The 20 Best Heart Transplant Doctors Near Me

Find the Experts and Specialists who perform Heart Transplant

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Joseph Turek
Distinguished in Heart Transplant

Dr. Joseph Turek

General Surgery
Duke University Hospital
2301 Erwin Rd, 
Durham, NC 
Offers Telehealth

Distinguished in Heart Transplant
Duke University Hospital
2301 Erwin Rd, 
Durham, NC 
OverviewInsuranceLocationsClinical ResearchSimilar Doctors

Overview

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 Heart Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Partial Atrioventricular Canal, Coarctation of the Aorta, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), Heart Transplant, and Heart Valve Repair.

His clinical research consists of co-authoring 203 peer reviewed articles. MediFind looks at clinical research from the past 15 years. In particular, he has co-authored 44 articles in the study of Heart Transplant.

Specialties
General Surgery
Licenses
Thoracic Surgery (Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery) in NC
Board Certifications
American Board Of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic And Cardiac Surgery
American Board Of Thoracic Surgery, Congenital Cardiac Surgery
American Board Of Surgery, General Surgery
Fellowships
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Congenital Heart Surgery, Visiting Fellow, Texas Children's Hospital, Congenital Heart Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
Languages Spoken
English
Gender
Male

Insurance

Accepted insurance can change. Please verify directly with the provider.

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Accepted insurance plans:

Aetna
  • EPO
  • HMO
  • POS
  • PPO
Ambetter
  • EPO
  • HMO
  • PPO
Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • EPO
  • HMO
  • POS
  • PPO
Cigna
  • EPO
  • HMO
  • PPO
Friday Health

Accepted plan types not found. Please verify directly with the provider.

Humana
  • HMO
  • INDEMNITY
  • POS
  • PPO
Medicare
  • INSURANCE PLAN
  • MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
  • MEDICARE MAPD
  • MEDICARE PDP
  • MEDICARE SNP
  • MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
  • OTHER MEDICARE PART D
Piedmont
  • HMO
  • POS
UnitedHealthcare
  • EPO
  • HMO
  • POS
  • PPO
View 4 Less Insurance Carriers -

Locations

Duke University Hospital
2301 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27705
Call: 919-681-2343

Clinical Research

Clinical research consists of overseeing clinical studies of patients undergoing new treatments and therapies, and publishing articles in peer reviewed medical journals. Providers who actively participate in clinical research are generally at the forefront of the fields and aware of the most up-to-date advances in treatments for their patients.


203 Total Publications

First US pediatric heart transplant using XVIVO Heart Assist Transport.
First US pediatric heart transplant using XVIVO Heart Assist Transport.
Journal: JHLT open
Published: December 01, 2025
View All 203 Publications
Similar Doctors
Carmelo A. Milano
Elite in Heart Transplant
Dr. Carmelo A. Milano
General Surgery | Transplant Surgery
Elite in Heart Transplant
Dr. Carmelo A. Milano
General Surgery | Transplant Surgery

Duke Heart Transplant Clinic - Clinic 2F/2G

40 Duke Medicine Cir, 
Durham, NC 
 (0.3 miles away)
919-681-1300
Experience:
36+ years
Languages Spoken:
English, Italian
See accepted insurances
Offers Telehealth

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 a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Heart Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Cardiomyopathy, Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery.

Matthew Hartwig
Advanced in Heart Transplant
Dr. Matthew Hartwig
General Surgery
Advanced in Heart Transplant
Dr. Matthew Hartwig
General Surgery

Private Diagnostic Clinic PLLC

40 Duke Medicine Cir, 
Durham, NC 
 (0.3 miles away)
919-681-1300
Languages Spoken:
English
See accepted insurances
Offers Telehealth

A significant portion of my practice involves advanced minimally invasive techniques in thoracic surgery to treat diseases such as lung or esophageal cancer. Another part of my clinical practice is spent taking care of patients with severe lung disease, especially those needing lung transplantation. Patients from all over the world come to Duke for lung transplantation. Research demonstrates that experience is very important in taking care of complex medical problems, both on the surgical side and on the medical side. We have one of the largest transplant centers in the world with excellent survival statistics, as well as the shortest wait list time. Instead of the national average which may be four to six months, our patients wait an average of about two weeks. One of the best aspects of being a patient or working at Duke is the people who work here. No matter how challenging the medical problems may be or what problems may arise, I know there’s a world’s expert a phone call away who can help intervene and I know that my patients will be cared for by committed Duke staff from across the hospital. Dr. Hartwig is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Heart Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Hiatal Hernia, Esophageal Cancer, Lung Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Kevin W. Southerland
Experienced in Heart Transplant
Dr. Kevin W. Southerland
General Surgery
Experienced in Heart Transplant
Dr. Kevin W. Southerland
General Surgery

Duke Vascular Surgery And Vein Center At Brier Creek

10207 Cerny St, 
Raleigh, NC 
 (10.6 miles away)
919-660-8346
Experience:
17+ years
Languages Spoken:
English
See accepted insurances
Accepting New Patients
Offers Telehealth

I am a vascular surgeon with Duke Health. I treat all vascular problems, but I primarily focus on problems involving arteries, such aneurysms or blockages in arteries that supply the brain, intestines, or legs. Vascular disease can be chronic and life altering. In my opinion, patients with vascular disease are extremely resilient. It was the resilience of patients with vascular disease that drew me to this specialty. I found the resilience and perseverance of vascular patients inspiring. I enjoy getting to know patients and their families and being a part of their story. I am originally for Washington D.C. I enjoy sports, grilling and spending time with my wife and two children. Dr. Southerland is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Heart Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Peripheral Artery Disease, Gangrene, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Fasciotomy, and Heart Transplant.

VIEW MORE HEART TRANSPLANT DOCTORS

Areas of Expertise

MediFind evaluates expertise by pulling from factors such as number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, participation in clinical trials, speaking at industry conferences, prescribing and referral patterns, and strength of connections with other experts in their field.

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Find Dr. Turek's expertise for a condition
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    • Distinguished
    • Coarctation of the Aorta
      Dr. Turek is
      Distinguished
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    • Heart Transplant
      Dr. Turek is
      Distinguished
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    • Partial Atrioventricular Canal
      Dr. Turek is
      Distinguished
      . Learn about Partial Atrioventricular Canal.
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    • Advanced
    • Aberrant Subclavian Artery
      Dr. Turek is
      Advanced
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    • Aortic Regurgitation
      Dr. Turek is
      Advanced
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    • Aortopulmonary Window
      Dr. Turek is
      Advanced
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    • Congenital Coronary Artery Malformation
      Dr. Turek is
      Advanced
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    • Heart Tumor
      Dr. Turek is
      Advanced
      . Learn about Heart Tumor.
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    • Heart Valve Repair
      Dr. Turek is
      Advanced
      . Learn about Heart Valve Repair.
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    View All 11 Advanced Conditions
    • Experienced
    • Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS)
      Dr. Turek is
      Experienced
      . Learn about Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS).
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    • Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery
      Dr. Turek is
      Experienced
      . Learn about Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery.
      See more Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery experts
    • Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
      Dr. Turek is
      Experienced
      . Learn about Atrial Septal Defect (ASD).
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    • Atrioventricular Septal Defect
      Dr. Turek is
      Experienced
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    • Bicuspid Aortic Valve
      Dr. Turek is
      Experienced
      . Learn about Bicuspid Aortic Valve.
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    • Cardiac Arrest
      Dr. Turek is
      Experienced
      . Learn about Cardiac Arrest.
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    View All 30 Experienced Conditions
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