Dr. Donovan Tapper joined Suncoast Surgical Associates in 2012. Dr. Tapper has been a board certified general surgeon since 2000, when he completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1990 while on active duty in the US Air Force. He continued his military service while attending medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.  He then did his general surgery residency training in San Antonio, TX at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, graduating in 1999. Dr. Tapper served for the next 13 years as an active duty Air Force general surgeon assigned to tours in England, Tampa, Iraq, Germany, and San Antonio. His experiences include performing surgery in war zones, as well as in humanitarian disaster areas in Africa. During his assignment in Tampa, Dr. Tapper completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Advanced GI Surgery at the University of South Florida (2007-2008). He has published peer-reviewed articles in the areas of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bariatric surgery. Dr.Tapper completed his military service and joined Suncoast Surgical Associates. He has considerable experience in a broad range of general surgery procedures, and has particular interest and training in minimally invasive abdominal surgery to include laparoscopic surgery of the abdominal wall, gallbladder, stomach, colon, and spleen. He also specializes in the laparoscopic treatment of reflux, hiatal hernia, and achalasia.