2026 Master Surgeon
Donald D. Glower, Jr., MD, earned his BS in Electrical Engineering, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 1976, and his MD from Johns Hopkins University in 1980. After medical school, he began his residency at Duke University, where he subsequently spent the entirety of his career as a surgeon. After advancing through the ranks as an Assistant, Associate, and full Professor, he retired from Duke in 2026.
An adult cardiac surgeon, Dr. Glower specialized in structural heart disease in adults and in minimally invasive surgical techniques. He performed more than 8,000 cardiac surgery procedures during his time at Duke, the most of any surgeon in the history of the institution. For most of these cases, which were extremely challenging, he utilized a minimally invasive approach, further increasing the degree of difficulty. His patience and perseverance operating during 12- to 16-hour days were unparalleled. He was also a caring provider, personally transporting all his patients to the ICU, rounding every day, and writing his own orders. He was committed to the belief that post-operative care is the surgeon's duty and signature. Ultimately, he developed a practice that drew referrals from throughout the Southeast, from Maryland to Florida and beyond.
Dr. Glower stood out as a surgical innovator. Before he arrived at Duke, the institution did not perform many heart valve procedures, and those that did occur had non-standard approaches and uncertain outcomes. As Director of Duke's Heart Valve Program, Dr. Glower brought valve repair to the institution at a time when prosthetic valve replacement was the norm, increasing valve durability and reducing the need for reoperation. As of his retirement, more than 1,000 cases involving a heart valve procedure were conducted each year at Duke. He also created a comprehensive valve database that has thousands of entries and has helped demonstrate the benefit of these repair strategies. Dr. Glower was a pioneer of less invasive strategies for valve surgery, developing the cardiac robotic surgery program at Duke long before robotics were heavily adopted in surgery. These procedures achieved outstanding outcomes, with survival rates exceeding those achieved with conventional sternotomy approaches.
Dr. Glower's research interests examined the effects of patient characteristics and surgical technique in outcomes after minimally invasive cardiac surgery, valve repair and replacement, and coronary artery bypass grafting. He authored or co-authored more than 350 peer-reviewed articles and more than 40 book chapters. He ran a vigorous research program with both federal and industry funding, spanning clinical and translational research.
Finally, Dr. Glower stood out as a leader and mentor to countless medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty. His colleagues noted that he was a calming force who never raised his voice or showed frustration, correcting and redirecting teammates in a supportive manner that earned him the loyalty of the OR team. Many of his trainees have gone on to join the Duke Surgery faculty and continue his tradition of surgical excellence in valve repair. In his final year as a faculty member, Dr. Glower was honored with the Duke School of Medicine's Master Clinician/Teacher Award, which honors faculty for superlative accomplishment in teaching and/or clinical care.
By virtue of his exceptional contributions to Duke Surgery and the field of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Donald D. Glower is recognized as a true Master Surgeon. This honor is bestowed to establish a living memory of an individual who has exemplified the ideals of Duke Surgery, with the expectation that reflection on this illustrious career will serve as a guidepost for those aspiring to a life in the art and science of surgery.