S. Ross Fox Bariatric Surgeon M.D.

I was operated on by Dr. Ki Oh and Dr. Ross Fox at Puget Sound Hospital. I felt that these two surgeons were very skilled and educated about this procedure and the post op management of the bypass patient. The office staff is very in tune to the needs and issues that I have experienced. I have been especially pleased with the care that I have recieved from Steve Kochel, the PA that works in Dr. Fox's office. He is a wealth of information and goes out of his way to keep up with the needs of the longterm management of the bypass patient. The patient advocates, Blanch and Debra are a wonderful asset to this practice, they provide much information and support in the preop and initial postop period.

I am seen in the office one time a month, and can come in anytime that I have a concern. They are very responsive to me when I call with a question of concern.

The care I recieved in the hospital was good the initial post-op period. I was in the ICU for the first 16 hours and had a wonderful nurse taking care of me. The care I recieved on the floor was less then optimal and I would encourage you to have a family member or friend stay with you until you are discharged to home.

To pay for this surgery was the biggest obstacle for me having this surgery. My insurance company had made obesity surgery a direct exclusion in the plan so there was no fighting with them over this. My way to solve this was to use low interest VISA cards and then I did a home equity loan to consolidate the debt. It was worth every penny, so don't let the money stand in the way of regaining your life and dumping all of that extra life draining fat!!

I first met Dr. Fox thru tv ads in Anchorage, AK. He and his staff had an obesity seminar in Anchorage. I attended and thus began my quest for weight loss. MY first impression of Dr. Fox was very favorable. He put me at ease right away. I almost laughed at him when he predicted that I would weigh 130-140 after gastric bypass-I was at 240 at that meeting.
His office staff was very helpful in leading me through the steps for insurance approval.My insurance company approved me within two weeks of application. The office staff continues to this day to give me excellent advice enev though I now live in Illinois. Dr. Fox always returns my telephone calls.Dr. Fox emphasizes aftercare and follows up with you after the six months blood work for vitamin and mineral absorption. He has support groups in the states of WA, OR, and AK. Here in Illlinois I have talked to some ladies who have had the surgery--they did not have support groups. I think Dr. Fox is a excellent surgeon and has the patient in mind at all times.

My first impression of Dr. Fox was that he was very passionate about the causes and treatment to obesity. He also is a great advocate for us "large people". At first he was a little like a salesman but as I listened I felt that he just is truly very agressive on the discrmination and bigotry toward "heavy folks". After meeeting with him before and after surgry my confidence continues to grow and I believe he is one of the best. His office staff is excellent and he has a very thorough pre surgery and post surgery program. I would recommend Dr. Fox as one of the best. He has both great skill and a fantastic bedside manner. My only regret is that he is in such demand that I will not see him very often in the office but that he is still checking up on me is comforting.

One side bar is that in checking his past there were some issues but on futher indepth research I was able to still use him as i felt the success rate he has by far out-weighed the few items from the far past.

My first impression of Dr. Fox was when I attended an orientation, which is mandatory for patients and their support people. From a distance, you can see his aging stature. However, his age has given him 30 years of experience with over 6000 bariatric surgeries completed. It was at this orientation that Dr. Fox explained the surgery options, including the risks. Dr. Fox went around the room meeting everyone and when he came to me, I could see his genuine concern and care in his eyes. He looked at my hands and told me that I was a beautiful,tiny woman, and that I would be wearing a size six. I cried, as I have never been told I was tiny, and rarely beautiful, and I can't remember ever wearing a size six! Over time, my impression of Dr. Fox improved, as he was so comforting and made me feel comfortable. He has a great sense of humor, which helped to ease my nervousness, and he was very willing to state positive affirmations to me when I was going under anesthesia. (He sent me a single red rose with a note congratulating me on my decision and welcoming me to the first day of a new life!) Dr. Fox realized that I was paying for the surgery myself, so he supported my discharge from the hospital on the day after surgery to save me some money. Dr. Fox's office staaff are very thourough and helpful, however they would tend to forget that I was self-pay, and wanted me to jump through the insurance company hoops frequently. They also gave me little information about who I had appointments with. In fact, what I liked least is that I did not meet individually with Dr. Fox until the morning of surgery! The rest of my exams and appointments were with the Nurse Practicianer or the Physician's Assistant. They are both terrific, and spend as much time with patients as needed, answering all questions and making sure patients understand everything. The Patient Advocates, past gastric by-pass patients, are very supportive. They explain the importance of proper nutrition, protein drinks and vitamins after surgery. Blanche, my Advocate, even showed up the morning of surgery and stayed with me until I went into the OR. Aftercare is essential to this surgery being successful, and they want it to be! I had two questions that I called about over Christmas break, and I talked to Dr. Fox personally about them. I am required to visit the office monthly, weighing in, having blood work done, and receiving information about nutrition and health.

