Türkiye also stands out in cardiology in health tourism

Türkiye, with its modern healthcare infrastructure and strong expert staff, is also becoming a center of attraction in health tourism in the field of cardiology.

The high-tech ablation and arrhythmia treatments provided at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital's Arrhythmia Clinic attract patients from many countries, from the Balkans to the Middle East and North Africa, to Türkiye.

Bilkent City Hospital Cardiology Department Arrhythmia Clinic Director Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu told an AA correspondent that the Arrhythmia Clinic, which has a deep-rooted history, provides services with a strong team and advanced healthcare infrastructure.

Topaloğlu, noting that the clinic has three active electrophysiology laboratories, said, "We serve our patients in a comfortable environment with a well-equipped laboratory. We are the clinic in Türkiye that performs the most procedures, including ablation and pacing procedures."

Prof. Dr. Topaloğlu stated that heart rhythm disturbances cause serious complaints, and that symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue negatively impact patients' quality of life. Topaloğlu explained that ablation provides more successful results than drug therapy, saying, "We access the heart through the groin with special catheters. We eliminate the focal points of the disturbance using three-dimensional mapping and radiologic methods, thus restoring the patient's normal rhythm."

Recalling that health tourism in Türkiye is mostly associated with aesthetics, Topaloğlu said that cardiology is also starting to come to the fore with city hospitals.

Topaloğlu, stating that patients from abroad are amazed when they see the patient rooms and laboratories, said, "In fact, healthcare has gained momentum. The private sector also brings patients to these areas from health tourism. The construction of city hospitals has made a significant leap forward. When patients return home, they promote Türkiye. A large number of patients come. Because this infrastructure satisfies patients, we are preferred over our other global competitors."

Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu stated that they collaborate internationally not only in patient treatment but also in education, and that physicians from both Türkiye and abroad come to Bilkent City Hospital Arrhythmia Clinic for training. He continued:

"I can say that our clinic is quite ambitious in this regard. Colleagues from both Turkey and abroad come to our clinic for training purposes. We currently have one colleague from Azerbaijan and one from Kosovo. They stay here periodically for about six months and then return to their home countries. Our instructors here also travel to other countries to train on the procedures we perform and participate in the procedures there. Our clinic is accredited as a training clinic for many international companies. Many international colleagues come to our clinic and accompany our cases."

Living in Kosovo, 54-year-old İlır Pllana applied to Ankara Bilkent City Hospital due to heart disease.

Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu, noting that the patient had been suffering from heart palpitations for two years, said, "We performed an atrial fibrillation ablation procedure on our patient. He had been suffering from palpitations for two years. Medication had not provided any results. The patient was referred to us for ablation. We stayed in the hospital for one day. The next day, we discharged him and sent him back to his country. We regularly accept patients from abroad."