Ken Fujii, MD

Bio

I am a native of Sonoma County. I was born at Memorial Hospital and raised in Sebastopol where my Dad was a doctor. I helped my grandfather care for his and others' apple orchards in my youth. My education took me from Analy High School to Santa Rosa Junior College to UC San Diego. After a brief musical career which included tours of Canada and Montana, I went to medical school at USC. I discovered my orthopedic calling there and went on to the University of Washington for my internship and residency. I met my lovely wife during residency and we returned to Sebastopol shortly after completing my Sports Medicine Fellowship in South Lake Tahoe. I started at Kaiser Santa Rosa in 1993.

Orthopedic Surgery gives me the gratification of improving the quality of life of my patients. I love fixing broken bones and tightening loose shoulders and knees to allow my athletic patients the opportunity to return to sports. I get vicarious pleasure seeing my patients succeed in their athletic endeavors. My practice also allows me to replace painful hips and knees with artificial joints, returning patients to a more active lifestyle than otherwise possible. The variety and volume of surgical cases is technically rewarding and is balanced by clinic time.

I continue to keep abreast with the latest and greatest information in both Sports Medicine and general Orthopedics through professional meetings and journal reviews. My website has several links that can help you understand your problem and its treatment.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

Orthopedics is the surgical and non-surgical management of bone and joint ailments. I chose orthopedics because of the near instant gratification obtained from performing a surgical procedure combined with the satisfaction of improving a patient's quality of life.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

Sports Medicine (shoulders and knees), joint reconstructions.

Great health resources that I refer to:

Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy.

An interesting story from my training:

My medical school rotations were at L.A. County Hospital. I'll never forget making ortho rounds on the jail ward where we entered through guarded gates and changed casts and dressings on hand-cuffed patients in the hospital. The entire floor was dedicated to these inmates.

Photos from My Training Years or of Practicing Medicine in My Field:

At the Scrub Sink during Residency

Interests

Currently reading:
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, The Tortilla Curtain

My favorite book or author:
John Irving or Steinbeck or Grisham

Great movie:
Napoleon Dynamite, Sin City, Ray, The Last Samurai

Hobby Photos & Links:

Guitar Playing in the Early 80's

Redwood Empire Baseball League

Family & Friends

People in my life:

Rachel and I have been married for 15 years. We share interests in sports and medicine. She plays indoor soccer on multiple teams and works as a nurse in the Emergency Department here at Kaiser Santa Rosa. We have three children.

My children and people I care about:

Quinn is our oldest son. He is 14 and enjoys basketball, baseball, making movies, and music. He recently learned to surf.

Max is 12. He also plays basketball and baseball like his brother. He took a watercolor class this summer.

Sarah is 10. She enjoys writing and reading as well as sewing and soccer. She loves spending time with her girl cousins.

An interesting story about my family or friends:

My parents met in a Japanese internment camp.

Photos of my Family & Friends:

Ken & Rachel

A Recent Ski Trip to Tahoe

My Parents, Grandmother and Sarah

Gracie is our dog, a weimaraner. She's fat and happy. She loves being with people and thinks she is a person.

Geppetto, Quinn's pet, is our newest kitten. He's frisky and friendly.

Cece is our skittish cat who belongs to Sarah. She's a good snuggler.

Pet Photos:

Gracie

Travel

An adventure I've had:

On our most recent trip to Hawaii, we saw dolphins and sea turtles while snorkeling along the Na Pali Coast. The rugged coast and spectacular cliffs created a prehistoric backdrop for our family's water adventure.

Favorite place in the world:

Bodega Bay is my favorite place. It's easy to get to, has great hikes, and I love the beach. Our family has enjoyed catching crabs off the jetty and exploring tidepools. The beach is great for skim and boogey boarding as well as walks, runs, and naps.

One of my recent trips:

Seattle continues to be one of my favorite cities. On a recent visit, we took the underground tour of Seattle while taking in the history of the city and learning about the origins of the toilet. Imagine a city where the streets were higher than the sidewalks; you had to use a ladder to climb up to the street in order to cross it.

Travel Photos:

The Kids in Hawaii

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

Family Trip at Doran Beach