Memorial Şişli Hospital
Prof. Dr. Çağatay Öztürk is a specialist in orthopaedics and traumatology. He qualified as a specialist in 2004. He is Head of the Department at Istinye University. He founded and directs the Liv Spine Center, which is certified as a Center of Excellence by the AOSpine Society. He graduated from the Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1997 and became a professor in 2017.
He continues clinical and academic work at Liv Hospital Ulus, Liv Hospital Vadi Istanbul, Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir, and Liv Bona Dea Hospital Baku. He also performs surgeries in Iraq, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Albania, and Mongolia.
Dr. Nurullah Ermiş has published from 2010 to 2024 on orthopaedic trauma, spine surgery, hip arthroplasty, and regional anesthesia. His work is indexed in PubMed and Scopus.
Highlights include an irreducible ankle fracture‑dislocation caused by tibialis posterior tendon interposition (J Foot Ankle Surg., 2010; PubMed). Another report covers an irreducible posterolateral knee dislocation due to medial meniscus interposition (Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc., 2011; PubMed). He examined scoliosis and kyphosis after sternotomy or thoracotomy (J Turk Spinal Surg., 23(2):83‑90, 2012). Additional JTSS papers appeared in 2012 and in 2017 (28(4):283‑288). He reported on ESPB and QLB in hip surgery (Indian J Anaesth., 62(10):802, 2018; Anesth Essays Res., 12(4):825‑831, 2018; ESRA 2018). He studied outcomes of hip prosthesis for Crowe IV dysplastic coxarthrosis (Medicine Science, 13(4):873‑878, 2024). He also described medial superior cluneal nerve entrapment (SAGE Journals).
Prof. Dr. Akif Albayrak is an orthopedic and spine surgeon in Istanbul. He practices at Central Hospital and leads the clinical and surgical spine services.
He focuses on the diagnosis and surgical treatment of complex spinal disorders. His expertise includes scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal deformities, spine trauma and reconstruction, and minimally invasive surgery. He treats both adults and children.
His training includes advanced clinical work in Turkey and abroad. He completed an observer fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He progressed from Associate Professor to Professor and publishes regularly in international orthopedic journals.
Dr. Mehmet Aydogan is a specialist in Orthopedics, Traumatology, and Spine Surgery at Memorial Şişli Hospital. He worked in Spine Surgery there in 2024–2025 and has been in Orthopedics since 2026. He previously led the Orthopedic Surgery, Traumatology & Advanced Spine Surgery Center at Emsey Hospital (2018–2022). His experience includes the EURO SPINE Surgical Spine Center of Excellence in Switzerland (2022–2024) and a research fellowship at the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center (2009–2011). He also held posts at Boğaziçi Spine Center, Medical Park Göztepe, and Florence Nightingale.
Education: MD, Ege University (1990–1996). Residency in Orthopedics and Traumatology at Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Kartal TRH (2000–2004). Publications: 50 journal articles and 37 presentations.
Memberships: TTB, TOTBİD, Turkish Spine Society, MINOD, NASS, SRS, European Spine Society, and APSS.
Spinal cord injury treatments in Turkey include advanced neurosurgery for stabilization, robotic-assisted rehabilitation, and multidisciplinary physical therapy. JCI-accredited centers like Memorial Sisli Hospital and Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospital provide comprehensive care. Programs often combine surgical decompression with intensive inpatient neurological recovery protocols.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Success in recovery depends on immediate access to intensive rehabilitation post-surgery. Specialized centers like Fizyomer report 98% success rates for intensive programs. Choosing a facility with both neurosurgery and robotic rehab units ensures seamless care transitions. This integration is vital for managing complex needs like pressure injury prevention and pain.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that surgery is only the first step. They note that long-term inpatient rehabilitation and professional mobility training are essential for daily independence.
Turkey provides stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries within regenerative medicine programs at specialized centers. Facilities like Memorial Sisli Hospital and Fizyomer Terapia utilize these treatments alongside intensive rehabilitation. Most protocols focus on improving functional mobility and nerve signaling for paralyzed patients.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While Istanbul is the hub for neurosurgery, Fizyomer Terapia in Eskisehir stands out by specializing specifically in long-term rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries. Their data shows that combining stem cells with their 24 years of physical therapy expertise yields better functional outcomes than isolated injections in general hospitals.
Patient Consensus: Patients note it is important to distinguish between experimental availability and the standard of care. Many emphasize that intensive rehabilitation is just as critical as the stem cell procedure for seeing any modest improvements.
Turkish neurosurgeons are highly experienced specialists who treat spinal cord injuries in Joint Commission International-accredited hospitals. Many hold board certifications from the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. They utilize advanced technologies like intraoperative neuromonitoring to protect neurological function during complex trauma stabilizes.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Patient volume is a major quality signal in Turkey. Major hubs like Memorial Sisli and Istanbul Florence Nightingale serve up to 300,000 patients yearly. This massive case volume allows surgeons to encounter rare spinal pathologies that specialists in smaller markets rarely see. Look for doctors who serve as faculty at academic centers to ensure they stay current with trauma protocols.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that while hospitals have polished international departments, the surgeon's specific trauma experience is what matters. They emphasize choosing facilities with onsite intensive care and specialized physical therapy for post-surgical recovery.
Patients seeking experimental spinal cord injury treatment in Turkey must verify Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. High-authority centers like Memorial Şişli Hospital maintain these standards. Pre-clinical data and written informed consent regarding neurosurgical risks are essential for safe participation.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Bookimed data shows some rehabilitation centers, like Fizyomer Terapia, report a 98% success rate in patient recovery outcomes. However, patients should distinguish between standard rehabilitation and experimental stem cell trials. Many top-rated Istanbul clinics utilize ISO-certified labs, but the experimental protocol itself must have independent ethics committee oversight to ensure safety.
Patient Consensus: Patients warn that some centers may misrepresent standard physical therapy as part of a stem cell trial. They emphasize bringing a family member to help verify written consent forms and clinical documentation before any procedure.
Turkish spinal cord injury rehabilitation uses intensive, multidisciplinary inpatient programs lasting up to 60 days. Accredited centers integrate robotic gait training, functional electrostimulation, and daily neurological therapy. Programs focus on restoring independence through early mobilization, pressure sore prevention, and specialized bladder or bowel management.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Quality varies significantly between general hospitals and dedicated specialized centers. Fizyomer Terapia reports a 98% success rate for neurological injuries including spinal cord trauma. Choosing a facility focused exclusively on rehabilitation rather than surgery alone ensures access to higher-intensity equipment like the EOS imaging system found at Florence Nightingale.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that daily therapy is physically exhausting but essential for preventing stiffness. Many emphasize that families must learn transfer techniques since they become the primary caregivers after discharge.