Prof. Gülcihan Özkan, MD

Prof. Gülcihan Özkan, MD is a Pulmonary Medicine specialist in the Pulmonology unit at Acibadem Maslak Hospital in İstanbul, with more than 35 years in medicine. She graduated from İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine in 1991 and completed her training in chest diseases at Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital in 1996. She received the title of Associate Professor in 2012.

Her career began at Ordu Maternity and Children’s Hospital (1991–1992), followed by her specialty years at Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital (1992–1996). She served as Chief Physician at Karadeniz Ereğli Chest Hospital (1997–1998) and then returned to Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, where she worked as Chest Diseases and Tbc Chief Assistant from 1998 to 2015. In 2003 she was an observer at the Leicester University, Glenfield Hospital Lung Cancer Clinic in England. In 2012 she held the Board Secretariat of the Turkish Thoracic Association Istanbul Branch, and in 2014 she was Training Officer at Yedikule Chest Diseases Training and Research Hospital. In 2015 she became Head of the Department of Chest Diseases at the Yeni Yüzyıl Faculty of Medicine Özel Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital Chest Diseases Clinic, and in 2017 she joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services. Dr. Özkan is a member of the Lung Cancer Research Association, the Türk Toraks Association, the Turkish Respiratory Research Association and the European Respiratory Society. Her publications include work on asthma control testing, interstitial lung diseases in Turkey, non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and lymph node aspiration in advanced lung cancer.

Clinical focus

Dr. Özkan evaluates and treats a range of lung diseases. Her clinical work covers lower respiratory tract infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as chronic airway conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She also assesses patients with pulmonary embolism and other pulmonary diseases.

A further part of her practice concerns lung nodules, lung cancer and other thoracic cancers. In the diagnostic work-up of these conditions she performs bronchoscopy and EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound), which may be used to obtain samples from the airways and adjacent lymph nodes when this is clinically indicated.

How Dr. Özkan works with international patients

Dr. Özkan speaks Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. Before a visit, the international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as CT, X-ray or MRI 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 respiratory symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the possible options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before or instead of traveling.