Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cemil Zencir and Asst. Prof. Dr. Sevil Gülaştı, faculty members of the Cardiology Department at Our University Hospital, successfully removed a foreign object that had reached the heart without surgery for the first time in Turkey using an innovative technique.
Providing information about the patient’s condition, Asst. Prof. Dr. Sevil Gülaştı stated that the patient had previously undergone a kyphoplasty-vertebroplasty procedure, during which the cement used for filling leaked into the blood vessels, causing a pulmonary embolism, a condition that poses serious life-threatening risks. She explained,
"Our patient frequently visited the emergency department due to recurrent shortness of breath. Further examinations revealed that the polymethylmethacrylate material used in vertebroplasty had leaked into the veins and traveled all the way to the heart. Given that this condition was causing repeated pulmonary embolisms, we evaluated the patient using a multidisciplinary approach."
Although surgical intervention was initially considered, due to the high risk posed to the patient, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cemil Zencir developed a custom-modified catheter and decided to remove the foreign object through a closed procedure via the right jugular vein. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cemil Zencir emphasized,
"The patient's condition was assessed by multiple specialties. In such interventions, patient safety is our top priority. After evaluating the mechanical strength of the cement, we determined the most suitable technique and successfully removed it as a single piece using a closed method."
The patient recovered rapidly and was discharged within two days. Expressing gratitude to the doctors, the patient stated,
"I came to the hospital, and my doctors intervened immediately, restoring my health. They took great care of me. Thanks to the method they applied, I regained my health in a very short time. I am deeply grateful to them—may God bless them all."
This groundbreaking intervention, believed to be the first of its kind in Turkey, was successfully performed at Our University Hospital. Through rapid and effective treatment, the patient regained health, while this innovative method made a significant contribution to medical advancements.
