Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Aykaç

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Aykaç is a Pulmonary Medicine specialist in the Pulmonology unit at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul. She graduated from Ondokuzmayıs University Faculty of Medicine in 1993 and completed her Chest Diseases training at Süreyyapaşa Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital in 2003. She has worked in medicine for more than 33 years.

Between 2002 and 2003, Dr. Aykaç worked at the Royal Brompton Hospital Lung Division in London, where her work focused on interstitial lung diseases and bronchiectasis. She then served as a Chest Diseases Specialist at SB Süreyyapaşa Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital from 2003 to 2013, at Gayrettepe Florence Nightingale from 2013 to 2020, and at Academic Hospital in 2020. She joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2021. She is a member of the Istanbul Medical Chamber, the European Respiratory Society, the Türk Toraks Association and the Turkish Medical Association. Her published work includes studies on COVID-19 in İstanbul and Turkey, on air pollution and its association with mortality and premature deaths, and on health warnings on tobacco packaging.

Clinical focus

Dr. Aykaç evaluates and manages a range of respiratory conditions. These include lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary embolism. Her clinical interests also cover lung nodules and lung and other thoracic cancers. In addition, she sees patients with sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea, and provides smoking cessation support.

Where clinically indicated, Dr. Aykaç performs diagnostic bronchoscopy and EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound). Whether such procedures are appropriate is decided on an individual basis after the patient’s history, symptoms and existing imaging have been reviewed. Treatment plans are discussed with the patient and adjusted to the findings of the clinical assessment.

How Dr. Aykaç works with international patients

Dr. Aykaç consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak 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 options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation before travelling or to follow up after a visit; whether a diagnosis or treatment decision can be made remotely depends on the individual case and the information available.