Türkiye has successfully carried out the first clinical operation using its first domestically produced heart-lung machine, developed jointly by the Health Ministry Turkish defence giant ASELSAN, officials said on Friday.
The Turkish health ministry called the operation “one of the turning points in the Turkish health industry” in a statement on X, saying the surgery marked “a great life-saving step,” noting that the patient had regained their health following the operation.
The device, ASELSAN LIFELINE HLM, took over the patient’s circulation and oxygenation during the procedure, enabling the surgery to be completed successfully, according to Haluk Gorgun, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries.
Gorgun described the system as “an engineering marvel” and said it was the first time the machine had “beaten in place of a heart” during an operation.
“The fact that we can now produce this critical device, which we had obtained from abroad for years, with our own capabilities is a valuable achievement for our technological independence,” Gorgun said, adding that authorities aimed to expand its use across other hospitals.
The device is seen as a reflection of Türkiye’s efforts to transfer engineering capabilities developed in the defence sector into civilian fields such as healthcare.
