Prof. Çiğdem Ünal Gülmeden, MD

Prof. Çiğdem Ünal Gülmeden, MD is a specialist in Aesthetic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery working in the Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery unit, with more than 21 years in medicine. She graduated from Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine in 1998 and completed her specialty training in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine in 2005. From 2005 to 2007 she worked as a Specialist Doctor at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. In 2007 she completed a Fellowship in Breast Reconstruction at Gent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Dr. Gülmeden held academic positions at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, as Assistant Professor from 2007 to 2013 and as Associate Professor from 2013 to 2014. She joined Acibadem Health Group in 2014. She is a Full Member of the Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, where she served as Secretary of the Qualification Board (2012–2014) and Secretary of the Breast Study Group (2010–2011). She is also a member of the Turkish Reconstructive Microsurgery Society, the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Association, ISAPS (International Society Aestetic, Plastic Surgery), EFSM (European Federation Society of Microsurgery) and the Breast Surgery Association. Her publications, dated between 2005 and 2013, appear in journals including Annals of Plastic Surgery, Microsurgery, the Journal of Surgical Research and the Turkish Journal of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, and cover topics such as perforator mapping, flap coverage of ischial pressure sores, salvage of an exposed breast tissue expander, and vascular injury assessment in mutilating injuries of the upper extremity.

Clinical focus

Dr. Gülmeden’s work centers on reconstructive and microsurgical procedures. Her listed areas of expertise include breast reconstruction, autologous breast reconstruction, microsurgical reconstruction, free tissue transfer and perforator flap reconstruction. She also lists breast tissue expander salvage with flap coverage, ischial pressure sore flap coverage, sacral reconstruction after total sacrectomy and omental flap reconstruction.

Further areas of expertise include ear concha reconstruction and postauricular island flap reconstruction, vascular malformation surgery, reconstruction after mutilating injuries of the upper extremity, and management of postoperative edema of the lower leg and foot. Whether a particular procedure is suitable depends on the individual patient’s condition and is assessed during consultation.

How Dr. Gülmeden works with international patients

Dr. Gülmeden consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. The Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, arranges appointments and organises 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 available options. Video consultation is available for international patients, allowing an initial discussion with Dr. Gülmeden before travelling.