Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood - Heart Surgeon

Hello! My name is Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood and I am a heart surgeon having graduated from University of Virginia in 1974. To date, I have performed approximately over 10,000 cardiac surgeries, of which more than 5,000 involved heart valve procedures. I perform surgery at hospitals including East Carolina Heart Institute, Vidant Medical Center.

"Dr. Chitwood called me after seeing my echo and told me what he thought in plain language. He spent 20 minutes explaining. That was great. His clinical assistant was incredible, the only one I spoke to among 6 others I was considering who made me feel like I was their only patient. Dr. Chitwood has extreme expertise in valve repair. EXTREME. While some other surgeons said they would cut this and fold that and sew in cords, etc, he ended up finding that no cutting was necessary, neither any cords, he did a minimalistic folding plasty and annuloplasty ring and that was it. Genius. My largest incision from the robotic procedure is 2 inches. He spent 20 minutes after the surgery going over it in detail with my family while they recorded it to show me. I saw nothing but a man who takes pride in his work and loves it and working with people. I wish I could've spent more time with the guy."

"Having to go through cardiac surgery certainly has not been a highlight of my life, but having Dr. Randolph Chitwood as my surgeon has been a blessing in my life!

Dr. Chitwood and his team at East Carolina Heart Institute; Greenville, North Carolina performed my mitral valve repair robotically on November 16, 2012. I have never had such a completely positive experience like this in any other healthcare setting! My encounters with all levels of staff from the office to the hospital were nothing less than professional, patient centered (all about me!) and efficient. The facility was luxurious with state of the art technology and had wonderful accommodations for me and my family. The communications among the healthcare providers were outstanding and reflected in the consistent manner in which I received pre and post-op care. I attribute this strong sense of team and high quality care to Dr. Chitwood’s leadership.

Dr. Chitwood has a wonderful bedside manner that immediately put me at ease! He was interested in me as a person – not another “mitral valve”. Dr. Chitwood answered all my questions, never seemed rushed and made me feel confident in his recommendations and surgical expertise.

Also, two of Dr. Chitwood’s associates deserve special recognition for their professionalism and dedication to the Heart Care Team; Dr. H. Saleh and Dr. B. Bush. These surgeons went above and beyond expectations caring for me during my initial surgery and through two episodes of post op concerns. They spent time with me to discuss my health issues, expedited diagnostic tests and developed comprehensive plans for recovery. I am thankful to these two surgeons and understand why Dr. Chitwood has them on his team!

I feel fortunate that I had such a “class act” cardiac surgical team so close to home (2 hours) and would most strongly recommend them to anyone; regardless of the travel distance! "

"The care and attitude of Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood, MD and the staff at East Carolina Heart Institute was outstanding. I have not had a moment of discomfort. I was playing tennis 6 weeks after my mitral valve repair surgery."

"Dr. Randolph Chitwood had excellent bedside manner -- very patient oriented. He and the entire team at the East Carolina Heart Institute made the process as easy as it could be for the patient including a personal phone call from Dr. Chitwood pre-surgery to discuss the procedure and options as a potential patient since we were out-of-state. Dr. Chitwood provided feedback to my family throughout the process and kept them informed. The procedure was extremely successful and strangers were shocked to find out I had heart surgery after only a week."

"I would certainly recommend Dr. Chitwood. He took his time explaining the procedure, put me at ease and, of course, he had a great team assisting. Can't leave without mentioning Dr. Will Clements and Dr.David Frazier and others."

"Great facility and staff that Dr. Chitwood has assembled! Top notch performance at every level."

"Dr. Randolph Chitwood is a very kind and caring surgeon. He took a lot of time to explain my problem and the procedure he would perform. I was very happy with the result and would highly recommend him to anyone requiring any type of heart surgery. "

"Dr. Randolph Chitwood agreed to do my valve replace when no one else would take the chance because of my obesity. The famous Norfolk heart hospital told me to go home and eat pizza. I had a short time to live. I am alive today because of Dr. Chitwood."

"This was the 3rd open heart for me. My cardiologist knew I was going to need the best of the best. He sent me to the Brody School of Medicine and Dr. Chitwood. Knowledgeable, thorough and kind are just the tip of the iceberg of positive adjectives I would use in describing Dr. Chitwood. I had my aortic valve replaced for the second time after having mitral and aortic valve replacement in 1998. Dr. Chitwood knew the risks involved but did not dwell on any of that. he expected everything to go well, and it did. He had recently opened the new cardiac wing of the hospital so I was not only well cared for by my surgeon but also experienced everything as up to date as possible."

My cardiac specialties include:

• Robotic mitral repair
• Minimally invasive valve surgery
• Complex reoperative valve surgery

Relative to heart valve surgery, I have the following clinical interests:

• Robotic technology
• Cardiac protection, during cardiac surgery
• Simulation in teaching cardiac surgery

"I believe my greatest strength as a heart surgeon is the development of minimally invasive cardiac valve and atrial fibrillation surgery. I was the pioneer of robotic heart surgery, as well as, the principle investigator on FDA trials regarding robotic mitral valve repair. I have trained over 350 other surgeons in the field - which includes most of the surgical programs in the United States and world who are now doing robotic, minimally invasive mitral valve surgery."

Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood, heart surgeon, graduated from University of Virginia in 1974. Dr. Chitwood graduated from Hampden-Sydney College and received his medical degree from the University of Virginia. He completed the surgical residency at Duke University Medical Center, spending 10 years training in general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and basic science research.

After his chief residency at Duke in 1984, he was selected to begin and head the new cardiac surgery program at the East Carolina University School of Medicine. Except for a two-year hiatus as the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Chitwood has spent his entire career at East Carolina University and Vidant Medical Center (formerly Pitt County Memorial Hospital).

I have relationships with several insurance providers including:

• For more information, please visit - http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/ecuphysicians/insurance-billing.cfm

The office of Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood is located at:

East Carolina Heart Institute
115 Heart Drive
Greenville, NC 27824
(888) 534-5284

A map of our clinic is provided below.