Cardiology

Our Cardiology Department is a clinical and laboratory unit where all areas of cardiology are practiced, including diagnosis and treatment methods. We provide services such as Exercise Stress Test (EFOR), Electrocardiogram (ECG), Blood Pressure Holter, Rhythm Holter, Stress Holter, and more.

WHAT IS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE?

Heart diseases, especially coronary artery disease, are the leading cause of death worldwide and in our country. Our organs require oxygen and nutrients to stay alive and perform their functions. These essential oxygen and nutrients are delivered to organs through arteries by the heart’s pumping action.

The heart itself also needs nourishment to function properly. The vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle are called coronary arteries. Narrowing or blockage of these arteries due to atherosclerosis reduces blood flow, causing the heart to receive insufficient nutrients and oxygen, impairing its function. As a result, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to other organs decreases, leading to symptoms related to various organs over time.

WHY IS CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY NECESSARY?

Early diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, especially in individuals with risk factors for heart disease, are critically important. The goal is to protect the patient from possible heart attack complications. Therefore, in patients suspected of coronary artery disease based on tests such as ECG (electrocardiogram), echocardiography (heart ultrasound), and exercise ECG (stress test), a diagnostic procedure called coronary angiography is required for definitive diagnosis.

Coronary angiography is a diagnostic procedure, not a surgery. It involves injecting a special dye into the heart vessels (coronary arteries) and capturing images using a special imaging system. The procedure is performed in advanced laboratories equipped with angiography devices and staffed by trained cardiologists and medical personnel. Patients remain awake and can communicate during the procedure, which does not require anesthesia.

Access to the heart vessels is usually gained through the right femoral artery (groin), though sometimes the arm artery is used. The groin area is numbed with a needle before inserting a plastic sheath into the artery. The patient might feel slight discomfort during this step but will feel nothing afterward. Then, a thin, flexible catheter is advanced through the sheath up to the aorta—the largest artery where coronary arteries originate. The catheter is positioned at the coronary artery openings, and a contrast dye is injected, making the coronary arteries visible from different angles on X-ray images to detect the location and severity of any narrowing.

The injection of the contrast dye does not cause pain, but patients may experience temporary warmth, flushing, or nausea for about 20-30 seconds as the dye passes through the vessels.