Assoc. Prof. Dilek Altun, MD

Assoc. Prof. Dilek Altun, MD is an anesthesiology specialist at Acibadem International Hospital in İstanbul, where she works within the Anesthesiology & Reanimation unit. Her clinical work centers on anesthesia care for patients undergoing procedures, including preoperative anesthesia assessment and perioperative care before, during and after surgery. She has more than 25 years in medicine.

Dr. Altun graduated from Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine in 2001 and completed her specialization in Anesthesiology and Reanimation at Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital in 2010. Between 2003 and 2005 she worked as a team doctor at Çapa Kızılay Blood Center. After her specialization she practiced at Boğazlıyan Devlet Hospital from 2010 to 2012 and, from 2012, at Başkent University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation İstanbul Health Practice and Research Center. She joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2015. She has co-authored peer-reviewed publications on topics including modified ultrafiltration in newborns and infants after arterial switch operation, selective cerebral perfusion in aortic arch reconstruction, a comparison of intrathecal bupivacaine and levobupivacaine in arthroscopic knee surgery, renal function scoring in intensive care unit patients, therapeutic plasma exchange in stiff-person syndrome, and the prevention of propofol injection pain.

Clinical focus

Dr. Altun’s practice covers anesthesia care and anesthesiology and reanimation. A central part of her work is the preoperative anesthesia assessment, in which the patient’s medical history, current medications, previous anesthesia experiences and relevant test results are reviewed so that an anesthesia plan can be prepared in coordination with the surgical or procedural team. The aim of this assessment is to identify factors that may affect anesthesia and to discuss them with the patient in advance.

Her responsibilities also extend to perioperative care, meaning the period immediately before, during and after a procedure. This includes administering and monitoring anesthesia during the procedure and following the patient in the early recovery phase. Her background in reanimation supports the management of patients who require close monitoring after anesthesia. Anesthesia planning is individualized to each patient’s procedure and clinical condition, and Dr. Altun works alongside the treating physicians throughout the patient’s stay.

How Dr. Altun works with international patients

Dr. Altun consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. The Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, 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 options, including how anesthesia may be planned for a proposed procedure. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before traveling.