About Dr. Ruess

Robert W. Ruess, MD
Robert W. Ruess M.D. was the first physician in the Las Vegas/Clark County area to be certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine [the medical specialty of Vein Care and Treatment]. He has been a Board Certified Cardiovascular, Thoracic Surgeon since 1982.

Dr. Ruess has had a Vascular Surgery Fellowship as well as an Intensive Care Medicine Fellowship. He has been Board Certified in General Surgery as well and has been active in the treatment of both arteries and veins for over 30 years.

In addition, Dr. Ruess is an established functional medicine doctor, which allows him to evaluate every aspect of your medical condition to create a cohesive plan for addressing your physical issues and enhancing your overall health and wellness.

Functional Medicine

Dr. Ruess specializes in Functional Medicine, sometimes referred to as Wellness. Because Dr. Ruess combines his many years of experience as a physician and surgeon with his commitment to functional medicine and wellness, he brings a unique set of skills to the task of helping you feel your best, regardless of your chronic condition. Dr. Ruess can provide you with an integrated plan for treating and preventing a wide range of illnesses because many of the underlying causes are similar for most chronic illnesses.

Education:

  • U of California at Los Angeles- BA 1965
  • U of California, Irvine, College of Medicine- MD 1969
  • US Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL- Internship 1969-70

Military Service:

  • Experience USN Active Duty- 1969-72
  • Member Amphibious Attack Squadron- Vietnam 1970-71

Additional Training:

  • Fellowship Surgical Oncology, U of Colorado, 1972
  • General Surgery Residency, U of Iowa, 1973-77
  • Fellowship Surgical Intensive Care, U of Iowa, 1975-76
  • Fellowship Vascular Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, 1979
  • Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Residency, Carolinas Medical Center, 1979-81
  • Tumescent Liposuction Training- Jeffrey Klein, MD, San Juan Capistrano, CA, 2007
  • Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice- completed
  • Cardiometabolic Advanced Practice Module- completed
  • Immune Advanced Practice Module- completed
  • Energy Advanced Practice Module- July 2019
  • Hormone Advanced Practice Module- July 2019

Accomplishments:

  • Board Certified General Surgery-1978
  • Board Certified Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery-1982
  • Recertified Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery- 1992 and 2002
  • U of Iowa-Teaching Staff General Surgery-1977
  • U of Iowa-Clinical Teaching Staff General Surgery-1978
  • U of Texas Tech, Amarillo Branch-Clinical Teaching Staff Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery-1981-83
  • Private Practice Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery, Amarillo, TX- 1981-83
  • Private Practice Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery, Lawton, OK- 1983-84
    • Established the first Open Heart Surgery program in the area
  • Private Practice Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery, Cape Girardeau, MO- 1984-2006
    • Established the first Open Heart Surgery program in SE Missouri 1984
    • Performed the first Endovascular Aneurysm repair in SE Missouri 2000
    • Established Vascular Diagnostic Specialists (a vascular laboratory) in 2000 and remained as Director until 2006
    • Clinical Teaching Staff for medical students in Intensive Care Medicine
    • Performed the first Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in SE Missouri
    • Performed the first Stentless Aortic Valve Replacement in SE Missouri
  • Certified, American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine* [the medical specialty of Vein Care and Treatment]- 2010

Lectures:

TV, Medical Societies, Continuing Medical Education Conferences for Physicians, Nurses and Allied Health Care members, Community Service Organizations from 1984-2006

  • Updates on Coronary Artery By-Pass Surgery- multiple lectures
  • Updates on Cardiac Valve Surgery- multiple lectures
  • Latest techniques on Vascular Surgery including:
    • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm-Diagnosis and Repair
    • Carotid Artery Disease and Stroke Prevention
    • Peripheral Vascular Disease
      • Endovascular Repair for Vascular Disease- a paradigm shift for dealing with Vascular Disease
      • Endovascular Repair for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
  • “Ask Your Doctor” – TV community service show- a frequent presenter on the above subjects over 15+ years
  • Multiple lectures on Cardiovascular Pathophysiology in the ICU
  • Nutritional Factors in Intensive Care Patients
  • Tracheostomy in Critically Ill Patients
  • Modern Treatment of Venous Disease Surgical & Medical Residents U of NV, Las Vegas 2009
  • Venous Disease-Las Vegas chapter Family Practice Physicians
  • Venous Disease 2011-NV State Meeting AAFP

Society Memberships Past and Present:

  • AMA
  • Society of Thoracic Surgery
  • Southern Medical Association
  • Society of Critical Care Medicine
  • Several State and County Medical Societies
  • American Vein and Lymphatic Society
  • American Venous Forum
  • Listed as a “Practitioner” by the Institute for Functional Medicine- https://www.ifm.org

Hobbies:

  • Fly Fishing
  • Hiking

 

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