Assoc. Prof. M.D. Ufuk Gürkan

A 28-year-old female professional freediver presented with episodes of near-syncope during deep dives. Dr. Gürkan discovered a rare patent foramen ovale with right-to-left shunting only under extreme pressure conditions, explaining her symptoms. She underwent a percutaneous closure procedure and returned to competitive freediving six months later with a modified dive protocol.

A 72-year-old retired shipyard welder from a low-income neighborhood presented with progressive fatigue. He had a complex medical history including asbestos exposure. Dr. Gürkan diagnosed constrictive pericarditis secondary to old radiation therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma (undocumented in his records). After a pericardiectomy, his quality of life improved dramatically despite a lengthy three-month recovery.

A 19-year-old university student, an immigrant from Kyrgyzstan, collapsed during a football match. Dr. Gürkan identified arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. The patient's family was unreachable initially, requiring ethical committee consultation. With eventual family involvement, an ICD was implanted. The student now coaches youth football instead of playing competitively.

A 41-year-old pregnant woman (32 weeks gestation) was referred for new-onset palpitations. Dr. Gürkan diagnosed peripartum cardiomyopathy. He coordinated a multidisciplinary team including obstetrics for careful beta-blocker titration. She delivered a healthy baby via planned C-section and showed significant cardiac function recovery over nine months of follow-up.