Ralph Crum Bariatric Surgeon M.D.,F.A.C.S.

First Impression: Liked him, though my visit was very short. Still like him, though his bedside manner and deliverance of words of advice are sometimes given in a very strong manner. When he steps up to the podium, I don't think he realizes that how he speaks to his pre/post op patients has so much to do with our outcome. As obese people we have spent sometimes our entire lifetime or many years of our lives being brow beaten and abused, it should not continue to be the norm from our Dr., who we hold in high esteem. Dr. Crum's office staff has been, and continue to be wonderful. Dr. Crum is a wonderfully talented surgeon, who has obviously spent many of his years learning and perfecting his technique for the benefit of obese patients, for that I am very thankful. Dr. Crum does have aftercare, but rightfully suggests that his patients rely on the support groups and fellow bypass patients as learning tools. The support groups are an extremely valuable tool for us. Dr. Crum's surgical competence is his best asset. Though I also have to say, despite his strong lectures, he is a very caring, down to earth person.

He is an "all or nothing" kind of guy! You either do it his way or your wrong. But it seems that he really is right.

Right before and after the surgery he was extremely sincere and caring in the way that he treated me as an individual. You get a hug before surgery and one after.

His office staff knows the answer to any question you ask, the minute you ask it.

Nothing

You must be committed to his program and take responsibility for following this program.

After is vital.

Yes very structured aftercare program.

Addressed risks both in writing and verbally. Was very clear about what types of behavior was dangerous to procedure.

The Top, whatever that rating is.

Both are great! (Even though he's very bossy)

My first impression of Dr. Crum was that he is AWESOME!! I finally understand what it means to be totally confident in a surgeon...I have no doubts in his skills..His office staff are the best! They made me feel comfortable from the first call...I liked everything about Dr. Crum, no negatives...He is direct and honest..He tells it like it is...He lets you know that the key is aftercare and has a great program...I went in with a good base knowledge and he spent a lot of time with me..Overall, all I can say is I feel as though I am in very good hands...

GREAT BEDSIDE MANNER

LIKED HIM EVEN MORE

FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL AND SINCERELY WANTED TO HELP
REALLY, NOTHING

HE ONLY DOES LAPRASCOPIC- I THINK IT IS OVER 450 WLS THAT HE HAS DONE AND THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON I WENT TO HIM FOR THE STATS - THE REST WAS JUST A BONUS - MY SURGERY WAS 1 1/2 HOURS
YES - SEVERAL LEVELS OF SUPPORT GROUPS TO COVER ALL ASPECTS COMPREHENSIVELY VERY ORGANIZED, NUTRITION INFO EXCELLENT
SPEAKING AND HAND OUTS TO TAKE
I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER - EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT
AS I SAID I WENT TO HIM PURELY BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND STATS - THE BEDSIDE MANNER EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS - MY FAMILY EVEN LOVED HIM - HE IS BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND REALLY CARES ABOUT HIS PATIENTS - HE SEEMS TO TRULY WANT TO DO THIS TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES

these were just MY personal impressions of MY own personal experience and I AM making no statements about what other people may experience

THERE ARE NO WORDS....THAT CAN EVAN COME CLOSE...TO THE HOPE THAT DR. CRUM HAS GIVEN ME...HE WAS WONDERFUL.... DOWN TO EARTH, EXPLAINED EVERYTHING IN DETAIL...AND HAD PLENTY OF PATIENCE WITH ALL MY QUESTIONS...AS WELL AS MADE MY HUSBAND FEEL SAFE WITH THE UPCOMING SURGERY...WELL IF INSURANCE COMES THRU FOR ME....HIS STAFF..SO FAR HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL AS WELL

Dr. Crum and his whole staff are wonderful. After just one meeting, I knew I had made the right choice.

IM JUST WRITTING TO THANK DOCTOR CRUM AND HIS STAFF ,HE IS A WONDERFUL AND CARING DOCTOR AND VERY VERY SKILLED.WHEN I FIRST MET DOCTOR CRUM I WAS ALREADY INFORMED HE WAS VERY DIRECT AND STRAIGHT FORWARD SO I WAS ALITTLE SCARED ON MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH HIM, THE MORE WE TALKED ABOUT THE SURGERY I CAN TELL HE KNOWS HIS STUFF AND HE DONT HAVE TIME TO BS. WHENEVER I HAVE A QUESTION I KNOW I CAN CALL HIM OR HIS STAFF AND THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE AND CARING AND ALWAYS TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO YOUR PROBLEMS AND I REALLY THINK DR.CRUM AND HIS STAFF ARE THE BEST ........

I FOUND DR. CRUM TO BE VERY DIRECT, SELF CONFIDENT AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ALSO HUMOROUS IN AN OFFBEAT WAY WHICH I LIKE.
HE AND HIS OFFICE STAFF, JEANNETTE, MARYANN AND HIS P.A. ERICA WERE WONDERFUL TO ME. HE HAS A QUALITY STAFF WORKING ON BEHALF OF HIS PATIENTS.
DR. CRUM HAS EXCELLENT PROGRAMS IN PLACE FOR PRE-OP AND POST-OP CARE.
I HAVE NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I HAVE HAD ONLY POSITIVE INTERACTION WITH DR. CRUM AND HIS STAFF.

1st impression: very knowledgable, seems dedicated to the field of bariatric surgery and to his patients as well, upfront about his statistics and qualifications.
Pre-op visit was a heavy emphasis on aftercare. His belief is pts fail when aftercare is inadequate. He does have a structured aftercare program including a support groups and strongly recommends both nutritional follow-up and if appropriate counseling.
He went through the risks and benefits of the surgery. He explained what he does to minimize the risk of leak. He discussed the other types of surgery available and why he prefers the one he does (lap RNY).
Physicians are generally judged on their bedside manner because we can only meet and talk with them.How can we as patients assess a physician's surgical competence, except by their word, the word of other physicians, and the respect that the healthcare employees give him/her? There is no way to watch a surgeon at work and attempt to judge their competence. That said, Dr. Crum comes highly recommended by many physicians.
What was negative... Well,you do set up all your own appts with the other physicians that you must see. Not a big deal really.
I was very impressed.
P.S. 3 months post-op, I remain very impressed. Very caring, very committed to his patients and their success.
Now 10 months out: He's the tops. Wonderful sense of humor, very dedicated, very knowledgable, nothing much gets by him. Office staff extremely nice.

My daughter had surgery (RNY) back in April with Dr. Crum. She had so many good things to say about Dr. Crum that when I met him the first time I expected him to be wearing a white robe and sandals ;). I found him to be a very "no nonsense" and "to the point" Dr.
He answered all my questions and I quickly found myself willing to put my trust in him.
I have since found my trust in him to be well founded.
I have absolutely no problem recommending him to whoever asks me about him.
I am very happy and satisfied with my choice to have Ralph Crum do my surgery! I would also like to commend his office staff and his after surgery care, (support groups) as being second to none.

John F. Blersch Sr.