Department of Cardiac Surgery - Memorial Ankara Hospital

About the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Memorial Ankara Hospital

The Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Memorial Ankara Hospital offers all the surgical options of modern medicine for the operative treatment of cardiovascular diseases, with the exception of heart transplantation. The department's specialists perform cardiac surgical interventions of any complexity – from various types of coronary artery bypass grafting to operations for the correction of heart valve diseases and congenital heart anomalies in adults. The department's cardiac surgeons are distinguished by their successful experience in coronary artery bypass grafting, including with the use of AESOP robotic surgical system. The operating rooms of the medical facility are equipped with state-of-the-art surgical instruments, modern monitoring systems, special thermal imaging cameras and other devices, which, in combination with the excellent professional skills of cardiac surgeons, guarantee safe and highly effective surgical treatment. In addition, the department performs most cardiac interventions without opening the chest and extensive surgical access. Thus, the patients benefit from the postoperative recovery in the shortest possible time and do not suffer from a severe pain syndrome. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Cem Yorgancıoglu.

The department's primary focus is on coronary artery bypass grafting for the restoration of blood flow in the coronary arteries in patients with coronary artery disease. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and lasts 4-6 hours. The department's cardiac surgeons specialize in coronary artery bypass grafting with the use of a heart-lung machine, without its use, as well as on minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting. In addition, the department is one of the few in Turkey where coronary artery bypass grafting is performed using the cutting-edge AESOP robotic device. Another feature of coronary artery bypass grafting in the department is the use of special thermal imaging cameras. The heart is accessed through the intercostal space on the left side or by dissecting the sternum. When performing the operation, cardiac surgeons create a bypass graft for blood flow. A part of the artery or vein from the upper or lower limb can be used for this purpose. After the operation, the patient is transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where he is under the 24-hour monitoring of highly qualified specialists. The department's cardiac surgeons are proud of their successful experience in the field of coronary artery bypass grafting and outstanding survival rates of their patients – only 1% mortality rate after surgery, while in the Cardiac Surgery Centers in developed countries this indicator is 1-3%.

The department's medical team quite often admits patients with acquired heart diseases and congenital heart valve diseases. Whenever possible, cardiac surgeons perform interventions to correct heart valve defects without heart valve replacement, but if the diagnostics reveals that reconstructive techniques will not help restore the full functionality of the valve, the patient requires its prosthetics (replacement). The department's specialists annually perform many operations to replace mitral, aortic and tricuspid valves. The department uses two types of modern prostheses for heart valve replacement – mechanical and biological ones. One of the decisive factors when choosing the type of prosthesis is the age of the patient, since biological valves wear out quickly and mechanical valves are durable. However, after the implantation of a mechanical prosthesis, the patient has to constantly take anticoagulants. Thus, the choice of the optimal type of prosthesis is made individually, taking into account all clinical indications and wishes of the patient. As for the technique of the surgical procedure, the department's surgeons specialize in both classical open surgical interventions with the use of a heart-lung machine and minimally invasive interventions, which do not require chest opening. With appropriate clinical indications, the department's doctors always give preference to minimally invasive interventions.

The department's range of surgical services includes:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
  • Coronary artery bypass grafting using a heart-lung machine
  • Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
  • Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting
• Reconstructive heart valve surgery
• Heart valve replacement surgery
  • Mitral valve replacement
  • Aortic valve replacement
  • Tricuspid valve replacement
• Revision heart valve interventions
• Surgical correction of congenital heart diseases in adults
• Implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators to treat arrhythmias
• Surgical correction of carotid stenosis caused by coronary heart disease
• Intensive care for patients after heart surgery
• Other medical services