Prof. Gökhan Ergene, MD

Prof. Gökhan Ergene, MD is a thoracic surgeon at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul, where he works in the Thoracic Surgery Department with a subspecialty focus on robotic surgery. His clinical practice covers robotic thoracic surgery, the surgical treatment of lung cancer and other thoracic cancers, pneumothorax, chest wall conditions such as pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum, chest wall tumors, diaphragm disorders and thoracic outlet syndrome. He has more than 26 years of experience in medicine.

Dr. Ergene graduated from Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine in 2000 and completed his chest surgery training at Süreyyapaşa Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital in 2010. Between 2008 and 2009 he worked in the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Thoracic Surgery Department in St. Louis, MO, USA. He subsequently worked at Şanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital from 2010 to 2012 and at Gebze Fatih Devlet Hospital in 2012, before joining Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2025. His published work and conference presentations include studies on video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy, video-assisted mediastinoscopy in the staging of non-small cell lung cancer, remediastinoscopy, transbronchial needle aspiration in lung cancer with mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and the management of malignant pleural effusions and bullous lung disease. Several of these were presented at the European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery in 2009 and 2010.

Clinical focus

A central part of Dr. Ergene’s work is robotic thoracic surgery, alongside other minimally invasive techniques such as single-port VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery). These approaches are considered for suitable patients with lung cancer and other thoracic cancers, as well as for benign conditions of the chest. The choice between a robotic, thoracoscopic or open approach depends on the individual patient’s diagnosis, imaging findings and overall health, and is discussed on a case-by-case basis.

Dr. Ergene also treats pneumothorax, chest wall deformities including pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum, chest wall tumors, diaphragm disorders and thoracic outlet syndrome. His diagnostic and staging work includes bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy, which may be used to evaluate airway findings and mediastinal lymph nodes before a treatment plan is finalized. Further information on the broader field of cardiothoracic surgery is available on this site.

How Dr. Ergene works with international patients

Dr. Ergene 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, for example CT, MRI, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and 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 consultations are available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before traveling, although a final decision on surgery usually requires an in-person assessment and, where needed, additional imaging or diagnostic procedures.