Suresh Agarwal, MD, FACS, FCCP
Gastrointestinal Surgeon, General Surgeon, Trauma and Critical Care Surgeon
My Locations
About Me
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, I grew up mostly on the east coast of the United States. I went to college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and medical school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I did my post-graduate training in New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, and Madison, Wisconsin. I took my first academic position at Boston University and the Boston Medical Center during which I rose to the position of Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief of Surgical Critical Care. I was recruited back to the University of Wisconsin in 2012 where I became Division Chief of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, Burn, and Surgical Critical Care. My wife, three daughters, and I are happy to meet the friendly people of the area and explore everything that North Carolina has to offer.
LGBTQ+ Identified or Ally
- Professor of Surgery, Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery 2018
- Chief of Trauma and Critical Care Surgery, Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery 2017
Call for an Appointment
Training and Education
Clinical Focus and Research
As a trauma surgeon, I am interested in all injuries that patients experience, particularly to the chest and chest wall. As an intensivist I am interested in management of patients on the ventilator. And, in general, I am interested in social justice aspects of health care such as opiate abuse and socioeconomic disparity.
- Nekooei, N., D. Brabender, S. Park, C. Bent, A. Siletz, K. Matsushima, M. Schellenberg, et al. “Original scientific paper in-hospital and post-discharge outcomes with autologous versus prosthetic repair of traumatic abdominal vascular injuries: a 10-year review of the PROOVIT registry (Accepted).” American Journal of Surgery 248 (October 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2025.116413.
- Asaadi, Sina, Martin G. Rosenthal, Andrei Radulescu, Kaushik Mukherjee, Xian Luo-Owen, Joseph J. Dubose, Maryam B. Tabrizi, and AAST PROOVIT Study Group. “Pediatric Versus Adult Blunt Cerebrovascular Injuries: Patients Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes.” Ann Vasc Surg 116 (July 2025): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avsg.2025.02.016.
- Nguyen, Benjamin P., Danielle Ruediger, Paul Wischmeyer, Suresh Agarwal, and Krista L. Haines. “Relation of Malnutrition on Septic Older Adults in Emergency Gastrointestinal Surgery: A Modified Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition Analysis.” J Surg Res 311 (July 2025): 70–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2025.04.011.
- Shaw, B. I., and S. Agarwal. “Injury of the Kidney, Ureter, and Bladder.” In Penetrating Trauma A Practical Guide on Operative Technique and Peri Operative Management Third Edition, 447–56, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47006-6_54.
- Reed, C., A. Camarena, and S. Agarwal. “Damage Control Resuscitation in Penetrating Trauma: Rules of the Game.” In Penetrating Trauma A Practical Guide on Operative Technique and Peri Operative Management Third Edition, 31–36, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47006-6_3.
- Lumpkin, S., and S. K. Agarwal. “Management of extremity trauma and mangled extremities.” In Acute Care Surgery and Trauma Evidence Based Practice Third Edition, 230–42, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003316800-30.
- Walsh, Julie, Krista Haines, Chidinma Tiko-Okoye, Cory Vatsaas, Suresh Agarwal, and Joseph Fernandez-Moure. “GUIDELINE ADHERENCE IMPROVES RIB FRACTURE PATIENT OUTCOMES.” In CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, Vol. 52, 2024.
- Tiko-Okoye, Chidinma, Paul Wischmeyer, Julie Walsh, Jeroen Molinger, Cory Vatsaas, Zachary Ginsberg, Amy Alger, Suresh Agarwal, and Krista Haines. “INDIRECT CALORIMETRY OPTIMIZING ACS PATIENT NUTRITION DELIVERY.” In CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, Vol. 52, 2024.
- Nguyen, Benjamin, Danielle Ruediger, Paul Wischmeyer, An-Kwok Ian Wong, Christopher Cox, Joseph Fernandez-Moure, Suresh Agarwal, and Krista Haines. “MALNUTRITION'S INFLUENCE ON OUTCOMES IN EMERGENT GI SURGERY IN OLDER ADULTS.” In CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE, Vol. 52, 2024.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- UHC Community Plan
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.