We welcome Thomas G. Caranasos M.D., who joined the UNC Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in July 2014 as assistant professor of surgery.
Dr. Caranasos, a heart and lung surgeon who specializes in adult cardiac surgery, has a special interest in aortic surgery, including the ascending aorta, arch pathology, thoracic aorta and aortic root; transcatheter aortic valve surgery; mitral and aortic valvular surgery; minimally invasive approaches to cardiac surgery; and video assisted thoracic surgery.
“I am passionate about the field of cardiac surgery because it allows me to offer treatment options to patients who often have a debilitating disease and treatment allows them to get back to enjoying life,” Dr. Caranasos said. “I also get to make a wonderful connection to the patient and family as they recover.”
Dr. Caranasos also serves as a director of the new Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Program at UNC. John Vavalle, M.D. and Michael Yeung, M.D. of the UNC Division of Cardiology are also working on the program.
TAVR is a new technology that provides a treatment option for many patients who are too frail to undergo open heart surgery for aortic valve stenosis. With TAVR, physicians provide aortic valve replacement via minimally-invasive approaches, including percutaneous procedures (intervention without an incision), which provide outcomes that are as good as surgical valve replacement.
The TAVR Program is ideally suited for UNC, an academic medical center with a collaborative approach to patient care. The UNC Center for Heart & Vascular Care joins physicians from cardiac surgery, cardiology, interventional radiology, and vascular surgery who collaborate on patients’ care.
“I am excited to be a part of the transcatheter valve program at UNC. It is great to be able to offer patients in the region a cutting-edge technology that will treat their disease if they are too high-risk to undergo surgery,” said Dr. Caranasos. “I am also excited to be a part of this multidisciplinary team approach to treatment and having UNC be a leader in developing new technologies for treatment.”
Dr. Caranasos, a native of Gainesville, FL, completed a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Florida in June 2014. He completed his general surgery residency at West Virginia University. He also earned M.D. and B.A. degrees from West Virginia University.
For appointments with Dr. Caranasos, call 919-966-3382 or 919-843-4614.
– Laura Melega, UNC Center for Heart and Vascular Care