Nicholas G. Lailas, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Nicholas Lailas is a native Virginian who has been a member of the Urology Group since 1996. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Virginia with a degree in biochemistry. After graduating, he was research assistant at the University of Virginia's Medical School in the Department of Urology under the direction of Dr. Jay Gillenwater, recent president of the American Urologic Association and editor of the Journal of Urology. There, he pioneered and performed one of the first kidney stone lithotripsies and helped gain FDA approval for this revolutionary surgery, which is routine today. He was also responsible for training this technique to several hundred urologists around the country.

He received his M.D. from Georgetown University Medical School, and then did his surgical residency at the prestigious Massachusetts General Hospital and his urology residency at the famous Lahey Clinic, New England Deaconess Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital, which are Harvard University Medical School affiliates. During his residency, he was trained by some of medicine's finest surgeons and participated in lecturing Harvard, Tufts, and Boston University medical students and even lectured abroad at the University of Milan, Italy. He received the prestigious Lahey Clinic postgraduate award for outstanding research.

Since entering practice, Dr. Lailas has built a thriving surgical practice and has utilized the Internet to help introduce an encouraging new CT-guided prostate brachytherapy technique, which has several advantages over other techniques. (http://www.Prostate-Ca.com) He has published several articles with Drs. Koutrouvelis and Gillenwater regarding this revolutionary technique. He has also brought many other surgical techniques from Harvard University Medical School to the Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia area. He has set up an in-office, patient-friendly, state-of-the-art urodynamic clinic to correctly diagnose varying types of incontinence. He has performed several hundred pubovaginal slings for female incontinence and has performed complex urologic reconstructive surgical procedures. He has also published articles in medical journals and lectured on topics, which include pediatric urology, continent urinary diversion techniques, stone disease, female urinary incontinence, and prostate cancer. He is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He and his wife live in Reston, Virginia and they have two children. The partners in the Urology Group all enjoy the art of medicine and feel that their compassion for the patient is what sets them apart from other doctors.

Walter M. O'Brien, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Walter O'Brien has been a member of the Urology Group since 1989. He did his undergraduate work at Saint Joseph's University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, The National Jesuit Honor Society. He received his M.D. from Thomas Jefferson Medical School, then did his urology residency at Georgetown University Hospital. While there, he was recognized for excellence in teaching medical students with the prestigious Hussey Award. He was also selected for membership in AOA, the national Honor Medical Society.

Since entering practice, Dr. O'Brien has maintained a thriving office and surgical practice. He is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has served as chairman of the cancer committee and the surgical services/operating room committee. Subsequently, he was chairman of the department of surgery and most recently, has served as president of the medical staff at Loudoun Hospital. He has authored over 30 papers published in scientific journals and lectured widely on topics including stone disease, prostate cancer, urinary tract infection, and bladder disorders. He has also been quite active in the community and has coached numerous baseball and basketball teams. He is married and the father of four children.

Kevin P. O'Connor, M.D., F. A.C.S.

Dr. Kevin O'Connor joined The Urology Group in 1992 after completing his residency training at Georgetown University Hospital. Raised in Southern California he received his Bachelor's degree from U.C.L.A, in biology and psychology.

He completed a Master's degree in physiology and medical degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. During his urological training Dr. O'Connor did extensive research in aspects of pediatric urology, particularly pediatric urinary tract infection.

Since entering practice he has maintained an active surgical and office practice with special interest in pediatrics, fertility, and cancer. He has served as president of the Loudoun County Medical Society, Loudoun Hospital Center's Chief of Staff, and has been instrumental in spearheading many quality initiatives. Dr. O'Connor has also served on the Loudoun County Disability Services Board.

He is a member of the American Urologic Society, certified by the American Board of Urology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. O'Connor lives in Loudoun County with his wife and two children.

Gregory Schenk, M.D.

