Kazakhstan’s cardiac care has crossed a major milestone.
Over 15 years, the UMC Heart Center in Astana has performed more than 130,000 procedures, including 109 heart transplants and 26 lung transplants, reflecting how far highly specialized cardiovascular medicine has developed in the country, DKNews.kz reports.
The figures were highlighted during “XV – Excellence and Value in Heart Care,” an international conference marking the Heart Center’s 15th anniversary. The two-day event was held in Astana on September 17–18 and brought together cardiovascular specialists from Kazakhstan and more than 20 countries across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia.
More than 110,000 patients treated in 15 years
The UMC Heart Center opened in 2011 as a specialized cardiovascular institution focused on clinical cardiology, interventional treatment and cardiac surgery. Over time, it expanded its diagnostic, surgical, research and rehabilitation capabilities.
The scale of that work is reflected in several figures:
- more than 130,000 procedures performed;
- more than 110,000 patients treated;
- 109 heart transplants;
- 26 lung transplants.
These numbers show how procedures once considered exceptional have become part of a broader high-complexity cardiac care system in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan’s first heart transplant remains a defining milestone
One of the special guests at the anniversary conference was Czech cardiac surgeon Jan Pirk, who worked alongside Yuriy Pya on Kazakhstan’s first heart transplant in 2012.
Pirk’s return to Astana gave the anniversary a direct link to one of the defining moments in the development of Kazakhstan’s transplant medicine.
The center’s trajectory since then has expanded well beyond transplantation. Its specialists have introduced new surgical procedures and treatment technologies, while the anniversary conference focused on areas ranging from advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory support to interventional cardiology, arrhythmology, cardiac radiology and structural heart disease.
«For us, this conference is more than an anniversary event. It is an opportunity to look back at how far we have come while also looking ahead. Today, specialists from different countries have gathered in Astana to share experience and discuss the future of cardiovascular medicine. Fifteen years is an important milestone, but for us it is above all a new starting point. The most important work is still ahead», — said Yuriy Pya, Chairman of the Board of UMC.
International experts came to Astana to discuss the next stage of cardiac care
The anniversary was structured as a working medical conference rather than a ceremonial event.
The program covered advanced heart failure, transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, atherosclerosis, structural heart disease, cardiac radiology and other areas of cardiovascular medicine.
The speaker list included specialists from the United States, France, Italy, China, Türkiye, India, the Czech Republic and other countries.
That international participation matters for a highly specialized field such as cardiac surgery. Complex procedures depend not only on equipment and individual surgeons, but also on clinical protocols, multidisciplinary teams, research, training and continuous exchange with other medical centers.
Nurses and hospital management entered the scientific agenda
The conference also looked beyond the operating room.
A dedicated nursing track focused on the role of nurses in the quality and safety of patient care and their professional development. For the first time, the conference also included a non-clinical track covering quality management, hospital services and human resources.
One session examined whether clinical excellence alone is sufficient for modern healthcare. Its program included patient safety, sustainable healthcare, artificial intelligence in academic medicine, biomedical research ethics, workforce development and hospital services.
The inclusion of these subjects signals a broader shift in how medical quality is assessed: successful treatment increasingly depends on the entire hospital system surrounding the physician and patient.
Young doctors were given access to an international expert community
Residents and early-career researchers were also included in the anniversary program.
A clinical case competition gave young specialists an opportunity to present work in cardiology, cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, cardiac anesthesiology and intensive care, arrhythmology and cardiac radiology.
Conference participants also visited the Nazarbayev University campus to explore its research infrastructure and recent developments across the university community.
For the UMC Heart Center, the 15-year milestone can ultimately be measured in patients and procedures rather than anniversary events: more than 110,000 people have received care there, while the transplant program has reached 109 heart and 26 lung transplants.
Previously, we reported on how the UMC Heart Center is helping expand cardiac surgery in Kazakhstan, bringing advanced procedures, training and clinical expertise to regional hospitals.
