Cardiac surgery abroad: what you should know

Facing a long wait for planned cardiac surgery? What to understand about having heart surgery abroad — waiting times, cost, quality, and how the process works.

Heart conditions such as coronary artery disease or valve disease often come with a recommendation for surgery — and, in many health systems, a wait before that surgery happens. If you have been told you face a long wait for planned cardiac surgery, having it done abroad is a legitimate option worth understanding.

Why the wait can be so long

In the Netherlands, the officially agreed maximum acceptable waiting time — the "Treeknorm" — is around four weeks for a first specialist appointment and six to seven weeks for treatment. For planned cardiac surgery such as bypass grafting or valve repair, actual waits can run longer than that norm and vary from one hospital to another. Urgent cases are triaged faster in every system; this is about planned, non-emergency procedures. It is worth checking the current published waiting time at your own hospital.

What planned cardiac surgery involves

Depending on the diagnosis, treatment can range from minimally invasive procedures to open-heart surgery such as coronary artery bypass grafting or valve repair and replacement. Whether surgery is the right option for you, which technique suits your case, and what your recovery will look like are decisions only a treating cardiac surgeon and cardiology team can make after a full evaluation. Saluvia does not give medical advice — this is general background, not a recommendation.

Why people consider having it done abroad

• Speed— being evaluated and treated in weeks rather than months, once the hospital's cardiology team has reviewed your case.
• Cost— you pay the hospital directly, the same price as going direct, and Saluvia's coordination is free to you. International patients are not charged Turkish VAT, so the total can be considerably lower than comparable private care in Western Europe. We do not publish per-treatment prices; the hospital confirms costs for your specific case after evaluation.
• Quality — in Istanbul, the American Hospital and Koç University Hospital are members of the Mayo Clinic Care Network and hold JCI accreditation, standards that apply to cardiac surgery as they do to every other department.

How it works with Saluvia

The process is the same as for any treatment we coordinate: you share your situation and existing cardiac records, the hospital's cardiology and cardiac surgery team reviews them and advises, and — if you decide to go ahead — we help you plan. Read the full walkthrough in How treatment abroad works, step by step, and if safety is on your mind, see how to judge a hospital abroad.

How to prepare

• Gather your relevant medical records in English — echocardiogram and angiogram reports, ECGs, referral letters, and a current medication list.
• Note any prior cardiac events or procedures, and your current cardiologist's contact details, in case the hospital's team needs to request further information.
• Write down the questions you want to ask the cardiac team.

Every clinical decision about your heart is made by the hospital's own cardiology and cardiac surgery specialists. Our job is to get you to the right team quickly and support you through the process.

Request a free assessment to find out what treatment could look like for you.

Saluvia provides coordination, guidance, and information only — not medical advice. All medical assessment is carried out by the doctors at our partner hospitals.