Prof. Memet Özek, MD

Prof. Memet Özek, MD is a neurosurgeon at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul, where he practices within the Neurosurgery unit. His subspecialty is pediatric neurosurgery, and his work covers surgical conditions of the brain and spine in children, including brain tumors, epilepsy, craniosynostosis, hydrocephalus, spina bifida, and spinal deformities. He has more than 51 years in medicine and consults in Turkish and English.

Dr. Özek studied at İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine from 1975 to 1981 and completed his neurosurgery specialty training at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine between 1981 and 1987. After military service in the Department of Neurosurgery at Gülhane Military Medical Academy and a period as Chief Assistant at Ankara Hospital, he joined the Department of Neurosurgery at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine as a Lecturer in 1989. In 1990–1991 he was a clinical fellow in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at New York University Medical Center. At Marmara University he was appointed Associate Professor in 1993 and Professor in 1999, headed the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery from 1991 to 2011, and served as Head of the Department of Neurosurgery (2007–2010) and Head of the Institute of Neurological Sciences (2008–2010). He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2000. He was President of the European Pediatric Neurosurgery Association from 2008 to 2010 and is a member of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN), the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN), the Society for Research into Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida, Academia Euroasiana, the Turkish Pediatric Neurology Association, the Turkish Epilepsy Association, the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Association, and the Türk Nöroşirürji Association. His published work includes studies on hydrocephalus and endoscopic third ventriculostomy, pediatric brain tumors, hypothalamic hamartoma, and anesthesia in pediatric neurosurgical procedures.

Clinical focus

Dr. Özek’s practice centers on pediatric neurosurgery. He evaluates and operates on children with deep-seated brain tumors and performs epilepsy surgery for patients in whom surgical treatment is considered appropriate. His areas of expertise also include congenital and developmental conditions such as craniosynostosis, hydrocephalus, and spina bifida.

In spinal surgery, he treats spinal deformities including kyphosis and scoliosis, performs kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, and manages spinal and spinal cord tumors. Whether surgery is advisable, and which approach is used, depends on the individual patient’s diagnosis, age, imaging findings, and overall condition.

How Dr. Özek works with international patients

Dr. Özek consults in Turkish and English. The international patient team coordinates the collection of prior medical reports and imaging, arranges appointments, and helps organize the visit to the hospital in İstanbul. 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 whether surgical treatment is relevant and what it would involve. Video consultations are available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before traveling.