Gregory S. Schenk joined The Urology Group in 2005. Dr. Schenk graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the State University of New York at Albany with a bachelor of science in biology and went on to earn his medical degree at the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn. He completed his surgical internship and urology residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center where he was twice named a Pfizer scholar in Urology. He was also selected as a Gerald P. Murphy scholar for prostate cancer research in 2003. He then went on to complete a two year fellowship in urological oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota under the direction of the world-renowned urologist Horst Zincke, M.D.

Dr. Schenk has published numerous articles relating to various aspects of urology and has presented at many national meetings. Dr. Schenk co-authored a book chapter on the surgical management of locally advanced and node positive prostate cancer in The Textbook of Genitourinary Oncology. Dr. Schenk continues to lecture and remains active in resident education. He is certified by the American Board of Urology.

Dr. Schenk's special interests include advanced laparoscopic surgery, including laparoscopic nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, daVinci robotic prostatectomy, nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy, and radical cystecomy with neobladder formation. Dr. Gregory Schenk currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two young children.

Darlene Gaynor, D.O.

Dr. Darlene Gaynor joined The Urology Group in 2006. She received her undergraduate degree at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and her medical degree at Southeastern University in Florida. She completed her 2 years of general surgery residency at UMDNJ in New Jersey and her 4 year urology residency at Cook County Hospital/Midwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Following the completion of her general urology training, she pursued an additional fellowship in voiding dysfunction, reconstruction, and neurourology at The University of Iowa. Prior to joining The Urology Group she had been in practice in the Chicago area with particular focus on voiding dysfunction and pelvic floor reconstruction. A recipient of the acclaimed Resident of the Year Award, a frequent grand round lecturer, and author of multiple academic papers, she offers the most current techniques available for managing female pelvic floor disorders and the latest minimally invasive techniques available for the treatment of female urinary incontinence. In addition to her above talents, Dr. Gaynor is conversant in Spanish to offer yet another dimension to The Urology Group.

Dr. Gaynor-Krupnick instructs other urologists and gynecologists on the latest state-of-the-art techniques of pelvic prolapse and incontinence surgeries as well as continues to lecture to primary care physicians and residents of the latest medical and conservative therapies available in the area of urology/voiding dysfunction.

Julie Spencer, C.U.N.P.

Julie Spencer has been a member of The Urology Group since 2003. She received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry with a double major in chemistry from Virginia Tech in 1996. She then went on to Johns Hopkins University and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1999. After graduating with her nursing degree, she worked in the pediatric intensive care unit at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for four years. Julie completed her Master's in Science from Georgetown University in 2002. She became licensed to practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2003 and became certified as a Urology Nurse Practitioner in 2006. She has most recently begun her doctoral studies for a Doctor in Nursing Practice at Johns Hopkins University, specifically focusing on Female Urinary Incontinence.

Since entering practice, Julie has quickly strived to become an expert in women's health and pelvic floor dysfunction. She has attended many local and national conferences to continue her training in urology. Julie continues to maintain her professionalism outside of The Urology Group as an active board member of The Northern Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners. She is also involved within the Georgetown University system. She has taught a pediatric clinical and lab study program for the undergraduate nursing students at Georgetown University, as well as currently serving as a preceptor for the Graduate Nurse Practitioner students.

Kristin Tamburro, C.F.N.P.

Kristin Tamburro, CFNP joined the Urology Group in 2008. As an undergraduate at Duke University, Kristin received a degree in biology, with a minor in Italian, in 1998. After a few years of working in clinical research trials at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital, Kristin decided to pursue an advanced degree in Nursing. She received a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. She then returned to DC and worked as a surgical nurse at Georgetown University Hospital. While working, Kristin pursued a Master’s degree. In 2005, Kristin graduated from the Georgetown University Nurse Practitioner program with a Master’s degree in Science from the School of Nursing. She is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Prior to joining the Urology Group, Kristin gained experience in an internal medicine practice and a student health center. Kristin is an active member in many community organizations, including the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC Nurse Practitioner associations. She resides in Arlington, VA, with her husband and two young children.