Prof. Süleyman Özyalçın, MD

Prof. Süleyman Özyalçın, MD is a physician specializing in the treatment of pain (algology). He practices in the Pain Management (Algology) Department at Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in İstanbul. His clinical work centers on pain assessment and pain management, with a subspecialty interest in the treatment of pelvic pain. He has more than 48 years in medicine, and his approach to pain is informed by his training in anesthesiology and reanimation as well as algology.

Dr. Özyalçın studied at İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine from 1978 to 1984. In 1984 he joined the faculty’s Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation and Algology, and in 1991 he completed his specialization in Anesthesiology and Reanimation at the same faculty. He continued at İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine from 1997 to 2003 and joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2004. In 2011 he received Medical Specialization Board recognition in Algology. He is a member of ESRA (European Regional Anesthesia Association), IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain), World Pain Institute (WIP) and the Turkish Algology Association.

Clinical focus

Dr. Özyalçın’s areas of expertise are pain treatment, pelvic pain treatment, pain assessment, pain management and algology. A structured assessment of the type, location and history of a patient’s pain forms the basis for discussing which treatment options may be appropriate in each individual case; the suitability of any approach depends on the patient’s clinical situation and is determined during consultation.

His published work reflects a longstanding interest in pain medicine and regional anesthesia. He is the author of the textbook Regional Anesthesia (Nobel Medical Bookstores, İstanbul, 2005) and the editor of Secrets of pain (Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri, İstanbul, 2005), and he contributed the chapter on Pelvic Pain to Radiological Imaging for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management (Churchill Livingstone, 2008). His journal publications include studies on celiac plexus and splanchnic nerve blockades for pancreatic cancer pain, the effect of venlafaxine in neuropathic pain and in the prophylaxis of migraine, pre-emptive ketamine and postoperative pain after thoracotomy, the frequency of low back pain among a younger population in Turkey, percutaneous lumbar nucleoplasty, minimally invasive treatment modalities for geriatric pain management, and regional anesthesia and analgesia in children and infants. He has also written chapters on neurolytic blocks and neurolytic agents and on the elderly and pain in Pain Syndromes and Treatments (2000).

How Dr. Özyalçın works with international patients

Dr. Özyalçın speaks 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 organizes 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 pain-related concerns before deciding whether to travel.