Türkiye ranks second in Europe in artificial and robotic heart surgery

Turkey has paid great attention in recent years to the field of artificial and robotic heart surgery, to become one of the leading countries in this field, in light of the high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases.

President of the Cardiovascular Surgery Association in Turkey, Professor Kurshad Bozkurt, said that Turkey is one of the leading countries in Europe in the field of artificial and robotic heart surgery.

Bozkurt said in an interview with Anadolu Agency on the occasion of Heart Health Week, which falls between April 10-16, that Turkey ranks second in Europe in artificial and robotic heart surgeries.

He explained that cardiovascular disease is one of the most common diseases, and its prevalence rate in Turkey is similar to that of developed countries.

The second is Europe

Bozkurt added, "15 out of every 1,000 people between the ages of 30-79 in Turkey suffer from carotid artery stenosis, and therefore it is necessary to monitor, control and intervene because there is a risk of temporary or permanent paralysis for more than 600,000 people."

He continued, "One out of every 65 men over the age of 65 suffers from aortic dilatation, and it must be monitored and treated."

Doctor Bozkurt mentioned that "heart stents still occupy an important place in the treatment of coronary artery diseases," noting that "heart stents may not be the most appropriate solution for every patient."

He stated that "coronary bypass surgery is performed annually for nearly 70,000 patients, and that robotic heart surgery and the development of heart-lung machines and artificial hearts have made major changes in heart surgery over the past ten years."

Bozkurt stressed that Turkey "occupies the second place in Europe after Germany in the field of artificial and robotic heart surgery," pointing to the possibility of supporting the patient's heart using high-tech devices.

Heart transplantation in Türkiye

Bozkurt explained that artificial heart support operations usually take an average of 5 hours, and they vary according to the patient, with follow-up ranging between 20 and 25 per day.

He added that more than 200 patients with heart failure are returning to their normal lives using the "artificial heart".

And he added, "So far, an artificial heart has been installed for about two thousand patients in Turkey, and artificial heart transplants annually range between 50 and 60 operations."

The doctor confirmed that patients can continue their daily lives normally after the artificial heart implantation.

Robotic surgery

As for the robotic surgery, Bozkurt said that it "provides important advantages for the patient, and that robotic surgeries are performed while preserving the integrity of the thoracic cage wall without making any incisions, and thus the absence of respiratory problems after this operation."

He added, "In addition, bleeding cases are very low in robotic surgery, and the patient does not need a blood transfusion. In the absence of exceptional cases, the patient can leave the hospital after one day in intensive care and 4 days in service rooms, unlike the classic open surgeries in which bones are cut." the chest".

The doctor stressed "the importance of early diagnosis of diseases in the face of threats to human life that evolve with time."