Medicine Grand Rounds, John Vavalle and Thomas Caranasos “Leading the Charge: A New Era in the Treatment of Valvular Heart Disease”

In 2014, Dr. Vavalle and Dr. Caranasos successfully performed the first TAVR procedure here at UNC. The TAVR program recently completed its 100th procedure; it is quickly growing into one of the busiest programs in North Carolina. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a new technology that provides a treatment option for many patients with aortic valve stenosis who previously had no other treatment option, or were at high risk for standard open surgical valve replacement due to advanced age, frailty, or co-morbid illness.

Dr. Vavalle also leads the UNC Heart Valve Clinic where a multi-disciplinary team of cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and advanced practice providers evaluate patients with valvular heart disease to determine the best treatment options available. Dr. Caranasos serves as a co-director of the TAVR Program along with Dr. Vavalle and Dr. Michael Yeung. He is director of Adult Cardiac Surgery.