| Dr. Bob's Story |
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Physician Spotlight: Dr. Robert Sass
KATIE PORTERFIELD  CHATTANOOGA — When Dr. Robert Sass was about 5 years old, his mother
brought home a surgeon's cap that she'd found on the sidewalk.
"She explained to me that it was part of a doctor's uniform, and I became very fascinated with it," Sass, 47, explained. "My brother wrestled it away from me, so I lost it immediately, but I never lost the interest in becoming a doctor." In fact, the Philadelphia native didn't just become a doctor; he became a surgeon. In January, he moved from Virginia to Chattanooga to join Memorial Health Care System, where he specializes in general and bariatric surgery. He performs his bariatric work through Memorial's Weight Management Center and is developing a general surgery practice at Memorial's North Park campus. "Being a combination bariatric and general surgeon, it seemed like the perfect fit," Sass said. "It's exactly what I have been doing all along, but this opportunity seemed much better for me professionally and personally." Years after the surgeon's cap piqued his interest in medicine, Sass received an undergraduate degree in biology at Temple University and attended medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his internship at the Hospital of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and realizing his interest in surgery, conducted a surgical residency at Frankford Hospital-Bucks County in Langhorne, Pa. Sass practiced general, trauma and critical care surgery in Ogdensburg, N.Y., for about eight years and soon began to develop an interest in gastric bypass surgery. After several training courses, he performed his first gastric bypass in 2001, while practicing in Lancaster, Pa. "Since then, my practice has been 50/50 gastric bypass and general surgery," he said. He practiced for more than a year in Philadelphia and then moved to Lebanon, Va., where he remained for more than three years before accepting his current position in Chattanooga. In Lebanon, he also became the patient — undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2005. "I'd battled with being overweight most of my life," he said. "My weight went up and down with diet and exercise, but I never succeeded in keeping it off. I was 100 pounds overweight, I'd developed high blood pressure, borderline cholesterol and borderline diabetes, and I said to myself, 'You are your patient and you better do something about it.'" Sass said the surgery changed his life. "I have felt so good since I had surgery and lost the excess weight," he said. "It's so wonderful, so liberating. I'm off all the medicines, and I only take vitamins." It also helps him relate to patients interested in undergoing the same procedure. "They tell me their stories and I share what I went through, and there's a strong connection there," he said. About 10 months ago, Sass performed laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery on Virginia resident Tammy Chisom. "He's very personable, and he's there for you whenever you need him," Chisom said of Sass. "When you call him, he calls you right back. He's professional, but he's also a friend." Chisom said she'll continue to see Sass, even though he moved to Tennessee. She's already made the seven-hour drive to Chattanooga once for an appointment and plans to continue doing so for her annual follow-up visits. Another patient, Bill Elliott, who lives in Alabama but is from Chattanooga, said he went to Memorial because doctors in Alabama couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. There, he met Sass. "This was God-led for me," said the 70-year-old, who had severe gallbladder disease and suffered from jaundice. "This fellow is not a typical doctor. He is the exception, not the rule today. What I mean by that is he is more involved in your health than your pocketbook. He's interested in you, and he's precise in what he does. He'll talk to you as long as you need to talk to him. He is one super guy." Sass said he likes interacting with patients and strives to be informal and friendly. "I'm interested in what's going on with them, and they're interested in what's going on with me," he said. "My son was singing the national anthem at a wrestling match, and one of my patients called to find out how he made out. I enjoy establishing that kind of relationship with people." He also likes performing surgery. "It's always exciting to go in and fix something and have something to show for what I've done," he said. "With appendicitis, I can remove the appendix and all of a sudden, they're better. If it's colon cancer, I can cure the patient of cancer. It's very rewarding. There's no greater challenge, no greater thrill than to be able to do that." When he's not working, he and his wife of 25 years, Anita, ride bikes and play tennis. They have three children, Jacqueline, 24, Jason, 22, and Jeffrey, 18. "My sons are into music," he said, with a grin. "So, we play guitars and sing. We've burned CDs and written a couple of songs. Every guy has to be in a band at least once; it's a requirement." Although Jacqueline and Jeffrey are in school at the University of Virginia, Sass said he thinks they will ultimately move to the Chattanooga area, as the move has been a positive one for the rest of the family. "We like small town living, as opposed to big city living, but when we moved to Abingdon, it was a good opportunity at the time, but we found it to be a little too rural and too small and that had an impact on the professional side and the family side," Sass said. With respect to the professional side, Sass said bariatric surgery works best at a decent-sized medical center with a support system and a multidisciplinary team approach like that Memorial offers. And on the family side, his son, Jason, who sang the national anthem at that semi professional wrestling match in Dalton, Ga., has spina bifida and, Sass said, needs to be with other physically handicapped people. "There wasn't much in Abingdon for him, but Chattanooga has an incredible interest in handicapped people," Sass said. "The Siskin Hospital is here, and they do quite a bit of outreach for physically challenged people." So far, Sass said, Chattanooga seems to be agreeing with everyone. "It's delightful," Sass said. "The weather is great, the people are friendly. It's been an absolute pleasure to be here."
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