Asst. Prof. Hilal Kurtoğlu Gümüşel, MD

Asst. Prof. Hilal Kurtoğlu Gümüşel, MD is a cardiologist in the Cardiology Department of Acibadem Atasehir Hospital in İstanbul. She has more than 24 years in medicine, and her clinical work covers the assessment and follow-up of a range of cardiovascular conditions, from blood pressure disorders and coronary artery disease to heart failure, heart valve disease and arrhythmias.

Dr. Gümüşel graduated from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2002 and completed her specialty training in cardiology at İstanbul Bilim University in 2008. Between 2003 and 2008 she worked at İstanbul Bilim University Florence Nightingale Hospital. She then practiced at Çankırı Devlet Hospital from 2009 to 2010 and at Özel Erdem Hospital from 2010 to 2017, before joining Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2017. She is a member of the Turkish Medical Association, the European Cardiology Association and the Turkish Cardiology Association. She has co-authored publications on endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors, aspirin resistance and non-fatal coronary events after percutaneous coronary interventions, the relation between coronary flow rate and plasma endothelin-1 concentrations, genetic variants associated with decreased HDL-cholesterol levels and coronary artery disease, and Marfan syndrome and ascending aortic disease.

Clinical focus

A large part of Dr. Gümüşel’s practice concerns blood pressure and the coronary circulation. She evaluates and follows patients with hypertension and hypotension, and she assesses patients with coronary artery disease, including those presenting with angina or after a heart attack. Her work also includes the diagnosis and ongoing management of heart failure, where regular review of symptoms, medication and cardiac function forms the basis of care.

Dr. Gümüşel also sees patients with heart valve disease, in particular aortic stenosis and mitral valve insufficiency, which are often first suspected when a heart murmur is heard. Her expertise further extends to arrhythmias, to congenital conditions such as atrial septal defect, and to myocarditis. Depending on the findings, she discusses with each patient whether observation, medical treatment or referral for a procedure is the appropriate next step.

How Dr. Gümüşel works with international patients

Dr. Gümüşel consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as echocardiography, CT or MRI reports, ECG recordings, laboratory results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the available options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation or existing reports with Dr. Gümüşel before deciding whether to travel.