Positions

Faculty

Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support
Baylor College of Medicine

Director, Cardiothoracic Transplantation

Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center Transplant Institute

Addresses

1101 Bates Avenue P115 (Clinic)

Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (832) 355-3000
Fax: (832) 355-9004

6720 Bertner Avenue C350 (Clinic)

Houston, TX 77030
United States

6620 Main Street (Clinic)

Suite 1475
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Education

Residency at Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, Texas

Thoracic Surgery

Research Fellowship at University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

T32

Residency at Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, Texas

General Surgery

BA from Rice University

Houston, Texas

Biochemistry

Certifications

American Board of Thoracic Surgery

Professional Interests

• Lung Transplantation
• Heart Transplantation
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)

Professional Statement

Dr. Erik E. Suarez is a cardiothoracic surgeon and serves as Director of Cardiothoracic Transplantation for the Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center Transplant Institute. For over a decade at Houston Methodist, he led heart, lung, and mechanical circulatory support programs, serving as Interim Chief of Cardiothoracic Transplantation. Under his leadership, heart transplant volumes nearly tripled and lung transplant volumes grew steadily, with both programs maintaining concurrent 5-star SRTR outcomes. He established one of the nation’s most robust bloodless lung transplant programs—featured in The New York Times—and guided Houston Methodist to the highest regional lung transplant volumes until 2024.

Dr. Suarez performed Texas’s first HeartMate 3 LVAD implant, ranked among the nation’s busiest surgeons in advanced MCS including Impella and ECMO, and spearheaded the transformation of ECMO into a dedicated program during the COVID-19 era. He has published extensively in leading journals such as NEJM, Nature, and Science Translational Medicine, and contributes to national advisory boards, clinical trials, and committees. A passionate mentor and educator, he founded multidisciplinary journal clubs across the Texas Medical Center to foster collaboration and innovation.

Websites