Assoc. Prof. Muhammet Ahmet Karakaya, MD

Assoc. Prof. Muhammet Ahmet Karakaya, MD is an anesthesiologist in the Anesthesiology & Reanimation unit at Acibadem Atasehir Hospital in İstanbul. His clinical work covers anesthesiology, reanimation, regional anesthesia, pain therapy and intensive care, supporting patients before, during and after procedures that require anesthesia. He has more than 21 years of experience in medicine.

Dr. Karakaya graduated from Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine in 2005. He began his career in 2006 as a physician at Aşkale Community Health Center and worked at Palandöken Devlet Hospital from 2006 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014 he was a resident physician at Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, completing his specialization in 2013. He then worked as a specialist physician at Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital (2014–2015) and at İstanbul Medipol University Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, first as a specialist physician (2015–2016) and then as an assistant professor (2016–2018). Between 2018 and 2022 he was a specialist physician at Koç University Hospital Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, and in 2022 he joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services. He is a member of the Turkish Intensive Care Association, the Turkish Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, The European Society of Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Therapy (ESRA) and the Regional Anesthesia Association.

Clinical focus

Dr. Karakaya’s practice centers on anesthesiology and reanimation, including the planning and delivery of anesthesia for surgical and interventional procedures and the monitoring of patients in the recovery period. A particular area of his work is regional anesthesia, in which nerve blocks are used, often under ultrasound guidance, to provide anesthesia or postoperative pain control for a defined region of the body. His published work in this field includes studies on sciatic nerve block assessment with elastography, erector spinae plane block for analgesia in pediatric patients, ultrasound-guided pectoral nerve block after breast surgery, and combined interscalene and superficial cervical plexus blocks for clavicle fracture surgery.

He is also involved in pain therapy and intensive care. His publications include randomized controlled studies comparing intravenous ibuprofen with acetaminophen or paracetamol for postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, as well as research on postoperative analgesic methods in cardiac surgery and on fentanyl-induced cough in pediatric patients. The choice of anesthetic and pain management approach depends on the individual patient, the planned procedure and any coexisting conditions, and is decided together with the treating surgical team.

How Dr. Karakaya works with international patients

Dr. Karakaya consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. The Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound 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 symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options, including the anesthetic considerations relevant to a planned procedure. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation before traveling.