Prof. Altay Bedük, MD

Prof. Altay Bedük, MD is a neurosurgeon at Acibadem Kent Hospital (Izmir) in İzmir, Turkey, where he works in the Neurosurgery unit. His subspecialty is the treatment of pituitary diseases, and his practice covers cranial conditions such as brain aneurysms, brain haemorrhage, brain tumours and hydrocephalus, as well as a range of spinal conditions. He has been in medicine for more than 54 years.

Dr. Bedük graduated from İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine in 1972 and began as an Intern Doctor at Gülhane Military Medical Academy, where he completed his neurosurgery training in 1981. He remained at Gülhane Military Medical Academy as Chief Assistant Physician (1981–1983) before spending two years as a Research Fellow at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (1983–1985). He then returned to Gülhane Military Medical Academy, progressing from Assistant Associate Professor Doctor (1985–1986) to Associate Professor Doctor (1986–1992) and Professor Doctor (1992–2004). In 2004 he joined Kent Hospital Neurosurgery, and in 2023 he became part of Acıbadem Healthcare Services. He is a member of the Türk Nöroşirürji Association and the Turkish Medical Association and holds a Founding Membership of Spinal Surgery.

Clinical focus

Dr. Bedük’s cranial work includes the evaluation and treatment of brain aneurysms, brain haemorrhage and brain tumours. He also treats hydrocephalus, a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates within the brain. A further area of his practice is the treatment of pituitary disorders, which is his listed subspecialty; the pituitary gland sits at the base of the brain, and its disorders may call for neurosurgical assessment alongside endocrine care.

In spinal surgery, Dr. Bedük treats lumbar spinal canal stenosis and cervical spinal canal stenosis, spinal and spinal cord tumours, and disc herniation. He also assesses patients with back pain and neck pain, where the aim of a consultation is to identify the underlying cause and to consider whether surgical or non-surgical management is appropriate for the individual case. Treatment recommendations depend on the findings of the clinical examination and imaging, and not every patient who is assessed will be a candidate for surgery.

How Dr. Bedük works with international patients

Dr. Bedük consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior medical reports and imaging, arranges appointments and organises the hospital stay. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the available options. Video consultations are available for international patients who wish to discuss their neurological or spinal condition before deciding whether to travel; the scope of any remote assessment is limited by the information and imaging that can be shared in advance.