Assoc. Prof. Sema Aylan Gelen, MD

Assoc. Prof. Sema Aylan Gelen, MD is a Pediatric Hematology specialist at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul, where she works within the Pediatrics unit. Her clinical and academic work centers on childhood acute leukemia, hemophilia and other bleeding and blood disorders in children. With more than 25 years in medicine, she joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2023.

Dr. Gelen graduated from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 2001 and completed her residency in Pediatrics at Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital between 2002 and 2007. After compulsory state service as a specialist doctor at Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital and Rize İshakoğlu Çayeli State Hospital, she undertook subspecialty training in Pediatric Hematology at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine from 2009 to 2013. She then served as a subspecialist during compulsory state service at Tekirdağ State Hospital and Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital in 2014, and at Çorlu State Hospital from 2015 to 2017. From 2017 to 2022 she was a faculty member of the Department of Pediatric Hematology at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, and in 2022 she received the title of Associate Professor in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. She is a member of the Turkish Pediatric Hematology Association and the Turkish Hematology Association.

Clinical focus

Dr. Gelen evaluates and treats children with hematologic malignancies, in particular childhood acute leukemia and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her published work includes the management of hyperleukocytosis in childhood acute leukemia, induction deaths and treatment-related mortality in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with ALL-BFM protocols, and the prognostic evidence of LEF1 isoforms in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A second area of her practice is pediatric bleeding and coagulation disorders, including hemophilia, Glanzmann thrombasthenia, superwarfarin-associated coagulopathy and other pediatric prolonged bleeding disorders. She has published on the management of surgeries in Glanzmann thrombasthenia, on a hemophilia-specific quality of life index in Turkish children and young adults, and on a prolonged bleeding defect following exposure to superwarfarins in rodenticides. Her work also covers autoimmune hemolytic anemia and pediatric posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, including a published case related to Covid-19 in a child.

How Dr. Gelen works with international patients

Dr. Gelen 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 laboratory and pathology results, MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, operative notes and discharge summaries, arranges appointments and organises the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the child’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 a case before or instead of traveling.