Successful heart transplant marks major healthcare milestone in TRNC

The Ministry of Health has announced another major achievement in the healthcare sector, confirming that a successful heart transplant has been carried out on a patient suffering from heart failure.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Health, a patient who had been fitted with a heart support device four months ago due to heart failure successfully underwent a heart transplant after a suitable donor was found.

The Ministry reported that the patient is in good condition and recovering rapidly following the operation.

Minister of Health Hakan Dinçyürek visited the patient at Dr Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital, where the surgery was performed, and highlighted that thanks to the decision of a donor family, four patients regained their health.

Dinçyürek noted that as part of the same donation process, one organ was sent to Türkiye for a liver transplant, while two other patients received kidney transplants locally.

He added that with this latest procedure, the number of heart transplants performed at the hospital since the program was launched in 2019 has reached five, underscoring the significance of successfully carrying out such advanced operations locally, which are typically performed in only a limited number of centres in Türkiye.

Expressing gratitude to the donor family, Dinçyürek extended his condolences and emphasised the importance of raising awareness about organ donation across society.

Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist and Chief Physician Dr Hasan Birtan also stated that the fifth heart transplant under the program had been completed, stressing the life-saving importance of organ donation and the need for increased public awareness.

The 29-year-old male patient who underwent the transplant said he had previously struggled to walk but now feels significantly better following the operation, expressing his gratitude to the donor family and the medical team.