Prof. İftahar Köksal, MD

Prof. İftahar Köksal, MD is a specialist in Infectious Diseases & Clinical Microbiology at Acibadem Atakent Hospital in İstanbul, where she practices in the Infectious Diseases Department. Her clinical work covers communicable diseases, lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, shingles, sexually transmitted infections including syphilis, HPV and HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, adult vaccination and travel health. Dr. Köksal has more than 45 years in medicine and speaks Turkish and English.

Dr. Köksal graduated from Dicle University Faculty of Medicine in 1981 and completed her specialization in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1987. In 1992 she also trained at Texas Technical University Medical School in the United States of America. Her academic career was spent at Karadeniz Teknik University Faculty of Medicine, which she joined in 1988 as an assistant professor in a founding role, becoming an associate professor in 1992 and a full professor in 1998, a position she held until 2020. During this period she chaired the Infection Control Committee from 2001 to 2015 and served as Director of the Clinical Research Center from 2018 to 2020. She joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2020. She is a member of the Turkish Hospital Infections and Control Association, the Turkish Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialization Association, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the European Association for the Study of the Liver, among other professional societies.

Clinical focus

Dr. Köksal evaluates and treats adults with acute and chronic infections. Her areas of expertise include shingles, lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and communicable diseases more broadly. She also sees patients with sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and HPV, and provides long-term care for people living with hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Preventive care is part of her practice, including adult vaccination and travel health advice.

Her published research reflects these interests. She has co-authored studies on chronic hepatitis C, including the diagnostic value of serum biomarkers for liver fibrosis and treatment outcomes in real-world patient cohorts, a consensus report on hepatitis B reactivation during immunosuppressive therapy, several studies on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a multicenter randomized trial of antibiotic treatment for imipenem-nonsusceptible bacterial infections, work on invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and a review of pneumococcal disease in adult pilgrims.

How Dr. Köksal works with international patients

Dr. Köksal consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as laboratory and pathology results, X-ray or CT reports, discharge summaries and records of previous treatments, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing test results and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the available options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation with Dr. Köksal before or instead of traveling.