Mustafa Ertuğrul Mercan, MD

Mustafa Ertuğrul Mercan, MD is a cardiologist at Acibadem Atakent Hospital in İstanbul, where he works in the Cardiology Department. His subspecialty is cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and his clinical interests include coronary artery disease, heart failure, myocarditis, angiography, chronic total occlusion (CTO) and rheumatic heart disease.

Dr. Mercan graduated from İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine in 2004 and completed his cardiology specialty training at İstanbul University Cardiology Institute in 2011. Between 2005 and 2007, he worked as an on-call cardiology doctor at Hizmet Hospital. After completing his specialty training, he served as a cardiology specialist at Ankara GATA Cardiology Clinic from 2011 to 2012 as part of his military service, during which he was also health team commander of the Chief of General Staff Protection Team. He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2012 and completed his compulsory service as a cardiology specialist at Ardahan State Hospital between 2012 and 2013.

Clinical focus

Coronary artery disease is a central part of Dr. Mercan’s practice. He evaluates patients with suspected or established coronary artery disease and performs angiography as part of the diagnostic assessment. His areas of expertise also include chronic total occlusion (CTO), a form of coronary artery disease in which a vessel has been completely blocked for an extended period. Treatment decisions in these cases depend on the individual patient’s symptoms, imaging findings and overall condition, and not every occlusion requires an interventional procedure.

Dr. Mercan also cares for patients with heart failure, myocarditis and rheumatic heart disease, a condition in which the heart valves are damaged following rheumatic fever. Alongside diagnosis and medical management, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation forms a distinct part of his work. Structured rehabilitation may be considered for suitable patients recovering from a cardiac event or living with a chronic heart condition, with the aim of supporting recovery and day-to-day functioning. Whether rehabilitation is appropriate, and in what form, is assessed for each patient individually.

How Dr. Mercan works with international patients

Dr. Mercan 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 MRI, CT or ultrasound reports, 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 possible options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case with Dr. Mercan remotely.