Heart Surgery - Adults

The UNC Cardiac Surgery program offers a full range of surgical treatment of heart disease. We specialize in treating adult patients with complex medical issues such as heart failure, valvular disorders, diabetes, end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis, and blood clotting disorders. We truly believe that our patients come first, and we develop an individual plan of care for each patient. Our multidisciplinary team includes two heart surgeons, an adult nurse practitioner, a pharmacist, a case manager, and specially trained nurses.

A separate team of physicians and medical professionals treats children who need heart surgery. For information on UNC's Pediatric Cardiac Surgery program, click here.

Under the UNC Center for Heart and Vascular Care, cardiac surgeons work closely with physicians from the Division of Cardiology and Division of Vascular Surgery to provide the best care for patients.

UNC Hospitals has an intensive care unit and a step-down unit that are dedicated to the care of patients after cardiothoracic surgery. The Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit recently received the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence. It is the only intensive care unit in the state of North Carolina to receive this prestigious award.

Heart Surgeons and Nurse Practitioner
Appointments
Clinics

Heart Surgeons

Andy C. Kiser, MD

Specialties: Adult cardiac and thoracic surgery, heart and lung transplantation. Special interest in arrhythmia surgery, including paracardioscopic procedures to treat atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias; minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve surgery; surgery for aortic aneurysms and thoracic aortic diseases; off-pump and minimally invasive coronary artery surgery; video assisted thoracic surgery.

Brett C. Sheridan, MD

Specialties: Adult cardiac and thoracic surgery, heart and lung transplantation. Surgical treatment of heart failure including ventricular reconstruction; off-pump/minimally invasive cardiac surgery; aortic surgery; valve surgery; surgery for atrial fibrillation; ventricular assist devices; cardiac surgery in the elderly; cardiac surgery in patients with kidney disease.

Nurse Practitioner

Tracy Vernon-Platt,  APRN, MSN

Tracy Vernon-Platt received a BSN from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1996 and MSN, Adult Nurse Practitioner degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005. Since 2000 she has worked with cardiac surgery patients, first as a staff nurse in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, then as the nurse practitioner for Adult Cardiac Surgery since 2005. She has a special interest in patients with ventricular assist devices, a treatment for end-stage heart failure. She works closely with the VAD coordinator, cardiac surgeon, and heart failure cardiologists in the management of this patient population.

BACK TO TOP

Appointments

For an appointment, call  (919) 966-3381 and ask for Tracy Vernon-Platt, adult cardiac nurse practitioner.

We prefer that any test results be faxed or CDs with images be mailed to us prior to the first appointment so that we can review all information before seeing the patient.

• Fax test results to Tracy Vernon-Platt at 919-966-3475.
• Mail CDs of images to:

Tracy Vernon-Platt
UNC Division of Cardiothorac Surgery
3040 Burnett-Womack Building, CB #7065
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7065

BACK TO TOP

Clinics

New patients are seen on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; appointment dates and times are negotiated with each patient. The patient will be told where to come to the appointment. The cardiac surgery clinic is located within the Transplant clinic, located on the 4th floor of the Main Hospital (N.C. Memorial Hospital).

Patients who have had surgery are seen for follow-up appointments on Wednesday afternoons at the Transplant clinic, on the 4th floor of the Main Hospital (N.C. Memorial Hospital).

Patients who have received a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) are seen on Tuesday mornings in the Transplant clinic, on the 4th floor of the Main Hospital.

BACK TO TOP