News

The Duke Department of Surgery now ranks third among surgery departments nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding received in 2019 according to the newly released Blue Ridge rankings. Duke Surgery has continued to rank in the top five nationally over the past 30 years, demonstrating the department’s long-standing commitment to investigate the impact of disease on patient health. With a diverse portfolio, including 78.7% of funding from the NIH, Duke Surgery faculty and staff perform a wide variety of research to improve the human condition.

Donald D. Glower Jr., MD, had a roundabout entry into the field of robotics and minimally invasive surgery. Originally hired in 1989 for coronary bypass surgery, he soon became involved in minimally invasive surgery using the Heartport Port Access System in 1996.

Every minute, 250 infants are born worldwide, and two of those are born with a congenital heart defect. Severe cases require immediate surgical intervention, and for a pediatric cardiac surgeon, early and accurate detection is essential to creating a successful patient care plan.

In the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Andrew Lodge, MD, Joseph Turek, MD, PhD, and Nicholas Andersen, MD, work closely as a three-person surgical team, part of a larger interdisciplinary pediatric cardiac program at Duke.

In 2019, the Duke heart, lung, liver, and kidney transplant programs experienced unprecedented volume growth: more than 20% for most programs. With 521 total transplants performed in 2019, Duke Health now ranks 8th among U.S. transplant programs.

The Duke Transplant Center (DTC) of the Duke University School of Medicine aims to promote cross-disciplinary clinical, translational, and basic research with the ultimate goal of optimizing transplant organ longevity and improving quality of life of transplant recipients. This is the inaugural annual call from the DTC for proposals for pilot and feasibility studies.

A heart transplant team at Duke University Hospital became the first in the U.S. to transplant an adult heart into a recipient through a process known as Donation after Circulatory Death, or DCD.

Duke is one of five centers in the United States that has been approved to perform DCD heart transplants as part of a recently launched clinical trial of a device to circulate warm, oxygenated blood through organs.

Congratulations to Peter Smith, MD, Mary and Deryl Hart Professor of Surgery and Chief, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, on receiving the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) North Carolina State Award for Excellence - Nurse Practitioner Advocate.

The Advocate State Award for Excellence is given to an individual in each state who has made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and recognition of Nurse Practitioners (NPs).

Congratulations to Dr. Thomas D’Amico, Gary Hock Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, on being invited to the Editorial Board of Annals of Surgery. Annals of Surgery is the top-ranked and highest-impact surgery journal in the world, providing the international medical community with information on significant contributions to the advancement of surgical science and practice. Dr. D’Amico’s appointment to the Editorial Board underscores his international stature as a leading academic surgeon.

The Department of Surgery held its 4th Annual Research Day April 17. The department holds this event annually to advance its mission of improving patient care through research and training the next generation of surgeon–scientists. The event recognizes the accomplishments of fellows, residents, and students engaged in clinical or basic and translational research through the department.

Congratulations to Julie Thacker, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Betty Tong, MD, MS, MHS, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and John Wiener, MD, Professor of Surgery in the Division of Urology, on their election to serve on Duke University’s Academic Council.