Prof. Bahattin Tanrıkulu, MD

Prof. Bahattin Tanrıkulu, MD is a neurosurgeon at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul, where he works in the Neurosurgery unit. His subspecialties are neurosurgery and pediatric neurosurgery, and his clinical work centers on the surgical care of children with conditions of the brain, spine and nervous system, alongside selected procedures in general neurosurgery. He has more than 18 years in medicine and consults in Turkish and English.

Dr. Tanrıkulu graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Medicine in 2008 and completed his specialty training at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery in 2014. From 2014 to 2016 he worked at Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital as part of his compulsory service, and he has been with Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2016. He is a member of the Avrupa Nöroşirurji Association, the Turkish Spine Association and the Türk Nöroşirürji Association. His published work includes case reports and clinical studies in journals such as Neurology India, Acta Neurochirurgica, Child’s Nervous System and Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, on topics including deep brain stimulation for dystonic storm, spina bifida, spinal epidural cavernoma and posterior fossa lesions.

Clinical focus

Pediatric neurosurgery is the core of Dr. Tanrıkulu’s practice. He evaluates and treats children with pediatric brain tumors, including deeply located tumors, as well as hydrocephalus, craniosynostosis, spina bifida, arachnoid cysts and Chiari malformation. His work also covers cerebral palsy, where neurosurgical options may be considered as part of a broader care plan, and spinal and spinal cord tumors in both children and adults.

A further area of his practice is functional neurosurgery for epilepsy. Dr. Tanrıkulu performs epilepsy surgery and vagus nerve stimulation for selected patients whose seizures are not adequately controlled with medication, and he also performs deep brain stimulation. His procedural repertoire includes stereotactic biopsy and neuroendoscopic procedures. Whether a given procedure is appropriate depends on the individual diagnosis, imaging findings and prior treatment, and this is assessed case by case.

How Dr. Tanrıkulu works with international patients

Dr. Tanrıkulu consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients and families who speak other languages. 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 and a discussion of the options; for children, this discussion takes place together with the parents or guardians. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to have an initial assessment or a review of their records before deciding whether to travel.