Southern New Hampshire Health is pleased to welcome Dr. Luis Suarez, MD to the medical staff of Massachusetts General Hospital and Foundation Vascular Surgery.
Dr. Suarez is a board-certified vascular surgeon who earned his medical degree at the School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, before completing his general surgical internship at Saint Raphael’s Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, his general surgical residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and his vascular surgery fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
Dr. Suarez serves as an assistant professor of surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine, and most recently practiced as a vascular surgeon at Tufts Medical Center. He also is a candidate for the Society for Vascular Surgery, a key reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He said he became interested in vascular surgery when he recognized it offered him the opportunity to have a longer-term relationship with treating patients than most fields of surgery.
“Vascular surgery is a specialty that basically deals with every blood vessel in your body,” Dr. Suarez says. “We operate on the arteries and veins in all parts of the body – we’re basically circulation doctors.”
The most common conditions treated include carotid artery disease, aortic aneurysms, blockages in the legs due to peripheral vascular disease, venous disorders and advanced wound care of the lower extremities.
“I love the challenge,” he says. “Vascular surgery patients are very complex patients, mostly with multiple comorbidities who are very sick. We work together in advanced multidisciplinary groups to provide the best care.”
Dr. Suarez says the specialty offers opportunities to make a real difference in patients’ lives.
One instance was a man who came to him when he was in mid-60s, after spending 10 years with debilitating leg pain that had confined him to a wheelchair. Although he had been diagnosed with polio as a child and neuropathy as an adult, it was discovered his pain and disability stemmed from major blockages in his pelvic and groin blood vessels.
“Once we treated those with surgery his life completely changed,” Dr. Suarez says. “He’s now able to walk four to five miles a day and is pain free – something he reminds me of every time I see him at follow-up appointments.”
When not working, Dr. Suarez, a native Spanish speaker, enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and cooking.
Welcome Dr. Luis Suarez!