Prof. Dr. Özlem Barutçu

Prof. Dr. Özlem Barutçu is a radiologist at Acibadem Bakirkoy Hospital in İstanbul, where she works in the Radiology unit. She has more than 34 years in medicine, and her work covers diagnostic imaging across several body regions, including abdominal, thoracic, cardiac and genitourinary imaging, as well as oncologic radiology.

Dr. Barutçu graduated from Gazi University Faculty of Medicine in 1992 and completed her radiology training at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine in 1997. From 1996 to 1997 she worked in the Pediatri Radyodiagnostik Department of Children Hospital, University of Southern California. She then worked in the Radiology Department of Gazipaşa State Hospital (1997–1998) and in the Radyodiagnostik Department of Başkent University Faculty of Medicine (1998–1999). She later held an academic position (Yrd. Doç. Dr.) at Fatih University Faculty of Medicine from 2003 to 2005, and in 2007 she joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services. She is a member of the Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology Association, the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Association and the Société Française de Radiologie.

Clinical focus

Dr. Barutçu’s areas of expertise include ultrasound imaging, Doppler ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound and thoracic ultrasound, together with computed tomography, virtual angiography and X-ray imaging. Her clinical interests extend to oncologic radiology, cardiac imaging, genitourinary radiology and abdominal radiology. In practice, this means evaluating imaging studies of the abdomen, chest, heart and urinary tract and describing the findings in a way that can support the decisions of the referring physician.

Her published work reflects these interests. It includes studies on the value of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for assessing the severity of liver cirrhosis secondary to viral hepatitis, on duplex and color Doppler ultrasonography of orbital vascular flow in hemodialysis patients, on MRI evaluation of cranial bone marrow in chronic anemia, and on the ultrasonography and computerized tomography findings of abdominal gossypiboma. She has also contributed to case reports in cardiac and pediatric imaging, including absent pulmonary valve syndrome diagnosed by fetal echocardiography and a left atrial appendage aneurysm presenting with recurrent embolic strokes.

How Dr. Barutçu works with international patients

Dr. Barutçu speaks Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. Before a visit, the hospital’s 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 where relevant, and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their imaging or their situation before deciding whether to travel.