Prof. Haluk Özkarakaş, MD

Prof. Haluk Özkarakaş, MD is an otorhinolaryngology (ENT) specialist who practices at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul. He has worked in medicine for more than 46 years. His clinical work covers ear surgery, cochlear implants, vertigo and balance disorders, snoring, nasal and sinus surgery, and head and neck cancers, including cancers of the mouth and larynx and diseases of the salivary glands.

Dr. Özkarakaş studied at Ege University Faculty of Medicine from 1980 to 1986. After a year at Arpaçay Central Health Center (1986–1987), he trained in ear, nose and throat diseases at GATA Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, completing his specialty training in 1990, and then worked at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Training Hospital Otorhinolaryngology Clinic until 1994. From 1994 to 2004 he was on the faculty of Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, where he was appointed Assistant Associate Professor in 1994, Associate Professor in 1996 and Professor in 2002; between 1994 and 1996 he also served on the Faculty Board as Assistant Associate Professor Representative. He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2004 and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Acıbadem University Faculty of Medicine in 2009. He is a member of the Institut Georges Portmann, the Turkish Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Association and the Turkish Ear Nose and Throat Foundation. His published work includes studies on the genetics of hearing loss, soft tissue response of the larynx to implant materials, the modified Epley maneuver in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and allergic rhinitis.

Clinical focus

A large part of Dr. Özkarakaş’s practice is devoted to the ear. He performs cholesteatoma surgery and inner ear surgery, and he evaluates adults and children with hearing loss, including candidates for cochlear implants. He also assesses patients with vertigo and balance disorders, where the aim of the initial evaluation is to clarify the likely cause before discussing medical, positional or surgical options.

In head and neck work, he treats head and neck cancers, including oral cancer and laryngeal cancer, as well as salivary gland diseases. His practice further includes snoring, tonsil surgery, adenoid conditions and nasal and sinus surgery. Whether a condition is managed medically or surgically depends on the individual diagnosis, and this is discussed with each patient after the assessment.

How Dr. Özkarakaş works with international patients

Dr. Özkarakaş consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. Before a visit, the hospital’s international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT or ultrasound reports, audiological and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit itself. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical ENT examination and a discussion of the available options. Video consultations are available for international patients who wish to discuss their case or review findings before or after traveling to İstanbul.