Prof. Elif Akpek, MD

Prof. Elif Akpek, MD is an anesthesiologist in the Anesthesiology & Reanimation unit at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul. Her clinical work covers anesthesiology and reanimation, with particular experience in pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiology, cardiothoracic anesthesiology and transplantation anesthesia. She has been part of Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2009 and has spent more than 35 years in medicine.

Dr. Akpek graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1991. After a year as a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine (1991–1992), she trained in anesthesiology and reanimation at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine as a research assistant from 1992 to 1997. She then joined Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, where she completed her specialization (1997–1999) and held a faculty position from 1997 to 2009, becoming an associate professor in 2003. From 2003 to 2004 she completed a Pediatric Cardiovascular Anesthesiology Fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital. In 2009 she became a faculty member of the Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation at Acıbadem University Faculty of Medicine, and she was appointed professor there in 2011.

Clinical focus

Dr. Akpek’s areas of expertise are anesthesiology, reanimation, pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiology, cardiothoracic anesthesiology and transplantation anesthesia. Her published work reflects these fields and includes papers on anesthesia during non-cardiac surgical procedures in children with congenital heart disease, vascular catheterization in infants with Down syndrome, blood transfusion and therapeutic approaches during pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass, catheter placement in congenital heart surgery, anesthetic experience with octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery, regional anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing carotid surgery, and cardiac transplantation.

She is a member of the Turkish Anesthesiology and Reanimation Association, the Association of Anesthesiology and Reanimation Specialists, the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists (EACTA), The Transplantation Society, the Turkish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, the Resüsitasyon Association and the Turkish Medical Association. As an anesthesiologist, she works alongside the surgical and intensive care teams; the anesthetic plan for each patient is prepared after the individual case has been reviewed, and the suitability of any approach is decided on a case-by-case basis.

How Dr. Akpek works with international patients

Dr. Akpek speaks 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, 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 the anesthetic considerations relevant to a planned procedure. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before traveling.