Prof. Bilgi Baca, MD

Prof. Bilgi Baca, MD is a general surgeon at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul, where she works in the General Surgery unit. Her subspecialty areas are endocrine surgery, obesity surgery, the treatment of hemorrhoids and anorectal diseases, and robotic surgery. She has more than 30 years of experience in medicine and treats both benign and malignant conditions of the digestive tract, as well as diseases of the thyroid gland.

Dr. Baca graduated from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1996 and completed her training in general surgery at İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine in 2003. In 2009 she became an Associate Professor in the Department of General Surgery at İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine. From 2009 to 2010 she worked in the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA. She has been with Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2004. She is a member of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists, the European Society of Coloproctology, the Turkish Surgical Association, the Turkish Colon and Rectum Association, the National Trauma and Emergency Surgery Association, the National Endoscopic-Laparoscopic Surgery Association, the Turkish Hepato Pancreato Biliary Surgery Association, and the Hernia Association. Her published work in peer-reviewed journals covers topics such as robotic and laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer, laparoscopic approaches to right colon cancer, and surveillance after colorectal cancer resection.

Clinical focus

Dr. Baca’s surgical practice covers a range of gastrointestinal conditions. In oncologic surgery, she performs operations for stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, and esophageal cancer. She also treats patients with inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, when surgical management is being considered. Robotic surgery is one of her subspecialty areas, and several of her publications describe robotic and laparoscopic techniques in colorectal procedures.

Her work in obesity surgery addresses patients who are evaluated for surgical treatment of obesity. In the field of anorectal diseases, she treats hemorrhoids and other anorectal conditions. Her endocrine surgery practice includes thyroid surgery. Whether a surgical option is appropriate depends on the individual patient’s diagnosis, general health, and previous treatments, and this is assessed during the consultation.

How Dr. Baca works with international patients

Dr. Baca speaks 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 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 that may be suitable. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation with Dr. Baca before deciding whether to travel to İstanbul.