Research

The Duke Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery leads and actively participates in national and international efforts to:

• Develop new treatments for heart disease, lung disease, and cancers of the lung and esophagus
• Improve transplantation of the heart and lungs
• Develop devices to replace heart function 
• Provide better outcomes for children with complex valvular heart disease
• Advance minimally invasive repair techniques for complex aortic disease
• Improve treatment strategies for acute Type A and B aortic dissections
• Develop and refine cerebral protection methods in aortic arch surgery

Our research is the driving force that allows Duke to offer patients the most advanced forms of therapy available in the U.S.

Highlights

• Duke continues to pioneer the use of ventricular assist devices and is conducting pioneering work to increase the number of hearts available for transplantation.
• Duke is part of the NIH-funded Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network.
• Duke has led research that identified gastric reflux as a potential contributing factor to post-transplant lung allograft dysfunction.
• Duke's internationally recognized thoracic aortic surgery program is among the country's leading centers in evaluating and implementing new techniques and technologies.
• Duke's valve surgery program is a leader in outcomes research and is on the forefront of innovations in percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement.