Best neurosurgeons in Turkey: TOP 116 doctors

Dr. Serdar Kabatas, graduated from Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne/Turkey in 1997. He became a neurosurgeon-specialist- in 2003 and then gained an award for postdoctoral fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and Neural Stem Cell (NSC) at Harvard Medical School in 2007. He has spent most of his scientific carrier in the study of SCI related stem cell applications either experimentally or clinically, stem cell clinical applications in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, periferic nervous system injuries, cell-based approaches for intervertebral disc regeneration, dentritic stem cell vaccines regarding brain tumours, trigeminal neuralgia, aneurysm surgery, etc. Among his achievements are the prediction of neural and anatomical abnormalities of the gastrointestinal system resulting from contusion SCI and functional multipotency of NSCs- its therapeutic implications- in USA. 

In addition to his scientific interests, he is the President of Society of Stem Cell and Cellular Therapies in Turkey. He is also member of AANS, CNS, Society of Neuroscience, Turkish Neurosurgical Society, Society of Nervous System Surgery and Turkish Spine Society. He is the chief editor of Journal of Nervous System Surgery. He had been teaching neurosurgery to medical students at the Baskent University, Turkey from 2008 to 2013. Between 2013 to 2015, he was the chief of Neurosurgery Department in Private Reyap Hospital, Tekirdağ. Curently, he has been the chief of Department of Neurosurgery in University of Health Sciences Turkey, Gaziosmanpaşa Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey since 2016. He was awarded as the first candidate for Specialization Thesis (2004) and Board Exam (2011) in Turkey, respectively. He was also awarded as research project regarding Stem Cell Applications in Rat Model (2013) in Turkey. He has more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed international journals with around 1300 citations. His h-index is 21 in google scholar and 17 in web of science. 

Selected Publications: 

1. S.Kabatas, D.Yu, X.D.He, H.S.Thatte, D.Benedict, K.T.Hepgul, P.M.Black, S.Sabharwal, Y.D.Teng, “Neural and anatomical abnormalities of the gastrointestinal system resulting from contusion spinal cord injury.“ Neuroscience 154(4): 1627-1638 pp., 2008 

2. Y.D.Teng, S.Kabatas, J.Li, D.R.Wakeman, E.Y.Snyder, R.L.Sidman, “Functional Multipotency of Neural Stem Cells and Its Therapeutic Implications“, ed. H.Ulrich. Perspectives of Stem Cells, 255-270 pp., Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York © Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2010 

4. S.Kabatas, Y.D.Teng, “Potential Roles of Neural Stem Cell in Restoration of the Injured Spinal Cord: Review of the Literature.“ Turk Neurosurg 20(2): 103-110 pp., 2010 

5. S. Kabataş, T. Cansever, E. Civelek, C. Yılmaz, "The therapeutic potential of neural stem cells in traumatic brain injuries", Curr Signal Transd T 6(3): 327-336 pp., 2011 

6. Teng YD, Yu D, Ropper AE, Li J, Kabatas S, Wakeman DR, Wang J, Sullivan MP, Redmond DE Jr, Langer R, Snyder EY, Sidman RL. Functional multipotency of stem cells: a conceptual review of neurotrophic factor-based evidence and its role in translational research. Curr Neuropharmacol 9(4): 574-85, 2011. 

7. Karaoz E, Kabatas S, Duruksu G, Okcu A, Subası C, Ay B, Musluman M, Civelek E. Reduction of lesion in injured rat spinal cord and partial functional recovery of motility after bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. Turk Neurosurg 22(2): 207-17, 2012. 

8. Han I-B, Kim S-W, Ropper AE, Thakor D, Kabatas S, Teng YD. Recent Patents on Cell-based Approaches for Intervertebral Disc Regeneration. Recent Patents on Biomedical Engineering, 5: 122-30, 2012 

9. Sonmez E, Kabatas S, Ozen O, Karabay G, Turkoglu S, Ogus E, Yilmaz C, Caner H, Altinors N. Minocycline Treatment Inhibits Lipid Peroxidation, Preserves Spinal Cord Ultrastructure and Improves Functional Outcome after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in the Rat . Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Jan 30.

10. Han I-B, Ropper AE, Konya D, Kabatas S, Toktas Z, Aljuboori Z, Chi JH, Teng YD. Biological Approaches to Treating Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Devising stem cell therapies. Cell Transplant 24 (11): 2197-208, 2015. 

11. Aras Y, Sabancı PA, Kabataş S, Duruksu G, Subaşı C, Erguven M, Karaöz E. The Effects of Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation During The Acute And Subacute Phases Following Spinal Cord Injury. Turk Neurosurg 26 (1):127-39, 2016.

