Marko Turina, a prominent Croatian cardiovascular surgeon, has died at the age of 89. Born in Zagreb on 23 January 1937, he began his medical career by graduating from the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb in 1961.
After obtaining his degree, Turina specialised in general and cardiovascular surgery in Zürich and San Diego, and worked at the University Hospital in Zürich from 1962. His career was marked by numerous significant roles, including his appointment as head of the Institute for Experimental Surgery in 1976 and as head of the Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery from 1985 to 1996. He also served as dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Zürich from 1996 to 1998.
Turina was a pioneer in the field of cardiac surgery; in 1977, he became the first person in the world to implant an artificial heart outside the chest cavity. Furthermore, he was the first surgeon to operate on a congenital heart defect in a newborn. His contribution to modern heart surgery was recognised through lectures at medical faculties in Zürich and Osijek. In 1992, he was elected a corresponding member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and from 2001 to 2002, he served as president of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.
The Magdalena Clinic in Krapinske Toplice, with which Turina collaborated, announced the news of his death. In a statement, they highlighted his mentorship and significant contribution to the development of the clinic and Croatian cardiac surgery. Turina’s knowledge, experience and commitment significantly contributed to the construction and progress of the Magdalena Clinic, and the clinic expressed its deep respect and gratitude for everything he did for the medical community.
