Prof. Dr. Mert Erkan

Prof. Dr. Mert Erkan is a general surgeon at Acibadem Atasehir Hospital in İstanbul, where he works in the General Surgery unit. His subspecialties are the treatment of pancreas, liver and biliary tract diseases, digestive system diseases and surgery, and robotic surgery. He has more than 31 years in medicine and joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2021.

Dr. Erkan graduated from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1995 and completed his General Surgery specialization there in 2001, with a thesis on the retrospective evaluation of patients treated for iatrogenic biliary injury. From 2001 to 2003 he worked in the HPB Surgery Unit of the same faculty. Between 2003 and 2007 he was at Heidelberg University in General Surgery and at the European Pancreas Research Center, Heidelberg University, and in 2007 he received his PhD from Heidelberg University, awarded summa cum laude, with a thesis on the influence of the tumor-modulated microenvironment on pancreatic cancer behavior. From 2007 to 2014 he worked at Münih Teknik University, Klinikum rechts der Isar and the Pancreas Research Center, Münih Teknik University, where he completed advanced specialization in digestive system surgery in 2010 and became Associate Professor of General Surgery in 2011; his associate professorship was recognized by ÜAK equivalency in 2014. From 2014 to 2021 he was at Koç University Faculty of Medicine and its research laboratory, becoming Professor of General Surgery at Koç University in 2017, and he was affiliated with the Koç University Translational Medicine Research Center and the Koç University Health Sciences Institute from 2017 to 2021. He is a member of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA), the European Pancreatic-Club/ EPC, the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP), European Digestive Surgery/ EDS and The European Consortium on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery, has served on committees of the Europan/African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, and was a board member of the Turkish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Association from 2015 to 2017. He has co-authored research publications on pancreatic cancer, including work on the tumor stroma and pancreatic stellate cells.

Clinical focus

Dr. Erkan’s clinical work centers on hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. He treats pancreatic diseases, including pancreatic cancer, as well as liver diseases and biliary tract diseases, and he also manages iatrogenic biliary injuries. His practice includes digestive system surgery more broadly.

Where clinically appropriate, he performs robotic surgery and minimally invasive pancreatic surgery. The suitability of any surgical approach is assessed individually, taking into account the patient’s diagnosis, imaging findings and overall condition.

How Dr. Erkan works with international patients

Dr. Erkan 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, 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 available options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case before traveling.