Prof. Hakan Yıldız, MD

Prof. Hakan Yıldız, MD is a gastroenterology specialist at Acibadem Atakent Hospital in İstanbul, where he works in the Gastroenterology unit. He has more than 22 years in medicine. His clinical work centers on digestive system cancers, diseases of the pancreas, liver and bile ducts, inflammatory bowel disease, and endoscopic procedures, including ERCP and endoscopic approaches to weight management.

Dr. Yıldız graduated from Trakya University Faculty of Medicine in 2004. He completed his Internal Medicine training at Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital in 2010 and his Gastroenterology training at Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital in 2014. From 2014 to 2016 he carried out his compulsory service at İstanbul Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, and from 2016 to 2017 he was an Assistant Professor in Gastroenterology at Biruni University Hospital. Between 2018 and 2021 he worked in Gastroenterology at Yeni Yüzyıl University Private Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital, before joining Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2021. He is a member of the Turkish Medical Association, the Turkish Gastroenterology Association, the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Association and the Liver Diseases Research Association. He has co-authored peer-reviewed publications on topics such as the management of suspected common bile duct stones, the detection of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, hemorrhagic ascites in cirrhosis, and the assessment of an ERCP grading system.

Clinical focus

Dr. Yıldız evaluates and treats a range of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary conditions. In gastrointestinal oncology, his areas of expertise include pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer, where he takes part in diagnostic work-up and treatment planning. He also manages bile duct diseases, liver diseases and small intestinal diseases, as well as the inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

On the procedural side, Dr. Yıldız performs ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), which is used to examine and treat the bile ducts and pancreatic duct, and oesophagoscopy for examination of the esophagus. He also carries out endoscopic procedures related to weight management, namely endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) and the gastric balloon procedure. Whether a given procedure is appropriate depends on the individual patient’s diagnosis, general health and prior treatment, and is decided after assessment.

How Dr. Yıldız works with international patients

Dr. Yıldız consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. For patients traveling from abroad, 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 options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before deciding on travel; the scope of what can be assessed remotely is limited, and any recommendations may be revised after in-person examination.