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 Elite provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Peripheral Artery Disease, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). 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.

John Ikonomidis is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Ikonomidis is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Ikonomidis is currently accepting new patients.

As a dedicated neurologist with a specialization in general and vascular neurology, I primarily treat patients suffering from stroke. Due to the preventable nature of stroke, I strive to focus on the stroke etiology. My work includes participation in innovative clinical trials primarily on stroke identification and later rehabilitation, allowing me to bring the latest treatments to my patients. My decision to pursue neurology was driven by a fascination with the intricacies of the human brain and a desire to provide tangible relief to those affected by neurological disorders. Outside of my professional life, I enjoy people and nature photography. Dr. Shekhar is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Stroke, Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD), Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), and Aortic Valve Replacement.

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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Matthew Cavender is an Interventional Cardiologist and a Cardiologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Cavender is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Heart Attack, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Atherosclerosis, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), and Aortic Valve Replacement. Dr. Cavender is currently accepting new patients.

Anthony Mazzella is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist and a Hospital Medicine provider in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Mazzella is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Heart Block, Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmias, Pacemaker Implantation, and Aortic Valve Replacement. Dr. Mazzella is currently accepting new patients.

Aurelie Merlo is a General Surgeon and a Thoracic Surgeon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Merlo is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Her top areas of expertise are Aberrant Subclavian Artery, Gangrene, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Heart Transplant, and Lung Transplant. Dr. Merlo is currently accepting new patients.

Amit Gupta is a Gastroenterologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Gupta is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Gallbladder Disease, Jaundice, Lung Nodules, Kidney Transplant, and Gallbladder Removal. Dr. Gupta is currently accepting new patients.

Chirag Desai is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Desai is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Chronic Pancreatitis, Hereditary Pancreatitis, Liver Failure, Islet Cell Transplantation, and Pancreatectomy. Dr. Desai is currently accepting new patients.

Mason Sanders is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Sanders is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Heart Block, Heart Tumor, Pacemaker Implantation, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

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 Advanced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Aortic Regurgitation, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

I was drawn to heart surgery for many reasons, but most importantly it is because we really help people live longer and provide a better quality of life. I enjoy getting to know my patients and helping them understand their disease and the options for treatment. At Duke Health, we have an extraordinary team that is committed to bringing the highest quality cardiac surgery to our patients. We provide cutting-edge therapies to treat all aspects of heart disease, ranging from minimally invasive transcatheter valve replacement to traditional bypass surgery to life sustaining extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. I strive to provide the best care for my patients so they can get back to living a healthy lifestyle after surgery. Dr. Williams is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Aortic Dissection, Cystic Medial Necrosis of Aorta, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

George Hughes is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Hughes is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Aortic Dissection, Cystic Medial Necrosis of Aorta, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Hughes is currently accepting new patients.

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 Experienced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Mitral Stenosis, Atrial Myxoma, Heart Valve Repair, and Aortic Valve Replacement.

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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Cardiogenic Shock, Tricuspid Regurgitation, Aortic Regurgitation, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Aortic Dissection, Mitral Valve Regurgitation, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Heart Valve Repair.

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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Tricuspid Regurgitation, Constrictive Pericarditis, Heart Tumor, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

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 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Her top areas of expertise are Coronary Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Aortic Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

I help patients with acquired heart diseases, such as coronary artery blockages and heart valve problems. I use surgical procedures when necessary. Each patient is special in his or her own way, and I will work with the cardiologists to provide the best care possible in each situation. In particular, I am happy to discuss the possibility of providing patients with less-invasive ways of undergoing heart bypass surgery (for example, minimally invasive coronary artery bypass graft) whenever appropriate. I have been in North Carolina for more than 25 years, and I received all of my medical and surgical training at Duke. Dr. Lin is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). His top areas of expertise are Hemolytic Transfusion Reaction, Arterial Embolism, Heart Bypass Surgery, and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).