Heart Center • Koru Hospital

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sonel Heart Center

Koru Hospital Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sonel Heart Center is one of the leading reference centers in Ankara for the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases. Our center provides seamless and holistic cardiovascular care by integrating cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, arrhythmia center, and cardiac rehabilitation units under one roof.

Cardiac Surgery Unit

Our cardiac surgery team performs all open-heart surgeries, primarily coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), heart valve repair and replacement, aortic surgery, and congenital heart disease surgery. The main surgical procedures performed at our center include:

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery — off-pump and classic cardiopulmonary bypass techniques
Mitral valve repair and replacement — with biological and mechanical valve options
Aortic valve surgery — including minimally invasive approaches such as TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation)
Aortic aneurysm and dissection surgery — Bentall procedure, David procedure, composite graft applications
Cardiac tumor surgery — intracardiac mass excision
Pericardial diseases — pericardiectomy and pericardial drainage

Our operating rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art heart-lung machines, intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP), and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) support. Our surgical team performs safe operations even for high-risk and elderly patient groups.

Interventional Cardiology Unit

Our interventional cardiology unit operates with two state-of-the-art angiography laboratories. Coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI/stent), which are the gold standards in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, are among the most intensive areas of activity at our center.

Procedures performed in the interventional cardiology unit:

Coronary angiography — diagnostic evaluation via radial and femoral artery approach
Percutaneous coronary intervention (stent implantation) — drug-eluting stent (DES) and bare-metal stent (BMS) applications
Advanced intravascular imaging with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement — assessment of physiological significance
Chronic total occlusion (CTO) recanalization — opening of occluded vessels
Rotablation and lithotripsy — specialized treatment for calcified lesions
Balloon valvuloplasty and ASD/PFO closure procedures
Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure — stroke risk reduction

Thanks to our 24/7 active primary PCI service for emergency myocardial infarction (heart attack) cases, the door-to-balloon time is kept below the duration recommended by international guidelines.

Arrhythmia Center and Electrophysiology Laboratory

The arrhythmia center is a unit specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. Advanced interventions such as electrophysiology (EPS) studies, catheter ablation, pacemaker implantation, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement are performed by our experienced electrophysiology team.

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation — treatment of atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia
Cryoablation — ablation with freezing energy for pulmonary vein isolation
3D electroanatomical mapping — precise lesion localization with CARTO and EnSite systems
Permanent pacemaker implantation — single-chamber, dual-chamber, and His bundle applications
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) — biventricular pacing for advanced heart failure
Subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) and leadless pacemaker applications

Long-term rhythm monitoring methods such as Holter monitoring, tilt table test, event recorder, and implantable loop recorder (ILR) are also routinely used at our center.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit

Our cardiac rehabilitation program is structured to accelerate the recovery process and improve the quality of life for patients who have undergone heart surgery, received stents, or have been diagnosed with heart failure. Our multidisciplinary team, consisting of a cardiologist, physiotherapist, dietitian, and psychologist, prepares individualized rehabilitation programs for each patient.

Our cardiac rehabilitation process consists of three phases:

Phase I (in-hospital) — early mobilization after surgery or intervention, breathing exercises, and patient education
Phase II (outpatient) — graded exercise program accompanied by ECG monitoring, nutritional counseling, and psychological support
Phase III (maintenance) — home-based exercise program, risk factor management, and periodic check-ups

In the rehabilitation unit, patients' functional capacities are objectively evaluated using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), telemetric exercise monitoring, and the six-minute walk test.

Advanced Diagnostic Technologies

Advanced technologies used for diagnostic evaluation at our Heart Center:

Echocardiography laboratory — transthoracic (TTE), transesophageal (TEE), stress echocardiography, and 3D echocardiography
Cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography — including coronary artery calcium scoring
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — myocardial tissue characterization and viability assessment
Nuclear cardiology — myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (SPECT)
Exercise stress test (treadmill) — screening for exercise-induced ischemia and arrhythmia

Patient Journey

Patients who apply to our Heart Center go through a coordinated care process from initial evaluation to post-treatment follow-up. Following a detailed medical history and physical examination during the first outpatient visit, necessary imaging and laboratory tests are planned. The findings are evaluated collectively by surgical, interventional cardiology, and clinical cardiology specialists at the Heart Council, which meets on specific days of the week. Treatment decisions are made according to international guidelines and the patient's individual risk profile.

After an intervention or surgery, our patients are followed under close monitoring in the coronary intensive care and cardiovascular surgery intensive care units. Long-term health is ensured through regular outpatient check-ups after discharge, the cardiac rehabilitation program, and a telephone follow-up system when necessary.

Why Koru Hospital Heart Center?

Expert staff consisting of Turkey's experienced cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists
Two fully equipped angiography laboratories and 24/7 emergency intervention capacity
Integration of surgical, interventional, and clinical cardiology with a multidisciplinary approach
Coronary and CVC intensive care units at international standards
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program that accelerates post-operative recovery
Proven quality with low infection rates and high patient satisfaction

At Koru Hospital Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sonel Heart Center, we ensure our patients return to a healthy life by applying the most current diagnostic and treatment methods for cardiovascular diseases with our expert staff. You can contact us for detailed information about our center and to schedule an appointment.