hernia surgery regionally, nationally and internationally. In addition to being an active member of the Americans Hernia Society, he has been president of the Bethesda North Hospital medical staff and is presently the chair for the department of surgery at Bethesda North. He also helps improve our community’s health by training the next generation of surgeons as a residency program faculty member and site director.

Bryan Ellis, DO assistant program director, is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and over the last 12 years, has been specializing in minimally invasive hernia repairs including laparoscopic and robotic surgery as well as complex abdominal wall reconstruction. Dr. Ellis participates in the American Hernia Society Quality Collaborative data registry. He is actively running research trials in pre- and post-operative exercise programs with hernia surgery. He also has a focus in sports hernia management and surgery. During his time in practice, he has served in multiple medical staff positions at Bethesda North Hospital including the chairman of the department of surgery and surgical residency site director. He is currently an active member of the teaching faculty of the surgical residency. Dr. Ellis has been in practice for 17 years.

Kshitij Kakar, MD, completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at Case Western Reserve University. He has expertise in minimally invasive foregut surgery, including hiatal hernia, paraesophageal hernia and anti-reflux surgery. He also specializes in minimally invasive hernia repairs and complex abdominal wall reconstruction. He performs surgery using open, laparoscopic and robotic techniques. He participates in training surgical residents. Dr. Kakar has been in practice for five years.

Katherine Meister, MD, is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery. Following her general surgery training, she completed a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio. She is trained in minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robotic) and open hernia repair techniques. She has expertise in hernia repairs of the diaphragm and stomach (hiatal hernia, paraesophageal hernia). She also performs weight loss surgery, which can aid in the success of hernia repairs in patients with morbid obesity. Dr. Meister is the associate program director of the TriHealth general surgery residency and is actively involved in surgical education and training future surgeons. She has published numerous journal articles and textbook chapters and is actively involved in ongoing research.s.

Kevin Tymitz, MD, is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery and completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at Johns Hopkins University. He specializes in minimally invasive hernia repair techniques (laparoscopic and robotic) and complex open repairs with abdominal wall reconstruction and removal of excess abdominal skin. He has expertise in hernia repairs of the stomach, esophagus and diaphragm, as well as weight loss surgery. His fellowship training, active involvement in multiple societies and teaching on a national level also make him an well-known expert in surgery of the foregut. This includes repair of hernias involving the stomach, esophagus and diaphragm (hiatal hernias) and also weight loss surgery (gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy) to aid in the success of hernia repair in the morbidly obese population. Dr. Tymitz is associate program director of TriHealth’s surgical residency program, where he is in charge of simulation, laparoscopic and robotic training. He also works closely with industry leaders to develop new and innovative laparoscopic and robotic instrumentation and surgical techniques. He has published numerous journal articles and textbook chapters and currently is conducting a study evaluating laparoscopic and robotic hernia repair and the impact on post-operative pain. Dr. Tymitz has been in practice for six years.