Dr. Siddhartha (Sid) Rao, MD, RPVI

Founder, Vascular Solutions of North Carolina

Dr. Siddhartha (Sid) Rao, the founder of Vascular Solutions of North Carolina, is an interventional cardiologist whose clinical practice includes care of patients with advanced peripheral artery disease (PAD), venous disease (deep venous thrombosis/DVT and varicose veins). He’s one of five vascular specialists in the country to be nominated to work on the prestigious Clinical Advisory Working Group of the American Diabetes Association’s Amputation Prevention Alliance. Details can be found at https://diabetes.org/get-involved/advocacy/amputation-prevention-alliance/cawg

He was the first physician in North Carolina to perform a deep vein arterialization (DVA) procedure more than eight years ago. This is considered the most complex limb salvage/limb preservation procedure that is usually performed in hospitals, for patients with severe peripheral arterial disease facing a certain below-the-knee amputation. He has now performed more DVA procedures than any other physician in the Carolinas and is ready to publish his own technique that allows for this procedure to be performed safely in an outpatient setting with patients discharged the same day less than one hour after the procedure.

He graduated from one of the most competitive medical schools in India – JIPMER, Pondicherry in 1998 with honors. He served as a chief medical resident from 2003-2004 after finishing a 3-year internal medicine residency at Wayne State University. After working as an internist in an underserved area in Wake County, NC for four years, he finished a 3-year cardiology fellowship and then a 1-year interventional cardiology fellowship at UNC, Chapel Hill. Subsequently, he obtained additional training in interventional vascular procedures at Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, and Prairie Cardiovascular, Springfield, IL. Dr. Rao and his wife have made North Carolina their home since 2004. He’s a fitness enthusiast and in his spare time, he indulges in biking and weight training.