12. Kabatas S, Demir CS, Civelek E, Yilmaz I, Kircelli A, Yilmaz C, Akyuva Y, Karaoz E. Neuronal regeneration in injured rat spinal cord after human

dental pulp derived neural crest stem cell transplantation. Bratisl Med J 119 (3): 143-151, 2018

13. Karaoz E, Tepekoy F, Yilmaz I, Subasi C, Kabatas S. Reduction of Inflammation and Enhancement of Motility after Pancreatic Islet Derived Stem Cell Transplantation Following Spinal Cord Injury. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2019 Mar;62(2):153-165. 

14. Han IB, Thakor DK, Ropper AE, Yu D, Wang L, Kabatas S, Zeng X, Kim SW, Zafonte RD, Teng YD. Physical impacts of PLGA scaffolding on hMSCs: Recovery neurobiology insight for implant design to treat spinal cord injury.

Exp Neurol. 2019 Oct;320:112980. 

15. Kabataş S, Cİvelek E, Sezen GB, Kaplan N, Savrunlu EC, Çetİn E, Dİren F, KaraÖz E. Functional Recovery after Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Administration in a Patient with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study. Turk Neurosurg. 2020;30(6):914-922. 

16. Kabataş S, Civelek E, İnci Ç, Yalçınkaya EY, Günel G, Kır G, Albayrak E, Öztürk E, Adaş G, Karaöz E. Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in a Patient with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Pilot Study. Cell Transplant. 2018 Oct;27(10):1425-1433. 

17. Teng YD, Wang L, Kabatas S, Ulrich H, Zafonte RD. Cancer Stem Cells or Tumor Survival Cells? Stem Cells Dev. 2018 Nov 1;27(21):1466-1478. 

18. Kabatas S, Civelek E, Savrunlu EC, Kaplan N, Boyalı O, Diren F, Can H, Genç A, Akkoç T, Karaöz E. Feasibility of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells in pediatric hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: Phase I study. World J Stem Cells. 2021 May 26;13(5):470-484. 

19. Kabataş S, Civelek E, Kaplan N, Savrunlu EC, Sezen GB, Chasan M, Can H, Genç A, Akyuva Y, Boyalı O, Diren F, Karaoz E. Phase I study on the safety and preliminary efficacy of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. World J Exp Med. 2021 Mar 20;11(2):17-29.

