Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Hamdi Sakarya
Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Hamdi Sakarya is a specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, with particular focus on deep plane face and neck lift, facial rejuvenation surgery, reconstructive microsurgery, and peripheral nerve surgery. Having maintained an active surgical practice since 2010, Dr. Sakarya is a surgeon who combines his academic identity with clinical experience, while also remaining actively involved in education, scientific exchange, and advanced surgical practice.
The foundation of this surgical and academic path was established with his medical education, which began in 2004 at Ege University Faculty of Medicine. After graduating in 2010, he started his residency training at Hacettepe University Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery—one of the most established and pioneering plastic surgery centers in Turkey—after achieving a very high ranking in the national medical specialty examination. During his residency, he received intensive training in the core fields of plastic surgery, including reconstructive surgery, microsurgery, hand surgery, pediatric plastic surgery, maxillofacial and craniofacial surgery, as well as aesthetic surgery. Through involvement in a high number of operations and advanced clinical applications, he built a broad surgical foundation. During this period, in 2013, he also completed a six-month general surgery rotation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, which contributed early on to his international clinical observation and surgical experience. After completing his residency in 2016, he further deepened this strong background by focusing particularly on microsurgery, peripheral nerve surgery, and facial surgery.
After completing his specialty training, he was accepted into the highly competitive international clinical fellowship program at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, widely regarded as one of the most respected and highest-volume centers in the world for reconstruction and microsurgery. Between 2016 and 2018, Dr. Sakarya completed two years of active clinical fellowship / advanced surgical subspecialty training there, and during the same period he also earned a Master of Science (MSc) degree in reconstructive microsurgery. Throughout this process, he took part in advanced microsurgical practice and significantly deepened his surgical experience.
During the first fellowship year, between 2016 and 2017, he worked closely with Prof. Fu-Chan Wei, one of the world’s leading authorities in head and neck reconstruction, gaining extensive clinical and surgical experience in multiple areas of microsurgery, particularly reconstruction after head and neck cancer. During this period, he actively participated in advanced microsurgical procedures including free tissue transfer, complex soft tissue reconstruction, and selected lymph node transfers. During the second fellowship year, between 2017 and 2018, he shifted his focus more specifically toward peripheral nerve surgery, brachial plexus repair, and facial paralysis surgery, working intensively with Prof. David Chuang, one of the world’s most recognized surgeons in this field. During this period, he became part of a high-volume surgical practice focused particularly on brachial plexus injuries, facial paralysis, facial nerve repair, and nerve reconstruction, further advancing his microsurgical approach to nerve, vessel, and soft tissue surgery. This two-year advanced surgical period added a deeper level of clinical experience in tissue dissection, vascular and nerve repair, free tissue transfer, and functional reconstruction on top of the strong plastic surgery foundation established at Hacettepe.
Following his advanced fellowship period in Taiwan, he was appointed to Ağrı State Hospital between 2018 and 2020 as part of his compulsory public service. Serving as the sole plastic surgeon at a center caring for a broad regional population, he maintained both an intensive reconstructive and aesthetic surgical practice. In addition to trauma, defect reconstruction, complex soft tissue problems, and reconstructive needs, he also performed a large number of operations across different areas of aesthetic surgery, bringing his broad surgical experience into high-volume clinical practice.
Between 2020 and 2022, he worked in Istanbul within structures active in health tourism, where he treated predominantly international patients. During this period, his aesthetic surgical practice increased significantly, and he gained high-volume experience particularly in facial rejuvenation surgery, deep plane / extended deep plane facelift, neck lift, and other aesthetic procedures.
Between 2022 and 2025, he continued his academic career at Marmara University Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. At this department—one of Turkey’s leading high-volume reconstructive centers—he remained an important part of an intensive reconstructive surgical practice, with active surgical work particularly in microsurgical tissue transfer, head and neck reconstruction, peripheral nerve surgery, and facial paralysis surgery. During the same period, he also continued his aesthetic surgery practice, further increasing his case volume particularly in facelift surgery while carrying both of his main surgical lines together.
Throughout this academic period, he was involved not only in surgery itself, but also as an active part of medical student education, surgical resident training, and the broader clinical teaching process. Through the residents he trained and the surgical experience he shared, he contributed actively to education. He also delivered talks at national and international congresses, shared his experience in scientific meetings, and took part in academic studies published in national and international journals. In 2024, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor, marking another important milestone in his academic career.To date, he has authored 16 articles published in international peer-reviewed journals and 7 book chapters; in addition, he has delivered over 50 invited presentations at national and international meetings.
His surgical and academic development has also been supported by national and international certification milestones. He obtained the Turkish Board Certification in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery in 2015, ECFMG certification in 2017 (United States medical equivalency / international medical qualification certification), and the European Board certification in 2022, thereby documenting his qualifications as a double board-certified surgeon at both the national and European levels. These certification milestones represent important structural pillars supporting his clinical and academic development.
In 2025, he left his university position and transitioned to his own private clinic practice. He currently continues his surgical work within his own clinical structure, with main focus particularly on facial rejuvenation surgery, deep plane / extended deep plane facelift, face and neck lift, as well as selected reconstructive microsurgery and peripheral nerve surgery cases. Within his international patient practice, he works especially with patients from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and, thanks to his advanced English communication skills, is able to conduct consultations, planning, and the surgical process directly together with his team.
Highlighted Qualifications
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- Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- Associate Professor; active contribution to surgical education, academic publication, and scientific meetings
- Residency training at Hacettepe University Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- Two-year international clinical fellowship / advanced subspecialty training completed at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan
- Master of Science (MSc) degree in Reconstructive Microsurgery
- Advanced experience with Prof. Fu-Chan Wei and Prof. David Chuang in head and neck reconstruction, facial paralysis surgery, brachial plexus surgery, and peripheral nerve surgery
- Faculty member at Marmara University; active contribution to high-volume reconstructive microsurgical practice and surgical resident training
- Deep understanding of facial and neck anatomy; a facial rejuvenation approach shaped by a background in reconstructive microsurgery and nerve surgery
- Focused experience in deep plane / extended deep plane facelift, face and neck lift, and facial rejuvenation surgery
- International patient portfolio particularly from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
Official Qualifications and Certifications
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- 2015 — Turkish Board Certification in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- 2017 — ECFMG Certification (United States medical equivalency / international medical qualification certification)
- 2017 — Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Advanced Fellowship in Reconstructive Microsurgery
- 2018 — Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Advanced Fellowship in Peripheral Nerve Surgery
- 2018 — Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Reconstructive Microsurgery
- 2022 — European Board Certification (FEBOPRAS)
- 2024 — Title of Associate Professor
Professional Memberships
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- Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- Turkish Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery
- WSRM — World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery
- ASAPS — American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
- ISAPS — International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Academic and Clinical Milestones
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- 2004–2010 — Ege University Faculty of Medicine
- 2010–2016 — Residency training at Hacettepe University Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- 2013 — 6-month general surgery rotation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge
- 2016–2017 — Reconstructive microsurgery fellowship at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan; focus on head and neck reconstruction
- 2017–2018 — Peripheral nerve surgery fellowship at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan; focus on brachial plexus and facial paralysis surgery
- 2018–2020 — Compulsory public service at Ağrı State Hospital; reconstructive and aesthetic surgery practice
- 2020–2022 — International patient-focused aesthetic surgery practice in Istanbul
- 2022–2025 — Faculty member at Marmara University Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- 2025–present — Private clinic practice; facial rejuvenation surgery, deep plane face and neck lift, and selected microsurgical cases
