Page 7 - Best Heart сheck up doctors: TOP 133 doctors

Prof. Dr. Deniz Süha Küçükaksu is a cardiovascular surgeon with over 35 years of experience. He specializes in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, heart transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support. He leads the Heart Transplantation and Artificial Heart Center at Başkent University Istanbul Hospital.

Dr. Küçükaksu completed his medical and surgical training in Turkey. He also received advanced fellowships in Germany, France, and the United States. His focus has been on LVAD systems and heart failure surgery.

He introduced mechanical circulatory support and artificial heart programs in Turkey. He has performed many types of surgeries, including coronary bypass (off-pump), valve replacements, aortic repair (EVAR/TEVAR), and reoperations. He has also established heart transplant centers at several institutions.

Dr. Küçükaksu has held senior academic and administrative roles. He has contributed to total artificial heart surgery and hybrid cardiovascular procedures. He has received national and international awards for his scientific and surgical work.

The doctor is a highly experienced cardiac surgeon with over 20 years in the field. He holds an MBBS from Govt: Medical College Trivandrum, an MS from Govt: Medical College Baroda, and an MCh in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery from Govt: Medical College Trivandrum. He has received special training from AIIMS, New Delhi, and Waikato Hospital, New Zealand.

His clinical focus includes the Bentall Procedure, CABG - Redo, Cardiac Valve Replacement, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), Heart Double Valve Replacement, Heart Port Surgery, and VSD Closure/Repair for adults.

He has served as a Resident Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Nawaloka Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka, and currently practices as a Consultant CT Surgeon at NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain, UAE.

The doctor received training in Family Medicine at Laval University in Quebec and has 15 years of experience in Emergency Medicine at McGill and University of Montreal Teaching Hospitals. The doctor has published numerous articles, served on various committees, and held a lecturer position in Family Medicine at the University of Montreal.

Currently based in Madrid, Spain, the doctor sees patients at private medical offices, teaches at St. Pablo CEU Medical School, and serves as a medical advisor for the European Space Agency. Additionally, the doctor is the National Consulting Physician in Spain for Air France and KLM airlines and is the Chief of the Executive Health Program at the Hospital de Madrid.

Areas of Interest

• Cardiac CTA
• Cardiac MRI
• Transthoracic echocardiography
• Transesophageal echocardiography
• Stress echocardiography
• Advanced heart failure
• Preventive cardiology
• Hypertension

Education:

• Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine (1998)
• Dr. Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center Cardiology Department (1999-2004)
• Harvard Medical School Advances in echocardiography course (2006)
• Level I Cardiac MRI certification course (2005)

Experience:

• Acıbadem Fulya Hospital, Department of Cardiology (2010-2021)
• Anadolu Health Center (2008-2010)
• Şırnak Military Hospital (2007-2008)
• V.K.V American Hospital, Department of Cardiology (2004-2007)

Dr. Fernando Villagrá is a respected cardiovascular surgeon who specializes in pediatric cardiac surgery. He completed his medical degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. He later earned his specialization in Cardiovascular Surgery at the Autonomous University of Madrid. His doctoral thesis received the distinction of “Outstanding Cum Laude.”

Dr. Villagrá has more than 40 years of experience. He has led pediatric cardiac surgery departments at top hospitals in Spain, including Hospital Universitario La Paz and Montepríncipe University Hospital. He has performed thousands of complex surgeries. He has also contributed to over 100 scientific publications in both international and national journals.

He is a member of the Spanish Society of Cardiology. He also serves on the editorial boards of leading medical journals. This reflects his dedication to advancing cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. Meki Bilici is a pediatric cardiologist with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in interventional cardiology and treats complex congenital heart diseases in children. He is known for his skills in minimally invasive transcatheter procedures. Dr. Bilici is also experienced in fetal and pediatric echocardiography and advanced angiographic diagnostics. He performs interventions in both neonates and infants.

Dr. Bilici has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in international journals. He has also contributed chapters to medical books at both national and international levels. His work supports the education of pediatric cardiology. He has taken part in multicenter clinical studies, including research on the Occlutech® Duct Occluder for PDA closure. Dr. Bilici often presents his findings at major medical congresses around the world.

