Heart Failure Care

U.S. News ranks all three Duke hospitals as “high-performing” in heart failure care, indicating our hospitals are significantly better than the national average. Duke University Hospital was named one of Healthgrade's top 100 best hospitals for cardiac care, recognizing "superior clinical outcomes" for heart failure treatment. Duke University Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital also received 2023 awards from the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program. These awards recognize that we offer high-quality heart failure care and highlights our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.

Centers of Excellence and Other Designations
Heart failure is a complex disease with varied causes and effects. Our expertise goes beyond heart failure itself to address related conditions, including cardio-oncology (a specialty that focuses on types of heart disease that are related to cancer therapy), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, sarcoidosis, and more.

• Cardio-oncology - Center of Excellence Gold, IC-OS 
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - Center of Excellence, HCMA
• Pulmonary hypertension - Accredited Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center, PHA
• Sarcoidosis - Recognized Clinic, WASOG

Early Heart Disease Prevention 
If you are at risk for developing heart failure, our heart disease prevention program helps fine-tune your overall health and monitors you for heart failure symptoms. 

Cardiac Rehabilitation
If you were recently diagnosed with heart failure or are recovering from an episode, our cardiac rehabilitation specialists use exercise, education, and individualized home plans to improve your heart function and overall mobility. Duke researchers led an important clinical trial that demonstrated heart failure patients benefit from cardiac rehab.

Expert Medication Management
Your doctors may suggest a combination of medications to treat heart failure symptoms and improve your heart’s function. Our providers and pharmacists are experts at adjusting your doses to maximize the benefits and minimize side effects. 

Advanced Interventional Procedures and Surgeries for Heart Failure
In certain people, heart failure can be helped by minimally invasive procedures like TAVR, which can repair dysfunctional heart valves, and open heart surgery like CABG to open blocked arteries.

Life-Saving Implantable Devices 
ICD and CRT: We offer implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) to manage arrhythmias that can be related to heart failure. If you receive an implanted device, providers at our specialty clinic ensure the device is continually fine-tuned for optimum performance.

A Top VAD Program in the U.S.
Duke is certified by The Joint Commission for our high standards and positive outcomes for ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation therapy.

A Top Heart Transplantation Program in the U.S.
Duke is among the top programs in the U.S. for the number of heart transplants performed each year, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. We have some of the shortest wait times in the region. Our team uses advanced techniques to match more hearts with more people who have heart failure and related conditions. 

You are the most important member of your care team. Our heart failure specialists, general and interventional cardiologists, surgeons, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, therapists, and others work with you to tailor your heart failure care.

We Prioritize Convenience
Whenever possible, we schedule multiple appointments on the same day to save you time. We also offer virtual video visits when appropriate. 

Remote Monitoring
Our team of specialists can monitor weight changes, lung pressure, and heart function remotely to identify potential problems, change medications, and offer intervention before issues reach a critical stage. 

Support Throughout the Process
The heart failure team includes nurses and coordinators who serve as your direct contacts if you have a question or problem. Duke social workers and support programs offer emotional and psychological support to you and your caregivers. 

We Partner with Your Local Cardiologist Through Shared Care
We understand that you may want to keep seeing your local cardiologist while also seeking more advanced care at Duke. We routinely collaborate with local cardiology teams to ensure you receive the best care here and at home.

Advanced Technology
From diagnostic tools to the most advanced procedures, Duke’s heart failure specialists use high-tech cardiac imaging, the latest assistive devices, and highly accurate and less-invasive surgical techniques to provide the highest-quality care to you.

Access to Clinical Trials
As part of the Heart Failure Clinical Research Network, we participate in studies evaluating new treatment options and best practices for people with heart failure. As a Duke patient, you may have access to heart failure clinical trials and new treatments that aren’t yet available elsewhere.