-
DR. ERKAN YILDIRIM
- Thoracic Surgeon
- Qualification: MD
- Experience: 25 years
- Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Prof. Dr. Erkan Yıldırım, M.D. is a highly esteemed Thoracic Surgeon bringing over 25 years of experience in thoracic oncology, lung transplantation, and advanced minimally invasive chest surgery techniques.
Areas of Expertise
Cancer Surgery
- Lung Cancer
- Mediastinal Masses
- Chest Wall Tumors
- Mesothelioma
- Malignant Pleural Effusion (MPE)
- Esophageal Cancer
Benign Lung Diseases
- Echinococcal Cysts
- Bronchiectasis
- Bleb Surgery (Blebectomy)
- Empyema and Infectious Thoracic Diseases
- Traumatic Thoracic Injuries
Clip-Assisted ETS (VATS Sympathectomy)
- Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating)
- Facial Flushing
- Raynaud’s Disease
Chest Wall Deformities
- Pectus Excavatum – VATS/NUSS Bar, 3D Implant Techniques
- Pectus Carinatum – Abramson Bar Technique
- Poland Syndrome – 3D Implant Method, NUSS or Ravitch Surgery
Education
- Medical Degree (M.D.) – Anadolu University Faculty of Medicine (1992)
- Specialization in Thoracic Surgery – Siyami Ersek Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery Center & Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital
Professional Experience
Prof. Dr. Yıldırım completed his thoracic surgery residency at Siyami Ersek Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery Center and Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Center, finishing in 1998. He subsequently fulfilled his military service at the Gülhane Military Medical Academy Thoracic Surgery Clinic in 1999.
He then served as a Specialist and Chief Assistant at the Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital Thoracic Surgery Clinic (2000–2001). Throughout his career, he has gained significant international experience through observer and training roles at leading institutions, including:
- University of Zurich, Switzerland (2002)
- University of Toronto, Canada (2004)
- University of Leuven, Belgium (2008)
- Kyoto University, Japan (2012)
He completed an advanced Fellowship in Lung Transplantation at the University of Toronto Lung Transplant Program (2007–2008), where he participated in 85 lung transplant recipient surgeries and 100 donor procurements—making him one of Turkey’s most experienced surgeons in lung transplantation.
Prof. Dr. Yıldırım successfully passed the European Qualification Examination in Thoracic Surgery (2002) and earned the Turkish Thoracic Surgery Qualification Certificate (2003). He became an Associate Professor in Thoracic Surgery in 2007.
He has been a long-standing reviewer for the Turkish Journal of Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery and the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery since 2002. He is currently part of the Thoracic Surgery Department at Hisar Hospital Intercontinental, with 37 international and 19 national congress presentations to date.
Prof. Dr. Yıldırım also holds FETCS certification and collaborates with Boğaziçi University’s Biomedical Engineering Department on innovative thoracic surgery patents.
