Ilker Hamurişçi, who lives in Torbalı district, applied to the Emergency Department of Torbalı State Hospital on October 29 with severe chest pain. It was determined that Hamurişçi had a heart attack and 35 minutes of chest compressions were performed. İlker Hamurişçi was transferred by ambulance to SBÜ İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital. It was stated that the chance of survival was quite low, but with cooling therapy performed here, his body temperature was lowered, and he was returned to life without brain cell damage.
Expressing that he felt very good and thanking his doctors, İlker Hamurişçi said, “On Wednesday, October 29, I got sick. I don’t remember anything else. After I came to my senses, I picked up my phone. The last thing I remember is having a mild argument with my wife and going to my father’s house. I told my father, ‘My back and shoulders are hurting,’ but I don’t remember that clearly. After that, I had a heart attack. I was surprised to learn these. I feel like I haven’t lived through these 4-5 days of my life. Long-lasting chest compressions were performed. From the doctor in the ambulance to everyone who came to the hospital, nobody left me. May God be pleased with all of them,” he stated.
Hamurişçi’s aunt, Serap İpek, who accompanied him, also said, “In these two weeks, we experienced both sadness and happiness. Our doctors brought İlker back to life. We were afraid of losing him. It was a miracle, my Lord gave İlker back to us,” she said.
‘WHEN HE ARRIVED, THE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL WAS VERY LOW’
Cardiology Specialist Dr. Halil Gülyiğit stated that the patient was unconscious when he arrived and said, “His lungs were connected to a machine, and his overall condition was poor. One of his coronary arteries was completely blocked. After opening the artery, we stabilized the patient,” he explained.
Dr. Aykut Sarıtaş, Anesthesiology and Reanimation Specialist, who stated that İlker Hamurişçi was intubated and on mechanical ventilatory support when transferred from coronary intensive care, and his cardiac functions were also poor, said, “His blood pressure was very low. When he arrived, his chance of survival was very low. These patients can be considered as both cardiac emergencies and neurological emergencies. After bringing them back to life, it is very important that they do not remain in a vegetative state, and that their brain functions are good. We applied cooling therapy. This treatment, which is not available in most places, is available in our hospital. We monitored brain functions. After a few days, when we took the patient off the mechanical ventilator and observed his consciousness, this situation made us happy. The fact that our patient was discharged walking, able to talk with us, and not in a vegetative state is a great miracle. With a multidisciplinary approach involving our cardiology doctor and intensive care team, we achieved this success,” he explained.
‘WE REDUCE THE BRAIN’S OXYGEN CONSUMPTION’
Expressing that they lowered the patient’s internal body temperature to 36 degrees, Prof. Dr. Sarıtaş continued: “The patient received 35 minutes of chest compressions. During this massage, our patient’s brain could have been deprived of oxygen. Later, due to heart failure and reduced blood pumping, the amount of oxygen going to the brain might have been decreased as well. When we cool the body slightly, we reduce the brain’s oxygen consumption. Our goal is to protect the brain. This minimizes damage. Doing this early on can produce effective results. But if delayed, it is not possible to achieve this. We preserved the unaffected areas of the brain. With cooling therapy, we keep the patient’s temperature a few degrees below normal. This gives the brain cells more time to regenerate. There is a high duration of about 35 minutes of chest compressions. If oxygen does not reach the brain in three or four minutes, brain cells can die. The success of the people performing the chest compressions also plays a role. Interestingly, during the same period, three patients coincidentally arrived in intensive care. We intervened simultaneously for all three, and none of them are on mechanical ventilation or oxygen support. All three can talk and communicate.”
‘COMPLAINTS HAVE STARTED, BUT I DID NOT PAY MUCH ATTENTION’
One of the patients who recovered in the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Clinic was Selahattin Poyraz (64). Giving information about Poyraz’s health, Anesthesiology and Reanimation Specialist Associate Prof. Dr. Çiler Zincircioğlu said, “This patient’s cardiac complaints started 3-4 months ago, but he did not regard them as serious. He experiences chest pain and suddenly faints. His relatives notice that his heart is not beating and bring him to the hospital. Then, he is referred to our cardiology department. After the stent placement via angioplasty, he arrived in our clinic intubated. He was unconscious and in poor overall condition. We applied hypothermia (cold therapy) to the patient for 24 hours. During this period, he was kept sedated. When we woke him up, his consciousness gradually recovered,” she stated.
