News

In recognition for his extraordinary efforts to accommodate a patient’s needs, Jeffrey Gaca, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, has received the Strength, Hope, and Caring Physician Award from Duke University Hospital.

As a visiting professor in China 10 years ago, thoracic surgeon Dr. Thomas D’Amico introduced a novel surgical procedure that was showing tremendous benefits in cancer patients back home at Duke University Medical Center.

Surgical Center for Outcomes Research (SCORES) Scholars Awards were established by the Duke Department of Surgery in 2016 to foster new collaborations around surgical health services research. After a rigorous peer review selection process, we are pleased to announce that the 2017 SCORES Scholars Award recipients are:

The Duke Human Heart Repository has been a resource for cardiovascular research scientists at Duke University since 2004, and with a new grant, the facility will be able to expand its capabilities.

David Harpole Jr., MD, Professor, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, has received a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense for research on a link between military service and the development of mesothelioma cancer. Out of the estimated 3,000 mesothelioma diagnoses in the United States each year, nearly a third of these patients have military experience. This study will help to determine why.

Photo: Cardiothoracic surgeons Dr. Jacob Klapper and Dr. Nnamdi Nwaejike perform a double lung transplant. Shawn Rocco/Duke Health

Each day, tens of thousands of patients on waiting lists across the United States await a simple phone call: one that says a match has been found and an organ is available for transplant. Despite a growing demand for donors, organ shortages continue to hinder many patients’ chances in receiving their potentially life-saving call. 

Congratulations to Matthew Hartwig, MD, for their election into the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).

Researchers on the Duke Heart Failure team recently found that a new left ventricular assist device (LVAD) design was associated with improved 6-month outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two clinical trials indicated a lower incidence of pump thrombosis and pump replacement in patients who received new centrifugal-flow LVADs compared with patients who received an axial-flow LVAD, which is currently FDA approved.

Congratulations to the following Advanced Practice Providers on your most recent accomplishments!

Moritz C. Wyler von Ballmoos, MD, PhD, has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), in recognition of his professional achievement and commitment to quality in cardiovascular care. Dr. Wyler von Ballmoos's Fellow designation was officially recognized during the Convocation Ceremony on Sunday, March 19, 2017, which was held in conjunction with the ACC's 66th Annual Scientific Session in Washington.