Prof. Dr. Akın Sabancı

Prof. Dr. Akın Sabancı is a neurosurgeon at Acibadem Taksim Hospital and Acibadem International Hospital in İstanbul, where he works within the Neurosurgery unit. His practice concentrates on the treatment of movement disorders, the treatment of pituitary diseases, and conditions associated with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and aging. He has more than 23 years in medicine and consults in Turkish and English.

Dr. Sabancı graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 2003 and completed his specialty training at the İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery in 2010. During his training, in 2009, he spent time as an observer at the Boston MGH Hospital Neurosurgery Clinic in Boston, USA. He performed his military service at Girne Military Hospital from 2010 to 2011 and his compulsory service at Karabük Devlet Hospital from 2011 to 2013, before joining the İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine Neurosurgery Clinic in 2013. He was appointed Associate Professor in 2017 and Professor in 2023 at the İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine Nöroşirürji Department, and he has worked with Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2022. He is a member of the Türk Nöroşirürji Association and the Sinir Sistemi Cerrahisi Association, sits on the İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, Faculty Board, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the National Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery.

Clinical focus

A central part of Dr. Sabancı’s work is the surgical treatment of movement disorders. He evaluates and treats patients with essential tremor and dystonic tremor, and he performs deep brain stimulation, which may be considered for selected patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders after careful assessment. He also treats spasticity and assesses patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease within the context of neurosurgical care.

His expertise further extends to brain tumours, brain haemorrhage, hydrocephalus (including congenital hydrocephalus) and pituitary disorder treatment. For patients with seizures that do not respond adequately to medical epilepsy treatment, he evaluates candidacy for epilepsy surgery. In addition, he performs spine surgery and manages back, neck and disc-related pain, where surgical and non-surgical options are weighed according to the individual clinical picture.

How Dr. Sabancı works with international patients

Dr. Sabancı consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. The hospital’s 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 possible options, which are considered on an individual basis. For patients abroad, a video consultation can be arranged as a first step to review the available information before any decision about travel or treatment is made.