The Duke Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery achieves outstanding clinical outcomes and leads national and international efforts to develop new treatments for cardiovascular and thoracic diseases.

The Duke Cardiology and Heart Surgery program currently ranks among the best programs nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. We achieved the highest STS, three-star rating for general thoracic, adult cardiac, and pediatric cardiac surgery procedures.

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Patient Care

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Education

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Research

Division Highlights

  • With more than 1,000 open-heart procedures annually, Duke's volumes far exceed those suggested by national guidelines — and survival rates consistently exceed the Society of Thoracic Surgeons benchmarks.
  • The Duke lung and heart-lung transplant program was established in 1992 and is the Southeast's largest lung transplant program.
  • Duke is the largest heart transplant program in the world and performed over 140 heart transplants in calendar year 2022.
  • Duke's Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Program is one of the largest in the Southeast.
  • Duke's Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair Program is one of the largest in the Southeast.

See more highlights

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Excellence in Clinical Care

Our team treats diseases within the chest, including heart disease, lung disease, aneurysms of the great vessels, and disorders of the esophagus. We have a large team of devoted faculty, nursing, and ancillary staff who are committed to excellence.

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Research

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

Betty Tong

Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Programs

The training programs in cardiothoracic surgery at Duke University Medical Center are designed to train and develop academic cardiothoracic surgeons. We offer 3 training pathways: the traditional training program (3 years following general or vascular surgery residency training), the integrated 6-year (I-6) training program, and the joint training program (JTP) in conjunction with the Duke general surgery residency program.