Duke cardiologists with specialized training in heart failure provide outpatient and inpatient care to patients across the spectrum of heart failure, including minimally symptomatic patients, those with advanced disease, and heart transplant recipients.

All of our services are based on current national guidelines and the results of the latest clinical trials.

In addition to routine care, patients have access to cutting-edge experimental therapies, including new drugs, devices, and surgical procedures.

Patients with late-stage heart disease that cannot be controlled with medical treatment alone may be referred for advanced therapies such as heart transplantation or mechanical cardiac support.

Heart Transplantation

Duke is one of the busiest and most experienced heart transplant centers in the world, performing over 40 heart transplants annually with excellent long-term results.

For patients with advanced heart failure that cannot be controlled with standard medical and surgical therapies, heart transplantation may offer vastly improved survival and quality of life.

Care before and after transplantation is provided by a multi-disciplinary team that includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, transplant nurse coordinators, pharmacists, and social workers.

For complete information, visit the Heart Transplant section on DukeHealth.org.

Ventricular Assist Devices

For patients not eligible for heart transplantation, Duke can offer mechanical cardiac support with a ventricular assist device (VAD). VADs are surgically implanted medical pumps that take over much of the work for the heart.

Duke is one of the most experienced institutions in the world for implanting these devices, with more than 100 such devices having been implanted at Duke.

VADs may be used as a "bridge" to heart transplant, or as a primary treatment for advanced heart failure patients not eligible for heart transplantation (called "destination" therapy).

Left Ventricular Assist Device

Duke was among the first hospitals nationwide and the first in North Carolina to receive approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to perform left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation as a destination therapy. To qualify for CMS reimbursement, centers had to meet strict criteria that includes VAD experience and demonstrated professional and facility quality performance metrics.

Duke has implanted more than 100 LVADs over the last decade for bridge-to-transplant indication and performed the first destination therapy LVAD implant in North Carolina.

In addition to having access to all the standard FDA-approved devices for destination therapy, Duke is involved in clinical trials testing the latest generation of devices -- called "axial flow pumps" -- that may offer superior durability and long-term results.

Nurse Practitioner

• Blue, Laura

Transplant Coordinators

• Persing, Brad
• Maggard, Amber
• Soule Elizabeth

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Blazing, Michael A.
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine
• Cuffe, Michael S.
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine
• Davis, R. Duane
  • Surgery / Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
• Felker, G. Michael
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine
• Hernandez, Adrian F.
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine
• Lin, Shu S.
  • Surgery / Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
• Lodge, Andrew J.
  • Surgery / Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
  • Pediatrics / Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Milano, Carmelo A.
  • Surgery / Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
• O'Connor, Christopher
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine
• Rogers, Joseph G.
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine
• Velazquez, Eric J.
  • Medicine / Cardiovascular Medicine

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Cardiology
  Duke Clinic 2F/2G, 200 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710
• Duke Health Center at North Duke Street
  3116 North Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704
• Duke Health Center at Southpoint
  6301 Herndon Road, Durham, NC 27713
• Duke University Hospital
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710