My first impression of Ross Fox? Scrawny, almost anorexic thin person here to tell me how he can change my life. I doubted it. But I was DEAD WRONG. Dr. Fox is one of the most sincerely caring people I have had the pleasure of associating with in my lifetime. What a blessing to find an individual who knows what the suffering of obesity is and wants to and CAN do something to help. The office staff is SWAMPED but they are ALWAYS friendly and polite. The thing you need to know about Ross is that he works harder than any five people you could line up and accordingly he is hard to work with individually. However, his office and support staff are World Class and will do wverything they can feasibly do to take care of every concern you have. Ross makes you sign the "Contract" that you will take care of yourself. God help you, if you don't. He means business. You better. The aftercare is superb and something you MUST do. He won't do the surgery if you won't commit to it. He is a Godly man, with a heart of gold. I'm glad I trusted him with my life. I'd do it again.

Were there negative things I had to deal with as a result of this decision, absolutely, and he told us all of them during our first consultation, and reminded us of them a couple of times along the way.
I had a bad reaction to Morphine Post-op and gave myself a hyaedle hernia. This lead to a constant battle with trapped gas, and associated discomfort. There have been other issues along the way that I have had to deal with, such as: learning to avoid fatty foods, salt, and cream-based dishes. Protein and vitamin intake, round-tripping, etc... These are all things that you will have to deal with and address as part of your journey. But they are just a different way of living. You get used to it real fast and make the appropriate adjustments if you are a wise person.

My first impression of Dr. Fox was, "Why is
he so "passionate" about obesity"? I expected a story about a family member who died of a co-morbidity or something.

Afterwards, I thought, "Who knows? Does a
cancer doctor have some "attachment" to cancer?".

The only members of Dr. Fox's staff that I
met were his Patient Advocates, and they are
great. They both shared personal and painful
insights about their struggle with obesity
and I am certain that they can empathize
with all obese people.

I am not sure of Dr. Fox's age, but if there
was one thing that I felt a little
uncomfortable about it would be that.
Obviously, however, he is willing to try new
techniques and learn new things to aid in the
care of his patients. He is far from being
"old school".

Future patients should attend Dr. Fox's
meeting and make their own judgement. He
seems open to address any question asked.

Dr. Fox is very concerned with after care
and has a very structured after care program.

He addressed EVERYTHING you'd want to know
about the surgery and made sure you knew you
call at any time to ask more questions.

Dr. Fox gets an excellent rating from me (so
far - I haven't had the surgery yet). I
called one other Bariatric Specialist and
noted that he didn't have an informational
meeting or video - something I think is
critical when contemplating this type of
surgery.

After having had the surgery (11/18/99), I would rate Dr. Fox as excellent overall. He has excellent surgical skill AND bedside manner.

I have no negative comments about Dr. Fox. This is my honest assessment.

My surgeon was Dr. Fox. I think his is terrific. He sincerely cares about his patients. His office staff is wonderful and helpful. Would go to Dr. Fox again and again.

My first meeting with Dr. Fox was at his mandatory seminar at Puget Sound Hospital. He appeared to be very comfortable & knowledgeable with what he had to say. In this 3+ hr. seminar he covered everything. The good, the bad & the ugly. He left no stone unturned. He had a wonderful sense of humor & I liked him right from the start. Dr. Fox met with me the early morning of my surgery. He held my hand, was very kind & very patient. I could tell he genuinely cared for his patient. He assured me that everything would be just fine. After the surgery & I was awake, I could hear a happy whistle coming down the corridor towards my room. Entered Dr. Fox with a big smile. He came to my bedside & held my hand & told me that everything went great & that inside my 305 lb body was a petite little woman. He visited me twice a day and sent me a rose. His bedside manner is wonderful & anyone who has the opportunity to have him perform their surgery is very lucky. He cares deeply about his patient. His office staff is very efficient. I see Dr. Steve Koshell P.A. every month for my post op appt. He's wonderful & very easy to talk to. He's very patient & doesn't rush me out like so many Drs. do these days. He takes time to answer all my questions. Very competent & knowledgable. He takes time to go over my blood work every 3 months & discuss any changes my body encounters. Dr. Koshell was the assisting physician when my husband had his surgery & really knows his stuff. I think both Dr. Fox & Dr. Koshell are top notch in their field & would highly recommend them to anyone considering bariatric surgery.

I think he is great

Dr. Fox and his staff are WONDERFUL. They have provided me with the tool and the support to be successful. They continue to provide me with the support to maintain and be an encouragement to others. I highly recommend him as he is so very knowledgable of all the different types of surgery and has tried them all. He simply knows what works best and most importantly, WHY it works. Thank you.