Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Sakar

Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Sakar is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Memorial Göztepe Hospital in Istanbul — a specialist trusted for over two decades in the most demanding fields of brain and spinal surgery.

21+Years of Experience

5000+Surgeries Performed

2000+Brain Tumor Operations

Born in Kayseri in 1979, Mustafa Sakar completed his medical degree at Hacettepe University — one of Turkey’s most prestigious medical schools — and went on to become one of Istanbul’s most respected neurosurgeons, with academic appointments spanning more than a decade. About

Who is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sakar?

Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Sakar is a board-certified neurosurgeon with a distinguished academic and clinical career. Having trained and later taught at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine for over twelve years, he now practices at Memorial Göztepe Hospital — one of Turkey’s leading private healthcare institutions — where he continues to treat patients from Turkey and around the world.

His clinical focus has evolved progressively over the years: beginning with spinal and vertebral surgery, moving into pediatric neurosurgery, and arriving at his current primary areas of adult brain tumor surgery and cerebrovascular disease — including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and cavernomas. This breadth of expertise is reinforced by international fellowships in Brazil and Germany.

Dr. Sakar is fluent in English and German, enabling him to see patients and collaborate with institutions internationally.

Education & Professional Experience

2025 – Present

• Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
• Memorial Göztepe Hospital — Ataşehir, Istanbul
• Current position

2023

• Promoted to Associate Professor (Doçent)
• Marmara University Faculty of Medicine

2017 – 2025

• Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
• Marmara University Faculty of Medicine — Istanbul
• Clinical focus: pediatric brain surgery (2017–2023), followed by adult brain tumors and cerebrovascular surgery

2013 – 2017

• Academic Faculty — Neurosurgery
• Marmara University Faculty of Medicine — Istanbul
• Clinical focus: spinal and vertebral surgery

2011 – 2012

• Neurosurgery Specialist (Compulsory Service)
• Karaelbistan State Hospital — Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

2004 – 2010

• Residency in Neurosurgery
• Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine — Ankara
• Completed specialist training and became a board-certified neurosurgeon in 2010

1997 – 2003

• Medical Degree (MD)
• Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine — Ankara

Areas of Specialization

Dr. Sakar’s surgical expertise spans four major domains of neurosurgery, shaped by focused clinical work at each stage of his career:

• Neuro-oncological Surgery
  • Adult brain tumors
  • Gliomas
  • Meningiomas
  • Metastatic lesions
  • Cerebellar tumors
• Spinal & Vertebral Surgery
  • Herniated disc (lumbar and cervical)
  • Spinal cord tumors
  • Complex spine pathologies
• Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric brain tumors
  • Craniosynostosis
  • Fetal spina bifida (in-utero repair)
  • Hydrocephalus
• Cerebrovascular Surgery
  • Brain aneurysms
  • Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
  • Cavernomas
  • Intracranial hemorrhages

International Experience

Beyond his academic tenure in Turkey, Dr. Sakar has completed advanced clinical training at two internationally recognized centers, bringing rare surgical techniques back to his patients in Istanbul.

Brazil — São Paulo:

He completed an advanced fellowship at GESTAR Centro de Medicina Fetal, HCor Hospital, focusing on fetal spina bifida surgery. During this training, he gained expertise in intrauterine myelomeningocele repair, a highly specialized fetal surgical procedure performed before birth. He later contributed to introducing and applying this technique at Marmara University.

Germany — Tübingen:

He underwent clinical training at the University of Tübingen in skull base and acoustic neuroma surgery. This experience focused on complex tumors such as vestibular schwannoma, requiring advanced microsurgical precision in one of the most technically demanding areas of neurosurgery.

Conditions Treated

At Memorial Göztepe Hospital, Dr. Sakar evaluates and surgically treats a broad range of neurological and spinal conditions:

• Brain Tumors (all types)
• Spinal Cord Tumors
• Brain Aneurysms
• Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM)
• Intracranial Hemorrhages
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS/Brain Pacemaker)
• Lumbar Herniated Disc
• Cervical Herniated Disc
• Cerebellar Tumors
• Pediatric Brain Pathologies
• Craniosynostosis

Society Memberships

Dr. Sakar is an active member of Turkey’s and the world’s leading neurosurgical organizations:

• Turkish Neurosurgery Society (TNS)
• TNS Pediatric Neurosurgery Education Group
• European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS)
• International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN)
• Turkish Medical Association
• European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN)
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)

What Sets Him Apart

Dr. Sakar’s practice is built on strong academic foundations, international surgical training, and broad neurosurgical expertise. His work combines university-level medical rigor with advanced techniques introduced from leading global centers, offering comprehensive care for patients of all ages in Istanbul.

Academic Pedigree:

Trained at Hacettepe University — consistently ranked among Turkey’s top medical schools — and with 12+ years of faculty experience at Marmara University, Dr. Sakar’s practice is grounded in rigorous academic medicine rather than solely clinical routine.

Rare Techniques Brought to Turkey:

The in-utero repair of myelomeningocele (fetal spina bifida surgery) is performed at only a handful of centers worldwide. Dr. Sakar underwent dedicated training in São Paulo and introduced this technique at Marmara University, giving Turkish families access to an intervention that can significantly improve outcomes for children born with spinal defects.

Breadth Across the Lifespan:

With deep expertise in pediatric, adult, and complex vascular neurosurgery, Dr. Sakar treats patients from infancy through adulthood — a versatility rarely found in a single surgeon.

Multilingual Patient Care:

Fluent in Turkish, English, and German, Dr. Sakar is well-equipped to communicate with patients and families from across Europe and the broader international community seeking expert care in Istanbul.