PEER‐REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
1. Bal E, Bozkurt I “Santral Sinir Sistemi Tümörlerinde Epidemiyoloji ve Klinik Epidemiology and Clinic in Central
Nervous System – a review” Türkiye Klinikleri J Med Oncol-Special Topics 2013;6(1):1-5
2. Bozkurt I, Ozveren MF, Ayberk G “Tricks in shortening spinal column reconstruction through posterior approach –
Letter to editor” Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2014 Apr 6. PMID: 24705509
3. Dumanli Ozcan AT, Aksoy M, Erkılıç E, Özcan E, Bozkurt I, Bal E “Anesthesia Management During Biopsy With
Stereotactic Neurosurgery Intervention” Turk Med J. 2016; 8(2): 65-68
4. Senturk S, Gurcay AG, Bozkurt I, Gurcan O, Eroglu H, Turkoglu OF, Bodur E, Bavbek M “Effects of tadalafil—TypeV phosphodiesterase enzyme inhibitor—On rats with spinal trauma” British Journal of Neurosurgery, Online on
November 7, 2014. doi:10.3109/02688697.2014.976174.
5. Gurcay AG, Gurcan O, Kazanci O, Bozkurt I, Senturk S, Bodur E, Turkoglu OF, Bavbek M “Comparative biochemical
and motor function analysis of Alpha Lipoic Acid and N-Acetyl Cysteine treatment on rats with experimental spinal
cord injury” Turkish Neurosurgery 2016;26(1):119-26. doi: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.14594-15.0.
6. Kazanci A, Gurcan O, Gurcay AG, Bozkurt I, Algin O, Turkoglu OF, Bavbek M. “A simple, safe and effective surface
marking and targeting method combined with intraoperative ultrasonography for small subcortical intracranial
lesions.” J Neurosurg Sci. 2015 Jul 14. PMID: 26173480
7. Gurcan O, Gurcay AG, Kazanci A, Senturk S , Bozkurt I “Extended Lumbar Laminectomy: A Safe And Swift
Technique / Uzatılmış Lomber Laminektomi: Güvenli Ve Hızlı Bir Teknik” The Journal of Turkish Spinal
Surgery, Volume: 27, Issue: 2, 2016, pp: 117-120.
8. Gurcay AG, Kazanci A, Gurcan O, Bozkurt I, Onder E, Altınel F, Bavbek M. “Evaluation of Topical Application of
Polysaccharide Hemostat and Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose on Epidural Fibrosis in Rats”, Journal of
Neurological Sciences (Turkish) 2016, Volume 33, Number 2, 278-85.
9. Gurcay AG, Bozkurt I, Senturk S, Kazanci A, Gurcan O, Turkoglu OF, Beskonakli E. “Diagnosis, treatment, and
management strategy of meningioma during pregnancy,” Asian J Neurosurg, ahead of print, DOI:10.4103/1793-
5482.181115
10. Gurcay AG, Gurcan O, Kazanci A, Bozkurt I, Senturk S, Ferat M, Turkoglu OF, Beskonakli E, Orhun Yavuz H S.
“Xanthogranuloma of the sellar region.” Neurol India 2016;64:1075-9, DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.190238
11. Turkoglu OF, Bozkurt I. “The Use of Hemostatic Matrix with Thrombin in an Adjacent Segment Disease patient
using ASA,” Turkiye Klinikleri Gold J 2017;2(1):5-7 Article Language: TR
12. Gurcan O, Kazanci A, Gurcay AG, Kucukyildiz HC, Bozkurt I, Turkoglu OF, Bavbek M. “Occipital Aneurysmal Bone
Cysts in an Adult Patient: A Rare Case and Review of Literature.” Med J Islamic World Acad Sci. doi:
10.5505/ias.2016.27146 2016;24(4):123-126
13. Bal E, Bozkurt I, Akıncı C, Yılmaz N. “Metopic Suture Synostosis (Trigonocephaly): A Case Report.” Med J Islamic
World Acad Sci. 2016; 24(2): 69-72. DOI: 10.5505/ias.2016.15921
3
14. Atasoy F, Sen B, Nar F, Bozkurt I. “Improvement of Radial basis Function Interpolation Performance on Cranial
Implant Design” International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications(IJACSA), 8(8), 2017.
http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2017.080811
15. Ozturk Y, Bozkurt I, Yaman ME, Guvenc Y, Tolunay T, Bayram P, Hayirli N, Billur D, Erbay FK, Senturk S, Bozkurt G.
“Histopathologic Analysis of Tamoxifen on Epidural Fibrosis.” World Neurosurg. 2018 Mar;111:e941-e948. doi:
10.1016/j.wneu.2018.01.004.
16. Senturk S, Yaman ME, Aydin HE, Guney G, Bozkurt I, Paksoy K, Abdioglu AA. Effects of Resveratrol on
Inflammation and Apoptosis After Experimental Spinal Cord Injury. Turk Neurosurg. 2018;28(6):889-896. doi:
10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.21829-17.3. PMID: 29368318.
17. Tezel G, Timur SS, Bozkurt I, Turkoglu OF, Eroglu I, Nemutlu E, Oner L, Eroglu H. “A Snapshot on the Current Status
of Alzheimer's Disease, Treatment Perspectives, in-Vitro and in-Vivo Research Studies and Future Opportunities,”
Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2019 Oct 1;67(10):1030-1041. doi: 10.1248/cpb.c19-00511.
18. Bozkurt I, Chaurasia B. “Attitudes of Neurosurgeons Toward Social Media: A Multi-Institutional Study.” World
Neurosurg. 2020 Dec 21:S1878-8750(20)32634-6. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.12.067.
19. Bozkurt I. “Meralgia Paresthetica Caused By Thoracolumbar Brace in Conservatively Treated Thoracolumbar
Fractures.” J Turk Spinal Surg 2021; 32: 80-83. DOI: 10.4274/jtss.galenos.2021.54264
20. Ismail Bozkurt, Atilla Kazanci, Oktay Gurcan, Ahmet G. Gurcay, Ata T. Arikok & Murad Bavbek (2021) “Spinal
epidural fibrosis following hemostatic agent employment,” British Journal of Neurosurgery, DOI:
10.1080/02688697.2021.1950627
21. İsmail BOZKURT, Ebru KARAKOÇ (2021).Spine Surgery During The Covid-19 Pandemic: One Trauma Center
Experience In Central Anatolia. Osmangazi Tıp Dergisi. Doi: 10.20515/otd.957550
22. Ozturk Y, Bozkurt I, Guvenc Y, et al. Modafinil attenuates the neuroinflammatory response after experimental
traumatic brain injury [published online ahead of print, 2021 Sep 21]. J Neurosurg Sci. 2021;10.23736/S0390-
5616.21.05382-0. doi:10.23736/S0390-5616.21.05382-0
23. Bozkurt I, Umana HE, Deora H, Wellington J, Karakoc E, Chaurasia B. “Factors Affecting Neurosurgeons’ Decisions
to Forgo Life-Sustaining Treatments after Traumatic Brain Injury.” World Neurosurgery Available online 18
December 2021 In Press, Journal Pre-proof. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2021.12.056
24. Bozkurt I, Ozturk Y, Guney G, Arslan B, Gulbahar O, Guvenc Y, Senturk S, Yaman ME. “Effects of pirfenidone on
experimental head injury in rats.” Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2022;15(1):20-28. ISSN:1936-2625/IJCEP0138062
25. Bozkurt I, Yasar B, Uslu MB, Bozdogan N. “A Primary Sacral Melanoma of Unknown Origin: A Case Report.”
Oncologie 2022; 24(1), 163–171. DOI: 10.32604/oncologie.2022.019263
26. Paksoy K, Şentürk S, Akyoldas G, Bozkurt İ, Yaman ME, Sezgin Y. “Radyological Comparison of Lumbar Nerve Root
Thickness in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation.” Genel Tıp Derg. 2022; 32(3): 335-338. doi:
10.54005/geneltip.1034311
27. Alvarez Aquino A, Ramirez M, Bozkurt I, et al. “Treatment of Intracranial Tumors With Stereotactic Radiosurgery:
Short-Term Results From Cuba.” Cureus. 2022 Oct;14(10): e29955. doi:10.7759/cureus.29955
28. Lavadi RS, Bozkurt I, Harikar MM, Umana GE, Chaurasia B. “The Role of Social Media on the Research Productivity
of Neurosurgeons During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” World Neurosurg. 2022 Sep 16:S1878-8750(22)01328-6. doi:
10.1016/j.wneu.2022.09.051.
29. Ferini G, Palmisciano P, Scalia G, Haider AS, Bin-Alamer O, Sagoo NS, Bozkurt I, Deora H, Priola SM, Aoun SG,
Umana GE. “The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of spine metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma: a
systematic review and meta-analysis.” Neurosurg Focus. 2022 Nov;53(5):E12. doi: 10.3171/2022.8.FOCUS2255.
PMID: 36321286.
30. Hernandez C L, Díaz S M, Nurmukhametov R, Goncharov E, Ramirez MJE, Bozkurt I, Ramirez Pena IJ. “A Case
Report of a Sacral Giant Cell Tumor Treated With Block Resection and Lumbo-Pelvic Fixation.” Cureus. 2022
Nov;14(11): e31224. doi:10.7759/cureus.31224
4
31. Bozkurt I, Senturk S, Yaman ME, Guvenc Y, Ozturk Y, Guney G, Cingirt M, Gulbahar O. “Effect of sumatriptan
following simulated traumatic brain injury in rats.” Cesk Slov Neurol N 2022; 85(5): 389-396. doi:
10.48095/cccsnn2022389
32. Türkmen C, Özcan A, Karahan Z, Bozkurt İ. “Reciprocal activation changes of lower extremity muscles caused by
the abdominal hollowing maneuver in patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation: an EMG study.” J Health Sci
Med / JHSM. 2023; 6(1): 59-65. doi: 10.32322/jhsm.1193371
33. Pahwa B, Chaurasia B, Garg K, Bozkurt I, Deora H. “Factors Affecting the Choice of Neurosurgery Subspecialty: A
Geographical and Gender-wise Analysis.” World Neurosurgery, 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.01.012 
 

