Altuğ Kol, MD

Altuğ Kol, MD is an anesthesiology physician at Acibadem Adana Hospital in Adana, where he works in the Anesthesiology & Reanimation unit. With more than 30 years in medicine, his professional interests include intensive care treatment, palliative care, advanced life support and pain management, areas that extend the role of the anesthesiologist beyond the operating room.

Dr. Kol graduated from Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine in 1996 and completed his specialization in Anesthesiology and Reanimation at Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine in 2004. He then worked at Kütahya Evliya Çelebi Devlet Hospital from 2004 to 2006 and at Özel Isparta Hospital from 2006 to 2009 before joining Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2009. He is a member of the Turkish Anesthesiology and Reanimation Association and the Turkish Medical Association.

Clinical focus

Dr. Kol’s clinical work centers on the care of patients who require anesthesia and on the closely related fields of intensive care and reanimation. In intensive care treatment, this involves the continuous monitoring and support of critically ill patients whose vital functions may be compromised, including the management of breathing, circulation and medication. Advanced life support covers the structured measures used when a patient’s heart or lungs are failing and circulation or breathing must be restored or maintained. His work in palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting comfort and quality of life for patients with serious or advanced illness, in coordination with the other physicians and teams involved in their treatment.

Pain management is a further part of his practice. Depending on the individual situation, this may include assessing the source and pattern of pain, reviewing treatments that have already been tried and discussing options that range from medication to interventional pain management approaches. Which approach is suitable depends on the underlying cause, the patient’s general health and their preferences; it is decided after a clinical evaluation, and the expected benefits and possible risks of any treatment are discussed with the patient beforehand.

How Dr. Kol works with international patients

Dr. Kol 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 reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, arranges appointments and organizes the hospital visit. 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 options. A video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation before traveling or to follow up after treatment.