Baptist Cardiac Surgery

Baptist Cardiac Surgery (Baptist Health Louisville and Baptist Health Floyd) has a dynamic, high volume comprehensive Cardiac and Aortic surgery program. Over 1,000 adult cardiac cases are performed each year, cover the entire spectrum of cardiac and thoracic aortic operations, providing excellent quality outcomes (3 star STS ranking in 4 different categories) and outstanding patient experience.

Our philosophy is to provide low impact surgery by performing a significant percentage of less invasive cardiac procedures, low length hospital stays, low transfusion rates and enhanced patient satisfaction and positive experience.

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Excellent Outcomes With Minimally-Invasive Surgery

Our heart valve program is dynamic, high volume (> 500 procedures annually) and outcome driven. We perform all procedure for mitral, aortic and tricuspid disease and complex multi-valve disease and endocarditis.

This video shows several of our transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patient success stories.  TAVR does not require an incision to patient's chest or the use of a heart-lung machine. 

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Meet Our Heart Valve Specialists

Baptist Cardiac Surgery has assembled a special team of heart valve specialists that are committed to getting patients the best results. Our team consists of many leading surgeons and cardiologists that you can learn more about by clicking the links below:

Our Patients Say

"I used to be totally out-of-breath when cutting my grass. I had a valve that would only open to the size of a pin hole. Dr. Semder performed a TAVR procedure. You are never going to be alone at Baptist ... Read more.

"I was diagnosed with a heart murmur in 7th grade due mitral valve prolapse. Many years later, I became short of breath and very symptomatic. I needed a mitral valve replacement. Every aspect of my care, ... Read more.


"I thought I was just getting older.  It was harder to breathe and then I started to cough.  I had aortic stenosis. I was in such good hands at Baptist Health. The people there are wonderful. ... Read more.

Have A Question? Call Chris at (502) 317-2383

Chris Knoop, RN

Hi, my name is Chris Knoop, RN and I am the heart valve clinic coordinator for Baptist Cardiac Surgery.

I am a registered nurse having graduated from the University of Louisville in 1984. Currently, I work with three cardiothoracic surgeons, three interventional cardiologists, and a team of registered nurses who comprise Baptist Health Louisville’s structural heart program.

I work closely with patients and their families as they are being evaluated for a variety of procedures including TAVR, MitraClip, and ... Read more.

Clinical References For Our Patients

To help you learn more about Baptist Cardiac Surgery, here are references for you: