Rafael Cires-Drouet, M.D.

Clinical Heart and Vascular Center

Internal Medicine - Vascular Medicine
Pulmonary Embolisms
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Biography

Rafael Cires-Drouet, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Cardiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in pulmonary embolism and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, chronic venous disease, and anticoagulation management.

Dr. Cires-Drouet earned his medical degree at the Universidad de Guayaquil School of Medicine in Ecuador. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and gained advanced training in vascular medicine through a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Vascular Medicine, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2024.

Previously, Dr. Cires-Drouet was the Medical Director of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team at the University of Maryland Medical Center Downtown (UMMC) Campus and Medical Director of the UMMC Midtown Campus in Baltimore.

He is a member of several professional associations, including the American College of Physicians, the American Heart Association, and the Society for Vascular Medicine. He serves as an ad hoc reviewer for Vascular Medicine Journal, BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, BMC Pulmonary Medicine, and Thrombosis Journal.

Dr. Cires-Drouet receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Aging as a principal investigator. He has worked as a principal investigator and co-investigator in NIH, Veterans Affairs, and industry-funded research, primarily in heart failure, venous diseases, venous thromboembolism, and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

He has delivered numerous presentations, authored multiple peer-reviewed academic articles related to his areas of expertise, and contributed to the books Noninvasive Vascular Diagnosis and Vascular Disease in Older Adults.

Personal Note

When he’s not at work, Dr. Cires-Drouet enjoys spending time with his family, swimming, cooking, and doing DIY projects.

Education & Training

Medical School - Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador (1996-2003)
Residency - University of Miami - Jackson Memorial Hospital (2007-2010)
Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic Foundation (2010-2011)

Professional Associations & Affiliations

American College of Physicians
American Heart Association
American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
American Venous Forum
Colegio de Médicos del Guayas, Ecuador
Society for Vascular Medicine

Books & Publications

Books
- Duplex ultrasound velocity criteria in carotid artery stenting patients in Noninvasive Vascular Diagnosis (5th ed.)
  Lal BK, Cires-Drouet R, Anagnostakos J (2020), London, Springer
- Duplex ultrasound velocity criteria in carotid artery stenting patients in Noninvasive Vascular Diagnosis (4th ed.)
  Lal BK, Cires-Drouet R, Mozafarian M (2017), London, Springer
- Cerebrovascular disease in the elderly in Vascular Disease in Older Adults
  Lal BK, Cires-Drouet R (2017), Cham, Switzerland, Springer
Publications
- Anticoagulation in patients with inferior vena cava agenesia.
  Cires-Drouet RS, The Lancet. Haematology 2024 Aug 11 8 e555-e556
- Risk factors and treatment interventions associated with incomplete thrombus resolution and pulmonary hypertension after pulmonary embolism.
  Fang A, Mayorga-Carlin M, Han P, Cassady S, John T, LaRocco A, Etezadi V, Jones K, Nagarsheth K, Toursavadkohi S, Jeudy J, Anderson D, Griffith B, Sorkin JD, Sarkar R, Lal BK, Cires-Drouet RS, Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders 2024 Jan 12 1 101665
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force initiatives within the Society for Vascular Medicine: Current status and future challenges.
  Celestin C, Cires-Drouet RS, Osinbowale O, Vascular medicine (London, England) 2023 Jun 28 3 185-187
- Clinical outcomes and echocardiographic characteristics between African American and Caucasian patients with acute pulmonary embolism.
  Cires-Drouet RS, Sama J, Han P, Jones K, Haase D, Miller T, Toursavadkohi S, Nagarsheth K, Alston L, Smedley A, Shanholtz C, Mayorga-Carlin M, Sorkin JD, Hong SN, Ramani G, Griffith B, Lal BK, Taylor B, Phlebology 2022 Oct 37 9 678-685
- Prevalence and clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients with upper extremity deep vein thrombosis.
  Cires-Drouet RS, Durham F, Sharma J, Cheeka P, Strumpf Z, Cranston E, Xu C, Mayorga-Carlin M, Sorkin JD, Lal BK, Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders 2022 Jan 10 1 102-110
- Catheter-based interventions versus medical and surgical approaches in acute pulmonary embolism.
  Cires-Drouet RS, Nagarsheth K, Kaczorowski DJ, Toursavadkohi S, Deatrick K, Madathil RJ, Jones KM, Liskov S, Fitch J, Sayad M, Pasrija C, Mayorga-Carlin M, Herr D, Sorkin JD, Griffith B, Lal BK, Gammie JS, Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders 2021 Nov 9 6 1382-1390
- Ultrasound-assisted catheter directed thrombolysis for pulmonary embolus during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
  Tran D, Hays N, Shah A, Pasrija C, Cires-Drouet RS, Toursavadkohi SA, Mazzeffi MA, Herr DL, Madathil RJ, Gammie JS, Griffith BP, Deatrick KB, Kaczorowski DJ, Journal of cardiac surgery 2021 Aug 36 8 2685-2691
- Safety of exercise therapy after acute pulmonary embolism.
  Cires-Drouet RS, Mayorga-Carlin M, Toursavadkohi S, White R, Redding E, Durham F, Dondero K, Prior SJ, Sorkin JD, Lal BK, Phlebology 2020 Dec 35 10 824-832
- High prevalence of chronic venous disease among health care workers in the United States.
  Cires-Drouet RS, Fangyang L, Rosenberger S, Startzel M, Kidwell M, Yokemick J, McDonald T, Carlin M, Sharma J, Sorkin JD, Lal BK, Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders 2020 Mar 8 2 224-230
- Imaging of high-risk carotid plaques: ultrasound.
  Cires-Drouet RS, Mozafarian M, Ali A, Sikdar S, Lal BK, Seminars in vascular surgery 2017 Mar 30 1 44-53

Research

Heart failure
Venous diseases
Venous thromboembolism
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Clinical Focus

Pulmonary Embolisms
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension
Chronic Venous Disease
Anticoagulation Management