Ayda Ünlüer, MD

Ayda Ünlüer, MD is a rheumatology specialist at Acibadem Bodrum Hospital in Muğla, where she works in the Rheumatology Department. With more than 43 years in medicine, her clinical work centers on the assessment and management of rheumatic and autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory joint conditions, connective tissue diseases and vasculitis.

Dr. Ünlüer graduated from İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine in 1983. From 1988 to 1992 she trained in Internal Medicine at Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, completing this training in 1992. She then worked at Çapa University Department of Genetics from 1992 to 1993. Between 1995 and 1998 she undertook rheumatology specialization abroad at UAMS in the United States, completing training in Rheumatology and Immunology there in 1998. In 1999 she completed rheumatology training at İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine. She has been part of Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2007 and is a member of the Turkish Medical Association and the Türk Ramatololoji Association.

Clinical focus

Dr. Ünlüer’s areas of expertise cover a broad range of rheumatic and autoimmune conditions. These include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and vasculitis. She also sees patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), Behçet’s disease and autoimmune pancreatitis, as well as other autoimmune diseases that may involve more than one organ system.

Many of these conditions are chronic and can present with overlapping symptoms, so evaluation typically involves a detailed history, a clinical examination and a review of laboratory and imaging findings before a diagnosis is discussed. Management is planned on an individual basis and may be adjusted over time according to disease activity and how the patient responds. Cellular therapies are also listed among Dr. Ünlüer’s areas of expertise; whether such an approach is relevant to a particular patient can only be determined after individual assessment, and this is discussed as part of the overall consultation rather than assumed in advance.

How Dr. Ünlüer works with international patients

Dr. Ünlüer consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. The 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 and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients, which may be suitable for an initial review of a case or for follow-up discussions when an in-person examination is not immediately required. Any decision about further investigations or treatment is made after Dr. Ünlüer has reviewed the individual situation.