I'm proud to work at Duke as it has a tremendous hospital and tremendous people to work with. The quality of care here is excellent and really can’t be compared to anywhere else. That’s what keeps me here. We do more complex heart surgeries here than almost anyone else in the country. When you need heart surgery, you want it done by someone who does a lot of it. Our numbers are comparable to the top places in the country. We do complex surgery and we do it well. The thing about heart surgery is that we make people better. That’s what I really like – helping people who couldn’t breathe or couldn’t walk because their heart was failing, and we were able to make them better. Dr. Gaca is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

My particular area of interest is what we call structural heart disease in adults. That usually involves valve problems, things like muscle bound hearts, tumors of the heart or sometimes arrhythmias. Another area of interest for me is minimally invasive surgery, which involves entering the heart area through the ribs on the side rather than through the breast bone, either manually with a camera or robotically. Surgeons are very hands-on people. We like doing things. But most of all we like helping people, talking with patients and their families, and helping them make up their minds about whether to have a procedure done, what kind of procedure to have, and helping them get through the procedure afterwards. That’s what we really enjoy doing. That’s really satisfying. Dr. Glower is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Mitral Stenosis, Atrial Myxoma, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

I am a noninvasive cardiologist with clinical and research specialties in peripheral artery disease, structural heart disease, and hypertension. I’ve been at Duke for over 10 years and in that time I’ve been proud to be part of Duke’s commitment to world class, patient-centric, personalized care. We are in the midst of major breakthroughs and advances in cardiovascular care, many of which have evolved here at Duke. But translating these advances to personalized care takes a strong partnership between a doctor and patient and I look forward to forging that relationship with each of my patients. Dr. Vemulapalli is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Peripheral Artery Disease, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

I am a cardiologist who has been at Duke for over 15 years. I grew up in North Carolina and am proud to call Durham home. My father was a physician and my mother was a nurse, so I always thought about going into medicine. Cardiology came most naturally to me during medical school. The best part of being a doctor is the feeling you get from having genuinely helped someone in a meaningful way. I enjoy practicing at Duke, because I get to work with a lot of smart people who are dedicated to helping patients. When patients have challenging issues, Duke is a great place to receive care because of the access we have to top-notch providers and resources. In my spare time, I enjoy reading history and spending time with my young child. Dr. Liao is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Coronary Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Aortic Valve Stenosis, and Atrial Fibrillation.

Terry Fortin is a Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Fortin has been practicing medicine for over 26 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. Her top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Cardiogenic Shock, and Eisenmenger Syndrome.

Jacob Schroder is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Schroder has been practicing medicine for over 24 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Cardiogenic Shock, Tricuspid Regurgitation, Aortic Regurgitation, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

Carmelo Milano is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Milano has been practicing medicine for over 35 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Tricuspid Regurgitation, Constrictive Pericarditis, Heart Tumor, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

I specialize in patients who have cardiovascular problems, including those with valvular heart disease, pericardial, or myocardial disease. I am especially interested in keeping people healthy and avoiding heart disease as much as possible. Dr. Kelsey is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. Her top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), and Pulmonary Edema.

Cardio-oncology is a relatively new field that’s at the intersection of cardiology and oncology. It’s been emerging with the increased awareness of cardiovascular disease in patients who have either been treated for cancer or who are being treated with cancer agents that may potentially cause heart complications. When patients come in, I evaluate if they are at higher risk for developing heart disease or complications and intervene to help prevent any issues. By protecting the heart, it allows us to treat our patients’ cancers as aggressively as possible. I also like to educate patients. This is based on my own experience with physicians. Instructions didn’t resonate with me without an explanation. Understanding gave me more buy-in. Now, when I see patients, I try to spend as much time as possible explaining the issues and find that at times even illustrating with pictures can help make things clearer. I think it helps patients to understand what is going on and feel more invested in their care. Dr. Khouri is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Cardiac Amyloidosis, Heart Failure, Primary Localized Cutaneous Amyloidosis, Cardiac Ablation, and Orchiectomy.

