General Surgery

Public Hospitals with General Surgery Departments in Ankara

General surgery departments in Ankara are structured around high-tech city hospitals and well-established university hospitals specializing in complex cases. The main public healthcare institutions include Ankara Bilkent and Etlik City Hospitals; Hacettepe, Gazi, and Ankara University Faculty of Medicine hospitals; Gülhane, Dışkapı, and Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospitals. These centers offer patients comprehensive and high-quality surgical treatment options by utilizing all the possibilities of modern medicine, ranging from robotic surgery and organ transplantation to advanced cancer surgery and laparoscopic operations.

Ankara Bilkent City Hospital

Bilkent City Hospital is like a healthcare city with its size and capacity. Its structure brings together different medical specialties within the same campus, providing great convenience especially for patients with multiple medical conditions. For example, a patient receiving cancer treatment can receive both surgical and oncology services under the same roof, making the treatment process holistic and well-coordinated.

The General Surgery department is one of the most active units within this large organization and is particularly focused on certain areas. Cancer surgery is one of the department’s strongest fields. The presence of an Oncology Hospital within the hospital itself is the greatest indication of the importance placed on this field. Surgeons are highly experienced in using the latest and most advanced technologies in cancer surgeries. Robotic surgery and advanced laparoscopic (minimally invasive) procedures are not exceptions at Bilkent City Hospital but rather the standard. While these methods provide surgeons with a much clearer view of the surgical field and greater precision, they also mean smaller scars, less pain, and a much faster return to normal life for patients.

The department’s surgeons not only perform these technologies but also evaluate them scientifically. For example, they conduct studies comparing whether robotic surgery or standard laparoscopic techniques produce better outcomes in colorectal cancer operations. This reflects an evidence-based treatment approach that always seeks the safest and most effective method for patients.

Some of the most frequently operated cancer types in the General Surgical Oncology department include:

  • Stomach cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Rectal cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Liver tumors

In addition, bariatric surgery and the surgical treatment of other benign diseases of the digestive system are also successfully performed in the department. In short, Bilkent City Hospital is one of Ankara’s most important centers, combining a high patient volume with the most advanced technology, particularly in cancer surgery and high-tech surgical procedures.

Ankara Etlik City Hospital

Like Bilkent, Etlik City Hospital is a massive and modern healthcare complex that carries a significant share of Ankara’s healthcare burden. The General Surgery clinic has the physical infrastructure and technological equipment to perform even the most complex operations. Robotic surgery and advanced minimally invasive procedures are also an integral part of surgical practice here.

However, there is one very important unit that distinguishes Etlik City Hospital from its counterparts and makes it unique: the Chronic Wound Care Clinic. This clinic focuses particularly on difficult-to-heal wounds known as “diabetic foot,” which are among the greatest concerns for patients with diabetes. Over time, diabetes damages blood vessels and nerves, leading to loss of sensation in the feet and poor circulation. As a result, even the smallest wounds may go unnoticed, become rapidly infected, and progress to gangrene, potentially requiring leg amputation.

This is where the specialized clinic at Etlik City Hospital comes into play. Here, a multidisciplinary team consisting not only of general surgeons but also specialists from various medical fields prepares an individualized treatment plan for these challenging wounds. Some elements of the comprehensive care provided at the Diabetic Foot Clinic include:

  • Personalized wound care
  • Infection control
  • Pressure-relieving treatments
  • Vascular surgery consultation
  • Necessary surgical interventions
  • Patient and family education

This service is an extremely valuable effort aimed at directly improving patients’ quality of life and preventing limb loss. In addition, the hospital’s advanced Endoscopy Unit allows lesions such as polyps in the stomach and intestines to be removed endoscopically without surgery. Cancer surgery is also one of the hospital’s strong fields and is carried out by a dedicated Surgical Oncology department.

Hacettepe University Hospitals

Hacettepe is much more than a hospital; it is a tradition and a school of medicine. It serves as a referral center where the most challenging patients from all over Türkiye and even abroad come as a last hope after they have been unable to receive a diagnosis or treatment elsewhere. In line with this mission, its General Surgery department has earned an international reputation for handling cases that require the highest level of expertise and experience rather than routine procedures.

