General Surgery Overview

General Surgery Practice

We are Open and COVID-19 compliant for the safety of our patients and employees. Questions about WCH General Surgery? Phone: 928-668-5506

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).


Meet Dr. Robert Ripley, MD, FACS | Board-Certified General Surgeon

Dr. Robert Ripley, MD, FACS

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. 


General Surgery | Conditions and Treatment Overview

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 residents and snow-birds alike in Wickenburg, AZ, Congress, AZ, Wittmann, AZ, Aguila, AZ, Wenden, AZ, Salome, AZ, and surrounding communities.

Some conditions such as removal of certain skin cancers like melanoma, as well as other conditions like moles, cysts, external hemorrhoids, and lumps under the skin (small tumors), can be performed in-office. If inpatient surgery is required, rest assured, you are in good hands.  Common operations and procedures performed include colonoscopy, hernia repair, gallbladder removal, and surgery for cancers of the colon and breast.

If you need to schedule a general surgery procedure that does not require a physician referral, or if you are unsure whether you need a physician referral please call Wickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Clinic at 928-668-5506.

WCH General Surgery | What to Expect

From routine procedures to complex cases, we provide expert pre-operative, operative, and post-operative management of general surgery patients with a broad spectrum of conditions:

  • Inpatient surgeries are performed at Wickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Center — a 10,500 square-foot surgery center located on-campus equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging machines and operating theater.
  • Comprehensive pre-surgery exams, which may include routine tests and labs are performed on-campus.
  • Fully accredited on-campus state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging
  • Individualized inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services are available on-campus for post-operative patients.
  • Currently, all patients referred for surgery receive rapid COVID-19 testing as part of the pre-surgery checklist.

General Surgery | Why Choose Us?
  • Board-certified general surgeon
    Dr. Robert Ripley, MD, FACS is a board-certified general surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Why is board certification important? Board certification is an official recognition given to doctors who have met specific requirements set by national medical specialty boards in the United States. Board certification indicates that a doctor is highly qualified in the medical field in which he or she practices. A board-certified doctor is more likely than a non-board-certified doctor to have the most current skills and knowledge about how to treat your medical condition.
  • Experienced team of experts
    From diagnosis, treatment, and recovery;  patients at Wickenburg Community Hospital (WCH) Surgical Clinic receive individualized care through the specialized hands of our nurses, surgical staff, talented board-certified general surgeon, Dr. Robert Ripley, MD, FACS, and manager of anesthesia services, Lisa Erlinger PhD, CRNA.  
  • State-of-the-art facility 
    State-of-the-art technology allows our medical teams to be progressive across the complete continuum of care for our patients. While not all patients require surgery; if inpatient surgery is part of your treatment plan, the operation will take place on-site in our 10,500 square-foot surgery center equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging machines and operating theater. In addition, should your treatment plan require rehabilitation; WCH offers individualized inpatient and outpatient
    rehabilitation services. 
  • A team approach
    Dr. Ripley is part of our team of primary care physicians and skilled medical providers who work in conjunction with our teams at Wickenburg Community Hospital and WCH Pharmacy to provide you an integrated approach to diagnostic testing, treatment, and care planning. The result is a full continuum of care with the convenience of being close to home. 
  • Personalized care
    Patients at WCH Surgical Clinic have come to trust the expert care and personal approach they receive. Our surgeons and healthcare providers take pride in getting to know you, understanding your concerns, and creating a plan tailored to your health needs.
  • Online health portal
    We want to make your experience as seamless and stress-free as possible. You can use our secure online portal, Patient Portal.

AORN Go Clear Award | Gold Level

Go Clear AwardWickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Center holds a Go Clear Award™ for its achievement in eliminating hazardous smoke from its surgical procedures. The Go Clear Award is presented by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) to recognize health care facilities that have committed to providing increased surgical patient and health care worker safety by implementing practices that eliminate smoke caused by the use of lasers and electrosurgery devices during surgery. Wickenburg earned its award by undergoing comprehensive surgical smoke education along with testing and providing the resources necessary to evacuate surgical smoke during all smoke-generating procedures. This required investing in new medical devices.

 


State-of-the-art Surgical Technology | Board-Certified General Surgeon

To Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Ripley, call 928-668-5506
At Wickenburg Community Hospital, diagnosing and treating the needs of our growing communities is our priority.  Please contact us with any medical or surgical questions or concerns (whether listed below or not). We will work with you to understand your insurance coverage and financial responsibility, as well as pre-operative instructions, recovery, and discharge.

Primary Care

Community Hospital Clinics are located in Wickenburg, Wittmann, and Congress. We sincerely follow our mission to provide quality health and wellness services where the patient, family, and community come first.

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Emergency Care

Our 8 bed Emergency Room department is fully staffed with emergency physicians, nurses, and ER specialists. Your wait time is typically measured in minutes not hours as in the larger metropolitan hospitals.

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Surgical Services

Wickenburg Community Hospital provides a wide variety of surgical care and treatment. We serve a vibrant and active community who favors quality health care close to home.

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