Meet Our Structural Heart Team

The transcather aortic valve replacement program (TAVR) started at the UA Sarver Heart Center in 2012 under the leadership of Kapil Lotun, MD, an interventional cardiologist who has clinical expertise in structural heart disease and congenital heart defects. The TAVR procedure is a minimally invasive catheter-based treatment option for patients who are considered "high or medium" risk to survive open-heart surgery to replace aortic valves affected by severe aortic stenosis. In this condition, the valve does not open properly and blood cannot leave the heart chambers to get out to the rest of the body.

The team includes specially trained cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, nurse practitioners, nurses and medical assistants, plus other health professionals.

Interventional Cardiologists
Kapil Lotun, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, RVT Associate Professor of Medicine Director of TAVR Director Structural Heart Disease Program Director Vascular Medicine Program Director of Interventional Cardiology Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Program Director, Interventional Fellowship Program
Ranjith Shetty, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine Associate Director of Structural Heart Disease
Adult Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Toshinobu Kazui, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Support Staff
Kristie W. Fry, ACNP-BC Structural Heart Nurse Practitioner Division of Cardiology
Devan V. Lodge, RN, MSc, CCRN RN Clinical Coordinator Structural Heart Disease
Erin Scala, RN, BSN RN Clinical Coordinator Structural Heart Disease

For more information or to refer a patient, contact: 
Phone: (520) 694-4686 • Fax: (520) 694-1007 • BUMCTStructuralHeart@bannerhealth.com