What is a General Surgeon?
A general surgeon is a physician who has been educated and trained to diagnose and provide a variety of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care to patients. To become a general surgeon, one has to have extensive knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, emergency and intensive care, metabolism, nutrition, immunology, pathology, wound healing, and shock and resuscitation. In addition, a general surgeon can make a diagnosis and provide surgical management of the body’s different systems, including the alimentary tract, the endocrine system, the abdomen, lower GI, and the breast, skin, and soft tissues.
What Does a General Surgeon Do?
In addition to major operations, general surgeons also do office procedures to remove skin cancers, cysts, skin tags, external hemorrhoids, and small tumors (lumps underneath the skin). General surgeons perform surgeries for a variety of conditions including those which may require nonoperative, elective, or emergency surgical treatment. While the surgeries that a general surgeon performs can involve almost any organ or body system, depending on the circumstances of a case; general surgeons also assess and treat trauma, soft tissue wounds, cysts, abscesses, abdominal wall hernias, breast conditions, skin conditions, varicose veins and peptic ulcers (to name a few).
Dr. Robert Ripley, MD, FACS | Board-Certified General Surgeon
Dr. Robert Ripley, MD, FACS is a board-certified general surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Ripley specializes in all aspects of general surgery including abdominal disorders such as hernias, and gastrointestinal conditions such as hemorrhoids and colon polyps. In addition, Dr. Ripley performs procedures such as tissue biopsies, colonoscopies, and provides in-office procedures to remove skin cancers, cysts, skin tags, and small tumors.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, Dr. Ripley earned a medical degree at The Medical College of Virginia and then went on to complete his residency at The Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Ripley is highly specialized with advanced education and training in general surgery and is passionate about the well-being of his patients. From diagnosis to treatment, you can count on Dr. Ripley to provide specialized care for your medical condition— for both surgical and non-surgical cases.
We understand that nothing is more important than the health of you and your family. At Wickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Clinic, our general surgery specialist Dr. Robert Ripley consults with patients about symptoms, performs surgery, and aids in the recovery process. He provides expert care for a host of medical ailments that require either outpatient or inpatient surgical intervention for year round residents and multistate residents alike in Wickenburg, AZ, Congress, AZ, Wittmann, AZ, Aguila, AZ, Wenden, AZ, Salome, AZ, and surrounding communities.