Frank L. Ross, MD

I had my appendix removed as a child and came to admire the doctors who took care of me, including the surgeon. Growing up, I also enjoyed working with my hands and built model airplanes with my dad. After entering medical school, I decided to specialize in surgery.

During my surgical residency, I developed a fascination with scuba diving and became an advanced open water diver. Combining general surgery with diving medicine was soon a goal of mine. I was intrigued by how physics affects human physiology deep underwater. I later received training from a wound healing team on Long Island and became board-certified in undersea and hyperbaric medicine. Today, I have more than 30 years of experience treating wounds.

At NYU Langone’s Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Hyperbaric and Advanced Wound Healing Center, I work with an outstanding team of providers to diagnose and manage complex wounds. Many of my patients have underlying conditions, such as diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, kidney failure, and sickle cell anemia. One of the most common wounds my colleagues and I manage is venous stasis ulcers, typically caused by venous disease, in which damage inside the veins causes poor blood flow.

Procedures I offer include applying engineered tissue grafts, wound debridement, and supervising hyperbaric oxygen treatments to aid wound healing. I practice with the expectation that nearly all wounds can be healed.

My research interests include treating diabetic foot ulcers with total contact casting and restoring blood flow to the wound, which can prevent limb loss in patients. I also have a passion for medical education and am the first clinical professor of surgery to teach a wound healing clerkship elective within the surgical rotation of NYU Grossman School of Medicine.