The advanced technology-equipped ablation and arrhythmia treatments performed at the Arrhythmia Clinic of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital attract patients from many countries, ranging from the Balkans to the Middle East and North Africa, to Turkey.
Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu, Director of the Cardiology Department Arrhythmia Clinic at Bilkent City Hospital, stated that they provide services with a strong team and advanced healthcare infrastructure at the Arrhythmia Clinic, which has a long-standing history.
Topaloğlu emphasized that three electrophysiology laboratories are actively operating in the clinic, saying, "We serve our patients in a comfortable environment with good laboratories and high-quality equipment. We are the clinic performing the highest number of procedures in Turkey, both ablations and interventions such as pacemakers."
Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu explained that heart rhythm disorders cause serious complaints and symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue negatively affect patients’ quality of life. He added that ablation procedures yield more successful results compared to drug treatments. “We reach the heart through the groin using special catheters. With three-dimensional mapping and radiological methods, we eliminate the foci causing the disorder. Thus, we restore the patient’s normal rhythm,” he said.
Health tourism is gaining momentum in cardiology
Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu noted that health tourism in Turkey is mostly associated with aesthetics but cardiology has started to gain prominence with the establishment of city hospitals.
He mentioned that patients from abroad are amazed when they see the patient rooms and laboratories, and said, “Along with that, healthcare has actually gained momentum. The private sector also attracts patients through health tourism in these fields. With the construction of city hospitals, we have made a significant leap forward. Patients who come here also promote Turkey when they return to their countries. We receive a large number of patients. Since this infrastructure greatly satisfies the patients, we are preferred more compared to our competitors worldwide.”
Training doctors from abroad
Prof. Dr. Serkan Topaloğlu emphasized that they have international collaborations not only in patient treatment but also in education. He stated that doctors from both Turkey and abroad come to Bilkent City Hospital’s Arrhythmia Clinic for training and said:
“Our clinic can actually be described as quite ambitious in this regard. Colleagues from both within the country and abroad come here for training purposes. Currently, we have one colleague each from Azerbaijan and Kosovo. They stay here for about six months in certain periods and then return to their countries. Our instructors also travel to different countries to provide training and participate in procedures there. Our clinic is accredited as a training clinic by many international companies. Many international colleagues come to our clinic and accompany our cases.”
Ablation procedure performed on a patient from Kosovo
İlır Pllana, a 54-year-old living in Kosovo, applied to Ankara Bilkent City Hospital due to a heart condition.
