Meet the heart of our new open-heart surgery program

from Better Health magazine, Fall, 2002

Both Dr. Tripp and his wife, Denna, are originally from North Carolina. "Family is important to us, and we're looking forward to being back where we can be near family for holidays and kid's activities," he says.

Henry Tripp, MD (left) meets his fellow surgeons Mark Hermann, MD, orthopedics, and Joseph Campbell, MD, orthopedics.

Dr. Tripp's North Carolina roots run deep. He graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina, with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He completed medical school at Duke University School of Medicine in 1985, and following a surgery residency at Keesler Air Force Base, returned to the Carolina Heart Institute in Charlotte for residencies in vascular surgery and cardiothoracic surgery and a coronary surgery fellowship. In 1999, he returned to Duke as a clinical associate in the Duke University Medical Center Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery before joining a group cardiology/surgery practice in Houma, LA, located about 45 minutes from New Orleans.

When he returns to lead the Heart Center of the Piedmont program in March, Dr. Tripp knows that he will be making a difference in people's lives.

"Heart disease is the number one killer in America, followed by cancer and stroke," says Dr. Tripp. "Cardiovascular surgery helps fight two of these three top killers. By having this program right in Danville, we can have a big impact on both the length and quality of life for the people here."

(Left to right) Cindy Smith, RN, OR Manager, and Kathy Dalton, RN, MSN, Director of Surgical Services, acquaint Dr. Tripp with Danville Regional's surgical facilities.

The program's affiliation with the Duke Heart Center, consistently ranked among the best in the nation, is an important asset to Dr. Tripp, who will serve on the staff at both Danville Regional and Duke University Hospital. "Outreach programs have always been part of James B. Duke's vision," he says. "And having trained and taught there, I know that Duke's standards will demand excellent quality of care and continuing education to continually advance our capabilities at the Heart Center of the Piedmont at Danville Regional Medical Center."

Dr. Tripp says he's seen an evolution in the techniques and capability of cardiovascular surgery since he began his training 18 years ago. "Because this is a relatively new specialty, it has been quick to adopt procedures that work well," says Dr. Tripp, giving the example of using the internal mammary artery for bypass grafts installed of veins from the leg, which was the standard only a few years ago. "Arteries have an additional elastic layer and unique biochemistry that helps them maintain blood pressure better," he says. "With this one change, we're able to extend the life of the vessel from a five-year time frame to twenty years. It's advancements like this that have really improved outcomes in recent years."

As a cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Tripp will perform surgery on the lungs, chest cavity, and circulatory system as well. Such surgery includes lung cancer, trauma, and areas with restricted blood flow, or aneurysms - ballooned areas of vessels which are weak and in danger of bursting. Vascular surgery also can open vessels such as the carotid artery (located in the neck) or improve circulation to the extremities, an important advancement to those with diabetes.

"I'm excited to be a part of starting a cardiovascular surgery program of this caliber and moving closer to family," says Dr. Tripp. And, he jokes, given his recent experiences with Isidore and Lili, being out of the path of major hurricanes is an added plus.