"I am a cardiologist with a clinical interest in heart failure, including advanced therapies such as cardiac transplantation and mechanical assist devices or “heart pumps."" I became a heart failure cardiologist in order to help patients manage their chronic disease over many months and years. I consider myself strongly committed to compassionate patient care and have a focus on quality-of-life and patient preference. I am an effective communicator with an understanding and sensitivity to diversity and ethical practice. I am part of a clinical care team composed of physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and support staff that works together to promptly provide comprehensive patient care. I am motivated to provide state-of-the-art cardiovascular care for my patients.". Dr. Mentz is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Low Blood Pressure, Heart Transplant, and Endoscopy.

I specialize in thoracic aortic disease and valvular heart disease. My career focus has been taking care of complex and high-risk cardiac surgery patients. I gain tremendous satisfaction from my interactions with my patients and value the long-term relationships I have with many of them. In addition, I enjoy teaching the next generation of surgeons and improving the field through research. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and traveling. Dr. Chen is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Aortic Regurgitation, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

I am the chief of pediatric heart surgery at Duke Health. Being a heart surgeon was always a dream of mine as a child. Spending a summer in medical school with legendary pediatric heart surgeon, Aldo Castaneda, cemented my desire to devote my life to this profession. Clinically, I love the creativity, complexity and challenge associated with my work. I am also able to satisfy my investigational curiosities through an active basic and clinical research laboratory focusing on congenital heart disease. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to fulfill this dream back at Duke, a place that was so influential in my surgical training. Outside the hospital, I most enjoy spending time with my wife of 20+ years and three young children. We are an active family, always on the go… which mirrors my life at work. Dr. Turek is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Partial Atrioventricular Canal, Coarctation of the Aorta, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Heart Transplant, and Heart Valve Repair.

I am a cardiologist. I see athletes across the wide spectrum of athletic abilities who are concerned about cardiac complications and how that may affect their training or athletic competing. Many athletes have heart disease, or are at risk for heart disease, and have problems such as arrhythmias or fainting spells. It is very gratifying to work with an athlete who has the same goals that I do for competition and fitness, and to help them realize that they can stay active in the midst of treating their condition. The sports clinic is a great example of why Duke is such a great place to come, because we have expertise in such a broad range of areas. If I need advice or support from another colleague, not only will I get guidance, but I can easily refer patients as necessary for further evaluation and management. Dr. Kontos is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema, and Atherosclerosis.

Thomas Bashore is a Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Bashore is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Aortic Regurgitation, and Atrial Fibrillation. Dr. Bashore is currently accepting new patients.

Yas Sanaiha is a Thoracic Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Sanaiha is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. Her top areas of expertise are Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), Cardiogenic Shock, Gallbladder Disease, Gallbladder Removal, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Sanaiha is currently accepting new patients.

Augustus Grant is a Cardiologist and a Cardiac Electrophysiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Grant is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Arrhythmias, His Bundle Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (AVNRT), Cardiac Ablation, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Grant is currently accepting new patients.

Jennifer Perna is a Thoracic Surgeon and a Physician Assistant in Durham, North Carolina. Ms. Perna is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. Her top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Mitral Stenosis, Cystic Medial Necrosis of Aorta, and Aortic Dissection. Ms. Perna is currently accepting new patients.

Todd Kiefer is a Cardiologist and an Interventional Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Kiefer is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Patent Foramen Ovale, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Kiefer is currently accepting new patients.

I am a general cardiologist, meaning I care for patients with a broad range of heart and vascular conditions. My particular areas of specialty are diseases involving the valves of the heart and cardiac imaging, especially echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart). Dr. Ryan is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Atrial Fibrillation, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Regurgitation, and Pacemaker Implantation.

John Vavalle is an Interventional Cardiologist and a Cardiologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Vavalle is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Stenosis. His top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Vavalle is currently accepting new patients.