Academic profile
This profile catalogues the academic and surgical record of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayhan Işık Erdal — over 30 peer-reviewed publications, international training appointments at leading European and American centres, awards from international societies, and active society memberships.
Academic appointments
- Associate Professor (Doçent) of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- Faculty appointment — Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
- Academic registry — verifiable through the YÖK Akademik national registry
- Teaching role — resident education in abdominoplasty technique selection, Nahas classification application, and Saldanha lipoabdominoplasty methodology
International training
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA)
Visiting fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the world's leading cancer treatment and research centres. Plastic surgery rotations focused on reconstructive techniques and microsurgical practice. New York City, USA.
Ghent University Hospital (Belgium)
Visiting observership and clinical fellowship at Ghent University Hospital, a major European tertiary referral centre with strong reputation in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Ghent, Belgium.
Gazi University Faculty of Medicine (Türkiye)
Plastic surgery specialty training and academic appointment. Gazi University is one of the leading Turkish academic medical centres for plastic surgery. Ankara, Türkiye.
Peer-reviewed publication areas
Over 30 peer-reviewed publications indexed on PubMed (search "Erdal AI"), with research contributions in:
- Abdominoplasty technique — published research on diastasis repair methodology, Saldanha lipoabdominoplasty outcomes, and post-bariatric body contouring.
- Closed rhinoplasty — technique papers in Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Facial Plastic Surgery.
- Breast aesthetic surgery — augmentation, mastopexy, and combined augmentation-mastopexy outcomes.
- Microsurgery and reconstruction — flap-based reconstructive techniques, perforator flap applications.
- Surgical education — papers contributing to plastic surgery resident training literature.
Journals: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Aesthetic Surgery Journal; Annals of Plastic Surgery; Facial Plastic Surgery; Microsurgery; ISAPS-affiliated journals.
Awards and recognition
ISAPS World Congress 2023 — Gold & Bronze Award
International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery World Congress 2023 recognition awards. ISAPS World Congress is the largest international meeting for aesthetic plastic surgery, gathering surgeons from over 100 countries.
FACS Induction — ACS Clinical Congress 2025
Inducted as Fellow of the American College of Surgeons at the ACS Clinical Congress 2025. FACS designation is one of the most internationally recognised surgical credentials.
Society memberships
| Society | Role / Status |
|---|---|
| American College of Surgeons (ACS) | Fellow (FACS, 2025) |
| American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) | International member |
| International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) | Member; Gold/Bronze World Congress 2023 |
| European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) | Fellow (FEBOPRAS) |
| Türk Plastik, Rekonstrüktif ve Estetik Cerrahi Derneği (TPRECD) | Active member |
Conference presentations
Regular speaker at international plastic surgery conferences:
- ISAPS World Congresses — multiple presentations on abdominoplasty technique, body contouring, and rhinoplasty
- EURAPS (European Association of Plastic Surgeons) — invited speaker
- National Turkish Plastic Surgery Congress — annual contributor
- Aesthetic surgery focused meetings — workshop instructor in lipoabdominoplasty technique
Why academic credentials matter for surgical patients
Patients sometimes wonder whether academic credentials matter for what they actually want — a good surgical result. They do, for specific reasons:
- Peer-reviewed publication requires demonstration that the work meets independent expert scrutiny — a verifiable form of quality control.
- Society memberships require ongoing engagement with the international plastic surgery community — surgeons who isolate themselves from this community are not exposed to evolving technique.
- Academic appointments require teaching evaluation and ongoing research contribution — meaning the surgeon's practice is regularly reviewed by colleagues.
- Conference presentation requires defending the surgeon's results in front of peer experts — an additional layer of accountability.
- FACS / FEBOPRAS fellowship requires sustained ethical and professional standards beyond the basic specialty completion.
An academic surgeon may not have lower complication rates than an excellent non-academic colleague — both can be outstanding. But the academic surgeon's record is independently visible and reviewed in ways that make it harder to misrepresent. For international patients who cannot meet the surgeon in person before booking, this independent visibility is a meaningful trust signal.
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