MUSC Health Bariatric Surgery at Ashley River Tower

Dr. T Karl Byrne led the way in weight loss surgery in South Carolina, with the first bariatric program in 1992. Long before bariatric surgery was a household term, Dr. Byrne was helping patients struggling with obesity to change their lifestyles. Fast forward 25 years, and Dr. Byrne, his partner Dr. Rana Pullatt, and the team at MUSC are still leading the way with innovative procedures \&- MUSC is the only South Carolina center performing biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (called 'duodenal switch' or DS for short), robotic bariatric surgery, and one of only two centers in South Carolina with accreditation to perform surgery on adolescents by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). After surgical training in his native Ireland, Byrne completed a research fellowship and surgical residency at the Medical College of Virginia. Through years at MUSC and more than 5,000 bariatric surgeries, Dr. Byrne has assembled a robust team and program with the most experienced bariatric advanced practice practitioners, registered dietitians, psychologists, and experts in all areas of bariatric practice at the state-of-the art Ashley River Tower building. In addition to the gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and duodenal switch, Dr. Byrne and Dr. Pullatt perform complex revisional surgery on patients from other programs. Surgery is only the first step in a total lifestyle transformation; the interdisciplinary team who provides first class aftercare for weight loss surgery patients is critical to our patient's long term weight maintenance. For more information about the weight loss surgery program visit our website

Kelsie is a dual board-certified Acute Care and Family Nurse Practitioner who joined the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Team at MUSC in 2022. Kelsie received her BSN from The University of Kentucky in 2012 and started her nursing career in an Emergency Department in her hometown of Louisville, KY. Kelsie moved to Charleston in 2014, where she spent 6 years in an Adult Emergency Department and 2 years in Interventional Radiology. She completed her Master of Science in Nursing from University of South Alabama in 2021. Kelsie believes in utilizing evidence-based practice when treating her patients. She is proud to continue her professional journey in Charleston at MUSC, with a strong interdisciplinary team that is committed to helping our patients with their lifelong weight loss journey. In her free time, Kelsie enjoys traveling to new places, curling up with a good book - she's always got a good book referral, or on board for a new adventure.

Mary Kate Bryant, M.D., MSCR, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained minimally invasive surgeon in the Division of Foregut \& Metabolic Surgery. Her clinical interests include bariatric surgery and hernia surgery as well as the treatment of benign esophageal disorders including anti-reflux surgery for patients suffering with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Dr. Bryant is a strong advocate for patient education and seeks to lessen anxieties around metabolic and foregut surgery. She strives to provide outstanding and compassionate care to patients and their families. She has a specific interest in helping bariatric patients access the care they need. Dr. Bryant provides comprehensive care for bariatric patients and performs both laparoscopic and robotic surgery as well as therapeutic surgical endoscopy. She holds a dual appointment at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC. Dr. Bryant received her undergraduate degree at the University of South Alabama, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She received her medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine before moving to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for general surgery residency. During her residency training, she completed a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and won several research awards for her work. After residency, she completed the Advanced Gastrointestinal Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship program at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she worked side-by-side with internationally recognized surgeons in minimally invasive surgery and held a position as an acting clinical instructor in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Bryant's research focuses on quality improvement and access to bariatric surgery with the goal of improving patient outcomes. She is also interested in how variations of surgical treatment affect patient outcomes and the impact of shared decision making between patients and surgeons on hernia and foregut surgery. She is the author of dozens of publications in peer-reviewed journals, and her research has been presented at many regional and national meetings. Dr. Bryant is actively involved in several national surgical societies including the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and American Medical Women's Association.

Rana C. Pullatt, M.D. FACS, FASMBS, Diplomate in Obesity Medicine, is a professor of surgery and serves as the clinical director of bariatric and robotic surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. He specializes in reoperative foregut and bariatric surgery. He performed the first laparoscopic duodenal switch and the first single anastomosis duodenal switch in South Carolina. He specializes in robotic inguinal, ventral hernia, and incisional hernia. He was one of the first in the country to perform robotic inguinal hernias and has presented extensively about the same. He also runs one of the few structured robotic surgery training programs incorporated into the General Surgery Residency Program, which offers Robotic Surgery Certification for general surgery residents at the Medical University of South Carolina.Dr. Pullatt serves as the director of bariatric surgery for VISN-7 at the Ralph H Johnson VAMC where he offers bariatric surgery for veterans from South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. He is the president of the Carolinas Chapter of the ASMBS. He is the co-chair of the International Committee of the ASMBS and also serves as a member of the Clinical Issues Committee of the ASMBS and the Patient Safety Committee of IFSO.

Dr. Pinckney Maxwell earned his medical degree here at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. He completed his residency in general surgery at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. He subsequently completed his fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia to obtain specialized training in colon and rectal surgery. He was invited to remain at Thomas Jefferson on the faculty for several years before returning to his alma mater here at MUSC in 2011. Dr. Maxwell specializes in the surgical treatment of diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. His areas of expertise include colon and rectal cancer; inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease; benign colonic diseases such as diverticulitis and rectal prolapse; fecal incontinence; benign anorectal diseases such hemorrhoids and anal fissures; and colonoscopy for screening, surveillance, diagnosis, and therapeutics. He is a specialist in advanced laparoscopic colorectal surgery, using minimally invasive techniques to treat many of these diseases. He also works in close collaboration with gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, urologists and interventional radiologists to develop multidisciplinary and individualized management strategies for his patients.