Ricardo O. Quarrie, MD, is a cardiothoracic surgeon at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He is board eligible in thoracic surgery.

Dr. Quarrie has specialty training in aortic disease and can manage advanced and complex aortic pathology. He sees patients with a wide range of conditions, including aortic aneurysm, connective tissue disorder, aortic valve disorder, chronic aortic dissections, and aortic root and arch abnormalities. Dr. Quarrie uses a variety of techniques, including minimally invasive (endovascular), as well as open surgical procedures. He performs coronary artery bypass surgery,  thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), and redo aortic surgery.

The cardiac surgery team at MedStar Union Memorial has earned a 3-star rating for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and combined aortic valve replacement plus CABG procedures from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons–the highest achievable metric in the United States for these procedures. This puts the team in the top seven percent of high-performing hospitals nationwide.

Dr. Quarrie is a member of the Association of Academic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Maryland Cardiac Services Quality Initiative.

After earning his medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Quarrie completed a general surgery residency at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He then went on to advance his training with a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital, and a fellowship in aortic disease at Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation.

Dr. Quarrie’s research interests include cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, TEVAR, and new aortic stent devices. Throughout his career, he has written numerous articles for publications such as the Journal of Cardiac Surgery and the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. He has presented research at the regional and national levels, including conferences of the American College of Surgeons, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Academic Surgical Congress.

Philosophy of Care

“From a very early age, I was interested in medicine and healthcare, and was particularly fascinated by the physiology of the heart. At five years old, I was diagnosed with a hearing disorder, and underwent a total of four surgeries. The care and compassion my surgeon showed to my family and I left an impression on me­. That was my first indication of the type of doctor I someday wanted to be. Therefore, I now take the time to learn about each of my patients so I can tailor the right treatment to their particular needs. I believe it’s important to really understand not only the patient’s disease process, but the person themselves–their background, disposition, desires, and expectations for their treatment.”