He was born in 1974 in Osmanbey, Istanbul. He graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Medicine in 1997, which he started in 1991. In the same year, he started his specialization in Marmara University Neurosurgery Department. He graduated in 2002 with the title of Neurosurgery Specialist. After getting his specialization, he did his military service as a Neurosurgeon Specialist at Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Hospital. During this period, he also had a microsurgery education at GATA Ankara Microsurgery Laboratories with an official assignment. Subsequently, Kartal Dr. He completed his compulsory service at Lütfi Kırdar Training and Research Hospital.

He worked at Avicenna Ataşehir Hospital for seven years. Meanwhile, he also served as a member of the board of directors of the Nervous System Association. He went to the 29 Mayıs Hospital of the Turkish Religious Foundation. Later, he returned to the state for a period, first at Maltepe State Hospital, then with its new name Kartal Dr. He worked at Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital.

In 2020, he left the state again and started to work as a Neurosurgeon Specialist and Deputy Chief Physician at Academic Hospital.

After receiving the title of Associate Professor of Neurosurgery in 2021, he left his administrative duty to focus on academic studies. Currently, he is a faculty member at Galata University Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of the Beykent University Faculty of Medicine Advisory Board.

Although he provides professional service in all areas of Neurosurgery, the areas he prefers to work with are spine surgery, pediatric neurosurgery, peripheral neurosurgery, and tumor surgery.

He has been accepting patients at Hisar Intercontinental Hospital since October 2022.

Prof. Yaşar Kütükçü is a neurologist with an education from Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi Medical School and University of California San Francisco. He is a member of Turkish Neurology Society, Parkinson’s Disease Society and International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society and specializes in Neurophysiology (Deep Brain Stimulation) and movement disorders treatment.