G. Chad Hughes, MD
Heart Surgeon
Duke Health Provider
Accepting New Patients
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Are You a Physician?
Refer a Patient
Areas of Expertise
Aortic Valve Repair
Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement
Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Aortic Arch and Thoracoabdominal Repair
Where I See Patients
Duke Heart Transplant Clinic - Clinic 2F/2G - Durham, NC
Duke University Hospital - Durham, NC
Board Certified
American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Call for an Appointment
My Locations
Fax:
919-668-7454
About Me
School of Medicine Departments and Divisions
Current Appointments and Affiliations
- Professor of Surgery, Surgery, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery 2020
Languages I Speak
English
Call for an Appointment
Areas of Expertise
- Aortic Valve Repair
- Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement
- Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
- Aortic Arch and Thoracoabdominal Repair
Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
Board Certification
American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Fellowship
Thoracic Aortic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2005
Residency
General Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, 1995-2002
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, 2002-2005
Education
MD, Duke University School of Medicine, 1995
Clinical Focus and Research
Clinical Trials
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IRAD: Registry for Acute Aortic DissectionIRB# PRO00004107
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MANTRA (Heart Valve Disease)IRB# PRO00110315
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TITAN (Aortic Aneurysm)IRB# PRO00106128 , NCT# NCT03536312
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TRIOMPHE Study (Aortic Arch Disease)IRB# PRO00107432 , NCT# NCT04471909
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Thoraflex EXTEND (Stress Management for People with Heart Disease)IRB# PRO00112349 , NCT# NCT05639400
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ARISE II (Ascending Aorta Repair)IRB# PRO00113653 , NCT# NCT05800743
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Gore TAMBE PASIRB# PRO00116971 , NCT# NCT06578741
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Gore TAG Conformable PAS (Thoracic Aortic Disease)IRB# PRO00117449
Publications and Grants
Grants29
Academic Articles239
Book Sections8
Conference Papers55
- EXTEND Thoraflex Hybrid Study awarded by Vascutek Limited 2023 - 2038
- Bishawi, M., C. Jensen, A. Vekstein, A. S. Kosinski, F. L. Grover, J. K. Harrison, V. H. Thourani, et al. “Influence of Failure to Rescue on Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.” Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports 3, no. 3 (September 1, 2025): 617–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atssr.2025.03.011.
- Santarpino, Giuseppe, Roberto Lorusso, Giovanni Concistrè, Josè Cuenca Castillo, Vincenzo Argano, Alistair Royse, Angelo Lucas Nobre, et al. “Prognostic impact of small size sutureless prostheses: results for 241 patients from an international registry.” J Cardiothorac Surg 20, no. 1 (July 25, 2025): 313. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13019-025-03558-9.
- Zhang, Ran, Wanying Miao, Jin Zhang, Xinyuan Yu, Lihong Dang, Ata Ur Rehman, Feng Xu, et al. “SUMOylation Regulates Neutrophil Phagocytosis and Migration.” Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 18, no. 7 (July 20, 2025). https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18071070.
- Sabe, A. A., R. P. Plichta, and G. C. Hughes. “Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: When Not to Operate.” In Aortic Dissection and Acute Aortic Syndromes, 519–34, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66668-2_36.
- Sabe, A. A., and G. C. Hughes. “Acute Type B Aortic Dissection.” In Cardiac Surgery A Complete Guide, 487–96, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24174-2_53.
- Husain, Aatif M., Rebecca Rendahl, and G Chad Hughes. “Aortic Surgery.” In PRACTICAL APPROACH TO NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC INTRAOPERATIVE MONITORING, SECOND EDITION, 227–57, 2015.
- Urick, David, Christopher W. Jensen, Andrew M. Vekstein, Mary Moya-Mendez, Lillian Kang, Chandler A. Long, and G Chad Hughes. “Ten-year Clinical and Aortic Remodeling Outcomes Following TEVAR for Chronic Type B Aortic Dissection.” In JOURNAL OF VASCULAR SURGERY, 79:E27–28, 2024.
- Stinis, C. T., A. Abbas, P. Teirstein, R. Makkar, C. J. Chung, V. Iyer, P. Genereux, et al. “Early Clinical Outcomes Associated with the Sapien 3 Ultra Resilia Valve Compared to the Sapien 3 and Sapien 3 Ultra Valves.” In JACC-CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, 17:S66–S66, 2024.
- Burkett, Melissa Merrill, Andrew Vekstein, Christopher Jensen, J Kevin Harrison, Andrew Wang, Donald D. Glower, Todd Kiefer, and G Chad Hughes. “ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS ADHERENCE AFTER VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERY.” In JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY, 81:1969–1969, 2023.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- UHC Community Plan
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
Duke requires faculty members to report certain relationships outside of their employment in order to ensure potential conflicts can be addressed. This faculty member has reported no outside activities that relate to their Duke responsibilities.
He answered all our questions and he was very straight forward.
Gifted surgeon. Always felt like. Was in very capable hands.
Highly recommend Dr. George’ Hughes and his physician’s assistant also. I was treated like a person and not just a number. They were very caring took time to make sure all my questions were answered, explained my treatment plan and my condition thoroughly.
He knows what needs to be done.
Looking forward to Dr. Hughes performing my Heart Surgery.
Dr. Hughes and his associates are a well-run, expert team.
I am very appreciative to Dr. Hughes and his staff for the treatment and care that I received.
Dr. Hughes is phenomenal. He listens to me and gives reassurance when needed. He patiently explains the findings of my test results.