Our Pediatric Surgeons
Dr. Donald Nuss, Creator of the Nuss Procedure
Pediatric surgeon Donald Nuss, a native of South Africa, is a pioneer in the treatment of a chest wall deformity known as pectus excavatum, or sunken chest. Over the past two decades, Nuss has spared more than 1,000 children significant pain, blood loss and recovery time and also held workshops to educate doctors around the world on his minimally-invasive procedure.
A partner in CHKD surgical group's Pediatric Surgery and a professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Nuss completed medical school, residency and fellowship programs in South Africa as well as a fellowship at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. In 1987, he invented the Nuss Procedure for pectus excavatum by inserting a slim, curved steel bar through two tiny incisions in the patient’s chest side walls, correcting bone alignment without extensive cutting or bone removal. His groundbreaking work since has earned repeated recognition from top surgeons and national media outlets.
Dr. Robert Kelly
Pediatric surgeon Robert Kelly holds a special interest in treating newborn anomalies and children with inguinal hernias and pectus excavatum, a chest wall deformity. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he is board certified in general and pediatric surgery.
Dr. Kelly holds a number of leadership positions at CHKD, including Chief of the Department of Surgery. He is also a member of the board of directors for the Children’s Surgical Specialty Group. An associate professor of clinical surgery and clinical pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School, he also serves on committees for clinical research review, continuing medical education and infection control.
Dr. Michael Goretsky
Pediatric surgeon Michael Goretsky is Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at CHKD, with an additional special interest in non-cardiac thoracic surgery. Since 2005, he also has served as Director of Pediatric Surgery Education at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Dr. Goretsky is a graduate of SUNY at Stony Brook School of Medicine, and his post-graduate training includes a fellowship at the Shriners Burns Institute in Cincinnati. Among his national honors are a Physician Recognition Award from the American Medical Association and a spot on the Consumers’ Research Council of America’s 2003 list of top surgeons. An associate professor of clinical surgery and pediatrics at EVMS, he has taught advanced courses on minimally-invasive techniques to doctors across the country.
Dr. M. Ann Kuhn
Pediatric surgeon M. Ann Kuhn has completed residencies in general surgery and trauma/research as well as a fellowship in pediatric surgery. She also did a wound healing research fellowship at the Institute for Tissue Regeneration, Repair, and Rehabilitation at the Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Florida.
After earning her medical degree from Marshall University’s School of Medicine, Dr. Kuhn received a number of honors during her post-graduate training programs, including Resident of the Year and student teaching awards. Among her published works are book chapters on breast disorders and Abdominal Compartment Syndrome – a collection of symptoms caused by abnormal fluid build-up in the abdomen – in pediatric patients.
Dr. Robert Obermeyer
Pediatric surgeon Robert Obermeyer has completed a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery – one of his focus areas – at the Baylor College of Medicine. In addition, he did two years of fellowship training in pediatric surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a former chief resident in general surgery for Western Reserve Care System, Dr. Obermeyer also holds special interests in chest wall deformities, neonatal surgery and pediatric thoracic surgery. He is an assistant professor of clinical surgery and pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School and a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group.