Prof. Şükrü Aktan, MD

Prof. Şükrü Aktan, MD is a general surgeon at Acibadem Fulya Hospital in İstanbul, where he practices within the General Surgery unit. His clinical work centers on abdominal wall hernias, including umbilical and inguinal hernia, and on diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tract, with hepatopancreatobiliary surgery as a particular area of expertise. He has spent more than 50 years in medicine.

Dr. Aktan graduated from Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine in 1976 and completed his General Surgery training at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine in 1981. He was appointed Associate Professor in 1984 and Professor in 1996. His professional experience includes positions at Van Asker Hospital (1982–1983), New York Downstate Medical Center in the United States (1984), Karolinska Hospital in Sweden (1988), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2005) and VKV Amerikan Hospital (2007–2014). He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2016. He is a member of the Turkish Surgical Association, the Turkish Gastroenterology Association, the Europian Society of Organ Transplantation, the Organ Transplant Organizations Coordination Association, Hepato-Pancretico-Biliary-Surgery, the Breast Associations Coordination Board and the American Society of Breast Dissease.

Clinical focus

A substantial part of Dr. Aktan’s practice involves hernia surgery. He assesses and treats umbilical hernia and inguinal hernia, two of the most common abdominal wall conditions seen in general surgery. Evaluation usually begins with a clinical examination and, where needed, a review of existing imaging, before the options for management are discussed with the patient.

His second area of focus is hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, which addresses conditions of the liver, pancreas and bile ducts. Within this field he sees patients with pancreatic diseases, biliary tract diseases and a range of liver diseases, including fatty liver disease and liver failure. These conditions often require careful interpretation of laboratory results and imaging, and decisions about surgical or non-surgical management are made on an individual basis after the findings have been reviewed. Where appropriate, Dr. Aktan works alongside colleagues from other disciplines so that the surgical plan reflects the patient’s overall condition.

How Dr. Aktan works with international patients

Dr. Aktan consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem 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 itself. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and current symptoms, a review of existing imaging and any previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the possible options. For patients who are unable to travel at first, a video consultation is available so that the case can be discussed and the need for an in-person assessment considered.