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 an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Mitral Stenosis, Atrial Myxoma, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

Erik Ohman is a Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Ohman is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Acute Coronary Syndrome, Heart Attack, Angina, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Heart Bypass Surgery.

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 a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. 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'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 Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

I practice general cardiology, women's heart health, and non-invasive imaging of the heart (echocardiography). The best part of being a cardiologist is the opportunity to educate my patients and their families, learn about their lives, and watch them improve over time. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, cycling on many trails in the Triangle region, and exploring all that North Carolina has to offer. Dr. Upadhyaya is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Her top areas of expertise are Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, Ventricular Tachycardia, Pacemaker Implantation, and Cardiac Ablation.

Zainab Samad is a Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Samad is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Her top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Hypertension, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Robert Califf is a Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Califf is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Acute Coronary Syndrome, Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).

Carmelo Milano is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Milano has been practicing medicine for over 36 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. 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 Valve Regurgitation. Her top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), and Pulmonary Edema.

I am a cardiac surgeon caring for adult patients with a broad spectrum of cardiovascular disease, with a particular interest in aortic disease, such as aneurysm or dissection. I also perform many general cardiac surgery operations, such as bypass surgery for blockages in the coronary arteries and valve repair or replacement for narrowed or leaky valves. Every year, we continue to expand our transcatheter treatments for valve diseases and endovascular treatments for aortic diseases. Both of these approaches involve small incisions in the leg, addressing the problem with wires and catheters, rather than traditional open surgery. I chose to train and work as heart surgeon because it allows me to care for patients with life threatening conditions and debilitating symptoms, such as shortness of breath. Our goal at Duke Health is to extend lives and restore quality of life, enabling patients to return to their passions at home. I hope that heart surgery is something most patients only go through once in a lifetime. I strive to create an atmosphere where patients and their loved ones feel they are educated and involved leading up to surgery and during their recovery process. Dr. Vekstein is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Heart Valve Repair.

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 Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Cardiac Amyloidosis, Heart Failure, Primary Localized Cutaneous Amyloidosis, Cardiac Ablation, and Orchiectomy.

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 Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Aortic Regurgitation, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

I am a general cardiologist who specializes in women's heart health and cardiac imaging. My clinical and research interests focus on improving cardiovascular health in women through individualized prevention and treatment plans. Dr. Daubert is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Her top areas of expertise are Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Aortic Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Jacob Schroder is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Schroder has been practicing medicine for over 25 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Cardiogenic Shock, Tricuspid Regurgitation, Aortic Regurgitation, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

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 Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Coronary Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Aortic Valve Stenosis, and Atrial Fibrillation.

"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 Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Low Blood Pressure, Heart Transplant, and Endoscopy.

My current role as a surgical physician assistant in cardiothoracic surgery is very rewarding. I work very closely with the heart surgeons here at Duke to take care of our patients in the operating room, in the hospital, and in the clinics. I have enjoyed working in health care since my first position as an ER Assistant in my home town of Jamestown, New York while a senior in high school. My career has progressed through several roles including medical surgical nursing, ER trauma nurse, and nurse supervisor. Dr. Sabulsky is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Aortic Dissection, and Cystic Medial Necrosis of Aorta.

Terry Fortin is a Cardiologist in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Fortin has been practicing medicine for over 27 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Her top areas of expertise are Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Cardiogenic Shock, and Eisenmenger Syndrome.

I am a cardiologist who specializes in advanced heart failure and heart transplant. I always strive to take a fresh look at patients and see what treatments we can offer that they may have not had before. I spend about half of my time doing clinical research that focuses on the outcomes of patients with heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. We look for opportunities to improve care and new ways to treat heart disease. Our patients are the center of our universe and we look for the best ways possible to treat them. One of my favorite parts of my job is taking care of patients who think the road has ended and being able to offer them several new roads to improve their lives. Dr. Hernandez is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Heart Attack, Thrombectomy, and Heart Transplant.

I see patients who have heart disease, and I work to prevent them from having any bad consequences of that disease. I also see patients who are having symptoms and do diagnostic work to see what cardiovascular condition they may have to explain their symptoms. I also take care of patients who either have known or suspected genetic cardiovascular disorders. Our genetics clinic is one of the only adult cardiovascular clinics in the Southeast. We take care of patients who have a variety of cardiovascular genetic disorders or who have strong family histories of heart disease and want to come in for testing. Duke has a strong collaborative approach to patient care. We provide excellent care for patients who need routine care for more common medical disorders, but we also provide a high level of subspecialty care for those who may have rarer disorders. Dr. Shah is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Mitral Valve Regurgitation. Her top areas of expertise are Heart Failure, Coronary Heart Disease, Unstable Angina, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).