Dr. Piers C. Barker

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 a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Partial Atrioventricular Canal. 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 and researcher who has been at Duke for 25 years. My practice focuses mostly on children who have heart disease. My research involves studying and testing different types of drugs that are used to treat heart problems in children. I chose to be a doctor, because I love to see children grow and develop into healthy adults. Focusing on the heart has allowed me to make a big impact, because I get to treat children for problems while they are young that will improve their quality of life far into their future. Cardiology is also exciting because of the cutting-edge technologies use that we use to treat patients. Duke has an outstanding program for children with heart disease. We take a team approach where we involve the family, the child, nurses, doctors, social workers and others to ensure the best outcome for the child and their family. Dr. Li is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Partial Atrioventricular Canal. Her top areas of expertise are Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Glycogen Storage Disease Type 7, Endocardial Cushion Defect, and Heart Transplant.

As a pediatric cardiologist, I want Duke to be a place where I would send my own children, my own family. For me, that’s the reason to come, that’s our philosophy, that’s how I work, that’s how we feel. I try to explain everything to the children and parents at the same time and make sure that I let the children ask questions, not just the parents. Getting the children involved helps them understand more and not be afraid so much about what’s happening. With adults, it’s more of a decision-making process that involves the whole family. I’m open and honest about what we can do and can’t do, and what I know and don’t know. I’m not telling them what to do, but advising them and we’re working as a group to decide the best treatment options. It’s fun working with children and fun seeing them be happy and get better and grow up. I see children that I diagnosed before birth, and some of them are in high school now. Dr. Camitta is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Partial Atrioventricular Canal. His top areas of expertise are Tetralogy of Fallot, Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2, Myotonic Dystrophy, and Atrioventricular Septal Defect.