Prof. Ata Can Atalar, MD

Prof. Ata Can Atalar, MD is an orthopedic surgery and traumatology specialist at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul, where he works within the Orthopedics & Joint Center. His subspecialty is shoulder and elbow surgery, and his clinical work also covers orthopedic trauma, sports injuries, arthroscopy and knee surgery. He has more than 37 years in medicine and consults in Turkish and English.

Dr. Atalar graduated from İstanbul Erkek High School in 1989 and from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1995. He completed his specialty training in orthopedics and traumatology at the same faculty in 2001. In 2003 he received a scholarship from the European Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Association SECEC / ESSSE (European Society for Surgery of Shoulder and Elbow). He worked as a specialist physician at JFK Hospital from 2000 to 2002 and at VKV American Hospital from 2002 to 2004. From 2004 to 2017 he was a faculty member of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, where he was appointed Associate Professor Doctor in 2010 and Professor Doctor in 2016. He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2013.

Clinical focus

The center of Dr. Atalar’s practice is the shoulder and the elbow. He evaluates and treats shoulder conditions and elbow conditions, and performs elbow surgery and shoulder surgery when a surgical approach is considered appropriate. Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive technique in which the joint is examined and treated through small incisions, is part of his work in these joints and in the knee. His practice also includes knee surgery, the management of sports injuries and the care of orthopedic trauma, such as fractures and other injuries affecting the bones and joints. Whether a conservative or a surgical approach is suitable depends on the individual patient’s findings, and this is discussed on a case-by-case basis.

Dr. Atalar is a member of the Turkish Orthopedics and Traumatology Association, the Turkish Sports Injuries, Arthroscopy and Knee Surgery Association (TUSYAD), the European Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Association (SECEC / ESSSE), AO Trauma (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen) and the Turkish Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Association. These memberships reflect the areas in which he works: general orthopedics and trauma, sports injuries and arthroscopy, and shoulder and elbow surgery.

How Dr. Atalar works with international patients

Dr. Atalar 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, 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 of the affected shoulder, elbow, knee or injured area, and a discussion of the possible options. For patients who are not yet in İstanbul, a video consultation can be arranged as a first step to review the situation and to discuss whether travel for further assessment or treatment is reasonable.