At the 10th Jubilee Congress of the Georgian Society of Cardiology, the 35th anniversary of the organization’s founding was also celebrated. For their outstanding contribution to the development of the field during this period, doctors were presented with honorary awards.
Among those awarded was Professor Ismet Dindar, a cardiologist of Georgian descent practicing in Turkey, who was awarded the Gulnara Chapidze Medal in the category “For Innovation in Cardiology.” His name is associated with performing the first stenting procedure in Georgia. Mr. Ismet spoke to us about the changes that have taken place in cardiology over the past years.
Mr. Ismet, about 28 years ago you performed the first stenting in Georgia. Could you share with us how this process began and how you assess the changes that have taken place in the field during this time?
We performed the first stenting in the history of Georgia. Coronary angiography was already being performed at the Academician Gulnara Chapidze Emergency Cardiology Center, but Mr. Aleko Aladashvili and I motivated each other, and over the course of about 2–3 days, we performed stenting on 10 patients. It was right after this that these procedures actively continued in Georgia.
About 28 years have passed since then, and I am very happy that the work of cardiologists in Georgia has advanced so much. Cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, and high-tech methods have developed. In Istanbul, I often see many patients coming from various fields for treatment, but no one comes from Georgia for cardiology conditions. It is a great happiness for me that these procedures have developed so well in my beautiful homeland. I am glad and hope that in the future patients will not need to go anywhere — all treatment will be available locally.
How would you rate today’s congress, its significance, and the recognition that the pioneers of the field received?
It is very commendable that these people were awarded at the event. When I arrived, they were already the pioneers of this field back then. Such recognition is a very good motivation for future doctors; if they work well and develop, 30 years from now they will be the ones standing on this stage.
