For heart patients in Charlotte, the robots have officially arrived. Novant Health has brought in nationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Everett and launched a robotic mitral valve repair program at its Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, giving patients with mitral valve disease a less invasive option close to home. The technique uses small incisions and robotic instruments instead of traditional open-chest surgery, which can shorten recovery and ease the physical toll of the operation. Novant says the new program should keep more complex valve care in the region instead of sending patients to far-off referral centers.
Novant names Dr. Jeffrey Everett to lead program
The health system announced both the service and the high-profile hire in an early March press release, tapping Dr. Jeffrey Everett as the program’s surgical lead, according to Novant Health. In that announcement, Dr. Everett said, “Minimally invasive heart surgery is transforming how we care for patients with mitral valve disease,” calling the robotic approach a pathway to quicker recoveries for patients who qualify.
Less invasive option, shorter hospital stays
Robotic mitral valve repair allows surgeons to fix or replace the valve without dividing the breastbone, which typically means smaller wounds, less pain and a faster trip back home. The technique can trim hospital stays “from about a week to two days” for some patients, and recovery times can be roughly twice as fast compared with traditional methods, according to Charlotte Business Journal. Those kinds of gains are pushing health systems to build out robotic cardiac services for patients who are good candidates.
Meet Dr. Jeffrey Everett
Dr. Everett brings deep experience in robotic cardiac surgery and a strong academic background. He completed his medical training at Ohio State, followed by residency at the University of Minnesota and a thoracic fellowship at the University of Michigan. He has also held roles at Indiana University Health and the University of Tennessee Medical Center, according to provider profiles. A concise overview of his credentials is available on Healthgrades.
How Charlotte fits into a changing cardiac landscape
Robotic mitral valve repair is still concentrated at a relatively small group of specialized, high-volume centers, but adoption is widening as more outcomes data come in, per a recent systematic review on PubMed Central. Academic programs across North Carolina, including teams at Duke and ECU that have developed minimally invasive valve expertise, help explain why Novant is moving to add robotic capability in Charlotte, as ECU Health’s provider pages illustrate. The new program gives more patients the option to receive advanced valve care without leaving the region for referral operations.
How to learn more and schedule
Novant says patients who may benefit can request an appointment through its Heart & Vascular site. For details and referrals, visit NovantHealth.org/heart or talk with your cardiology team. The health system says it plans to expand access to robotic valve procedures across the Carolinas as training and demand grow.