One of the first fields that comes to mind when Hacettepe is mentioned is undoubtedly organ transplantation. It is particularly the leader in liver transplantation in Türkiye and one of the world’s most respected centers. The department’s surgeons have tremendous experience in both living donor and deceased donor liver transplants. Their high case volume has created an extensive body of expertise that enables successful outcomes even in the most complex and high-risk patients. When it comes to liver transplantation, Hacettepe is one of the most trusted destinations.

Another area in which the department serves as a national referral center is its Burn Unit. It is one of the country’s leading centers, especially for pediatric burns, an extremely sensitive and challenging field. Burns are not merely skin injuries; they are severe traumas that disrupt the body’s entire balance, carry a high risk of infection, and require prolonged treatment. The Hacettepe Burn Unit manages this process comprehensively. The holistic services provided by the Burn Unit include:

  • Emergency burn treatment
  • All types of burn surgery
  • Intensive care monitoring
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • Psychological support
  • Skin grafting procedures
  • Reconstructive surgery for burn scar correction

In addition to these two flagship programs, the department’s General Surgery Intensive Care Unit is equipped with advanced technologies that help critically ill patients survive. For example, the ability to perform dialysis at the patient’s bedside without moving them is just one of the unit’s capabilities. Hacettepe is a solution center for the most difficult and complex surgical problems.

Gazi University Hospital

Gazi University is another long-established academic institution in Ankara and has made significant contributions to the development of modern surgical techniques in Türkiye. One of the department’s most distinctive characteristics is its pioneering role and extensive experience in laparoscopic surgery. In the early 1990s, when this technique was still new in the country, Gazi University surgeons performed some of the first laparoscopic gallbladder surgeries and played an active role in the associations established to promote this method. This historical background makes the hospital a reliable option for conditions requiring minimally invasive surgery.

The General Surgery department at Gazi Hospital has a highly organized structure focused on subspecialties. The department is divided into specialized groups such as Breast-Endocrine Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Surgery, and Colorectal Surgery. This ensures that patients receive care directly from teams specializing in their specific condition.

The hospital also has units established to meet patients’ specific needs. One of these is the Proctology Diagnosis and Treatment Unit. Diagnosis and treatment of anorectal diseases, which are quite common in society but often considered difficult to discuss, are carried out in this specialized unit. Some of the conditions treated in the Proctology Diagnosis and Treatment Unit include:

  • Hemorrhoids
  • Anal fissure
  • Perianal fistula
  • Pilonidal sinus
  • Anal abscesses

Another important unit is the Stoma Therapy Unit. Following certain bowel surgeries, it may be necessary to create an opening of the intestine on the abdominal wall, requiring patients to live with a stoma, commonly known as a “bag.” This can be physically and psychologically challenging. The Stoma Therapy Unit is a vital support service that educates patients on stoma care, teaches them how to manage potential problems, and helps them maintain the highest possible quality of life.

Ankara University Faculty of Medicine (İbni Sina Hospital)

Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, the first medical faculty in Türkiye and popularly known as “Cebeci,” is legendary in the field of surgery. The General Surgery clinic of this prestigious institution, which has trained hundreds of specialist physicians and professors, is especially one of Türkiye’s undisputed leaders in one field: Surgical Oncology (Cancer Surgery).

Ankara University’s expertise in this field is so extensive that it has a separate Department of Surgical Oncology providing its own specialty training apart from General Surgery. This is the clearest proof of how specialized the approach to cancer surgery has become. The department’s most internationally recognized practice is a special treatment method used for advanced cancers that have spread to the peritoneum: Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC).

This treatment is a complex two-stage operation. In the first stage, the surgeon meticulously removes all visible tumor tissue and cancer-affected organs within the abdomen, much like a sculptor. This procedure is called Cytoreductive Surgery. During the second and most critical stage, before the abdomen is closed, a special chemotherapy solution heated to 41–42°C is circulated directly inside the abdominal cavity using a specialized device. This procedure is called HIPEC. The goal is to destroy microscopic cancer cells that the surgeon cannot see by combining the effects of heat and chemotherapy. This method has become a new source of hope for many patients who were once considered untreatable. The cancers most commonly treated with HIPEC include:

  • Ovarian cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Appendiceal cancers (pseudomyxoma peritonei)
  • Stomach cancer
  • Peritoneal mesothelioma

This demanding and highly specialized treatment requires extensive experience and advanced technological infrastructure. With experience from hundreds of cases, Ankara University is one of Türkiye’s leading referral centers in this field.

Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital

Training and Research Hospitals are the backbone of the healthcare system, providing extensive healthcare services to the public while also educating future specialist physicians. Dışkapı Hospital has successfully fulfilled this mission for many years as one of Ankara’s oldest and largest training hospitals.

The General Surgery department has the capacity to provide modern surgical services across a broad spectrum. It is particularly active in digestive system surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and breast-thyroid surgery. One of the department’s most notable characteristics is the routine performance of advanced laparoscopic procedures. This demonstrates that these modern surgical approaches have become standard not only in university and city hospitals but also in major training hospitals. Some of the advanced laparoscopic procedures frequently performed in the department include:

  • Laparoscopic colon resection
  • Laparoscopic rectal resection
  • Laparoscopic hiatal hernia surgery
  • Laparoscopic bariatric surgery (gastric sleeve)
  • Laparoscopic adrenal gland surgery
  • Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery

However, perhaps the hospital’s most important capability is its ability to perform organ transplantation despite being a training hospital. A successful kidney transplantation program is carried out at the hospital. Both living donor and deceased donor kidney transplants are performed. This is evidence not only of the hospital’s surgical expertise but also of its organizational strength, bringing together multiple departments such as anesthesia, intensive care, and nephrology.

Yıldırım Beyazıt University Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital

Working in collaboration with a university, Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital stands out with its modern and dynamic structure. The General Surgery department has adopted the principle of embracing the latest technologies and making them a standard part of treatment. Here, minimally invasive methods such as robotic surgery, endoscopic systems, and laparoscopic systems are not luxuries reserved for selected and rare cases but standard approaches used whenever appropriate.

The philosophy underlying this modern approach is to make surgery as comfortable and minimally traumatic as possible for patients. Instead of traditional open surgery requiring large incisions, minimally invasive procedures performed through several small incisions significantly ease the postoperative period. Some of the major advantages of minimally invasive methods such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery for patients include:

  • Smaller surgical scars
  • Less postoperative pain
  • Lower risk of infection
  • Shorter hospital stay
  • Faster return to daily life
  • Less blood loss

Yenimahalle Hospital provides these modern treatment approaches across a wide range of conditions, from digestive system diseases and hernias to gallbladder disorders and endocrine surgery. It is a strong alternative for those seeking surgical treatment based on up-to-date technology with a focus on patient comfort.

Gülhane Training and Research Hospital (Former GATA)

Gülhane, formerly known as GATA, is one of Türkiye’s most respected healthcare institutions, with deep roots and prestige stemming from its military medical tradition. Today, as a training and research hospital affiliated with the University of Health Sciences, Gülhane’s General Surgery clinic stands out nationwide as a center of excellence, particularly in one field: Breast Surgery.

The Breast Clinic, affiliated with the hospital’s Surgical Oncology department, is a referral center for breast diseases and especially breast cancer. Serving a very large number of patients, the clinic not only provides diagnosis and treatment but also pioneers the most modern surgical approaches in this field. Gülhane’s greatest distinction is its extensive expertise in oncoplastic breast surgery. Oncoplastic surgery combines the principles of oncology and plastic surgery. The goal is to safely remove cancerous tissue while preserving or restoring the breast’s natural shape and aesthetic appearance to the greatest extent possible.

This approach aims to protect not only the patient’s physical health but also psychological well-being and body image throughout the fight against cancer. The multidisciplinary approach followed for a patient diagnosed with breast cancer at the Breast Clinic generally includes the following steps:

  • Imaging (mammography, ultrasound, MRI)
  • Pathological diagnosis (biopsy)
  • Surgical planning (oncoplastic evaluation)
  • Surgery
  • Medical oncology (chemotherapy, hormone therapy)
  • Radiation oncology (radiotherapy)
  • Psychological support and counseling

With this holistic approach and its leadership in the field of oncoplastic surgery, Gülhane is not only a treatment center but also a center of hope and support for patients with breast cancer. Through national and international courses, it also shares its expertise with other surgeons, contributing to the wider adoption of this valuable approach.

Updated Date: 01.10.2026

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