Comedian Cem Yılmaz looks on during a stage appearance in this photo.
Prominent Turkish comedian Cem Yılmaz underwent an emergency stent procedure following a major heart attack at his home in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, his doctors have announced.
Yılmaz called the emergency center after experiencing severe chest pain in his house located in Paşaköy village in the Ayvacık district on Aug. 29. Medical teams transported him to Ayvacık State Hospital before transferring the prominent entertainer to the coronary intensive care unit at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Hospital.
Cardiology professor Ercan Akşit performed an angiography revealing a blocked main artery supplying the front of the heart. The medical team completed a balloon and stent procedure through Yılmaz’s wrist in 40 minutes.
“He arrived conscious with one of the major heart attacks a person can experience,” Akşit said. “His condition is stable now and we plan to monitor him here for two days.”
Akşit said doctors will evaluate a minor side artery later to determine if it requires medication or further intervention, praising the rapid response of local emergency units.
The comedian’s brother Can Yılmaz described the incident as a heart spasm and thanked all fans and well-wishers for their overwhelming support during this difficult medical process.
“The necessary intervention was performed without losing time, and the treatment process was completed successfully,” he said. “He is currently resting under the control of his doctors.”
Confirming that Yılmaz is in good general condition in the coronary intensive care unit following successful medical procedures, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu released a statement wishing him a speedy recovery.
A stent is a small tube-shaped medical device delivered via a catheter and balloon to keep narrowed or blocked blood vessels open. Yılmaz is widely known as Türkiye’s most popular stand-up comedian, actor and filmmaker who has shaped modern Turkish comedy for decades.