He has held important clinical and academic positions at hospitals such as Liv Hospital, Medical Park, and Dicle University. Dr. Bilici is a member of the Turkish Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery Association. He is dedicated to training future pediatric cardiologists and improving national standards of care.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Vefik Yazıcıoğlu is a leading interventional cardiologist with over 30 years of experience. He specializes in high-risk coronary interventions, chronic total occlusions (CTO), TAVI, MitraClip, and structural heart defect closures.

He has performed thousands of advanced procedures. These include radial and peripheral interventions, EVAR/TEVAR, pacemaker and CRT implantations, LAA closure, and carotid or renal interventions. Dr. Yazıcıoğlu is a pioneer in advanced imaging such as IVUS, OCT, TEE, and FFR. He uses these tools to ensure precision in complex cases.

As an influential academic, he has delivered many oral presentations and published research at national and international congresses. His work has advanced the fields of coronary physiology and hemodynamics. He is a member of the European Society of Cardiology and the Turkish Cardiology Association. Dr. Yazıcıoğlu also mentors young cardiologists at major hospitals.

The prof. Giuseppe Speziale holds the positions of the National Coordinator of Cardiac Surgery of GVM Care & Research, the Director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Anthea Hospital and Città di Lecce Hospital, and Director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Santa Maria Hospital. He works at the Cardiological Clinical Institute (ICC) and San Carlo di Nancy Hospital in Rome. Since 2011 he has also held the position of Vice President of GVM Care & Research. In 2012 he occupied the charge of President of Confindustria Puglia, Health Section, and since 2018 he is Vice President of Aiop Puglia (Italian association of private hospitals). The prof. Speziale is a cardiac surgeon specializing in the minimally invasive surgical treatment of valve diseases, expert in minimally invasive repair of the mitral valve, in On and Off Pump myocardial revascularization, in thoracic aortic surgery. He is Co - Founder and President of the Scientific Committee of Mitral Academy, an independent association born from the passion for mitral surgery and the desire to pursue and share excellence in restorative surgery, with particular attention to minimally invasive techniques and the evaluation of potential therapeutic treatments deriving from the use of new technologies. Until 2016 he was elected Director of the Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery. He is part of the following associations: AATS (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), Italian Society of Cardiology Accredited Hospital, SICOA (active member), ISMICS (International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery). Since 2004 he has held the position of Scientific Director of the Italian Cardiopathic Association onlus.

In the field of scientific research, he focuses on new approaches, applicable in the field of minimally invasive and non-invasive mitral, aortic, cardiac arrhythmias and tricuspid surgery. He was the coordinator and researcher of the various projects of the National Research Council on Myocardial Infarction, on the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, on new technologies for carrying out coronary, cardiopulmonary and normothermic bypass. He was an adjunct professor at the Sapienza University of Rome where he held the Chair of Cardiology II, and at the University of Ferrara, where he teaches Cardiac Surgery. He has presented numerous scientific papers at national and international congresses of cardiology and cardiac surgery.

Bibliography: He is co-author of 6 books known nationally and internationally. The most recent one is Advances in Treatments for Aortic Valve and Root Diseases, publisher Springer International Publishing, 2018.

He is Reviewer and author of over 90 publications of multiple journals, such as Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, Heart & Lung: The Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Acute Care, European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal on Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery etc.

Awards: “Top Doctors Awards”, 2021

The doctor is a proficient and skilled cardiologist who actively engages in scientific work and regularly participates in medical conferences. With a focus on advancing cardiology, the doctor contributes to the field through research and knowledge sharing.

Dr. Ismail Oral Hastaoglu graduated from Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine in 1998. He completed his specialization at Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center in 2005. He is a member of several professional organizations, including EACTS, ESVS, UVCD, the Phlebology Association, and TKDCD.

Dr. Hastaoglu specializes in coronary bypass surgery, heart valve surgery, congenital heart diseases, heart tumors, and aneurysm treatments. He also has experience in carotid artery operations, aortic aneurysm repair, peripheral artery disease management, and AV fistula procedures. He has made important contributions to cardiovascular surgery.