Kenneth K. Liao MD, PhD, FACS

Dr. Kenneth K. Liao is a cardiothoracic surgeon in Houston with expertise in minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery as well as heart transplantation. Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Liao joined Baylor College of Medicine from the University of Minnesota, where he served as the director of the Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Program and surgical director of the Heart Transplant Program.

Dr. Liao completed his general surgery residency at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and trained in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Minnesota. There he started the Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Programs and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) program. He specializes in adult cardiac surgery with expertise in robotic and minimally invasive mitral repair, robotic coronary artery bypass, Heart transplantation, Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation and complex redo cardiac surgeries.

Dr. Liao is the chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. He is the program director of Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Heart Institute Cardiothoracic Transplantation Fellowship and Baylor College of Medicine Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Fellowship. He is a fellow in the American College of Chest Physicians and American College of Surgeons. Dr. Liao has given numerous presentations both nationally and internationally. He has participated in over 20 clinical trials as a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator. His work in the field of valve surgery, heart transplantation, and ventricular assist devices has been extensively published.