He was born in Istanbul in 1937. Earlier years of his education took place in Ankara. He graduated from Ankara Ataturk High School in 1955 and from Ankara University Medical School in 1961.
Between 1961 and 1965, he completed his residency training in general surgery at the Geissen-Evangelisches Hospital and worked as an “Oberarzt” at Unfall-Krankenhaus in Vienna for 2 years, and in Zofingen-Bezirkisspal, Switzerland for one year.
In 1969, he returned to Turkey and worked as faculty and division chief at the Hacettepe University, Emergency Department. He completed his hand surgery fellowship at Columbia University, New York in 1972, and earned his associate professor degree in 1973.
Between 1974 and 1975, he worked as the faculty at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Gulhane Military Medical Academy. At the completion of his military service, he took a faculty position at the department of plastic surgery at Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. During his tenure there, he went to France for microsurgery training at Hopital Jeanne D’Arc in 1978.
Upon his return, he established the first hand and microsurgery group in country and began to serve at the French Pasteur Hospital, Istanbul in 1978. In 1980, he presented his thesis on “Finger Replantations” and earned professorship at the Marmara University.
Between 1978 and 1980, he performed the first 5 digit replantation, toe-to-thumb transfer, and various free flaps in Turkey along with numerous finger and major replantations of the upper, lower extremity.
In addition to his clinical activity, he also provided with post-graduate training and fellowship for 3 to 6 months, up to 3 years. Between 1980 and 1995, he trained 58 physicians in hand and microsurgery at the French Pasteur Hospital. During the same period, he set up 10 national symposiums on advanced techniques in hand and microsurgery and trained over 50 physicians at various cities in the country. After 1995, he served as the chief of hand surgery at VKV American Hospital and continued to be actively involved in fellowship training until his retirement in 2010. He trained over 70 hand surgeons during his career in 30 years.
Throughout his career, he has been invited to many international meetings, symposiums, and panels as the guest speaker to share vast experience in hand trauma and reconstructive hand surgery. He has been the member of numerous national, and international, hand, and reconstructive microsurgery societies including the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Austrian Traumatology Association, German Reconstructive Microsurgery Society, Turkish Medical Society, Turkish Orthopaedic Association, Turkish Reconstructive Microsurgery Society. He also served at the editorial board of the Journal of Hand Surgery (Br).
He received “Eczacibasi Science Award” in 1979, and “Medical Sciences Award” by Istanbul Medical Chamber in 1994.
He was married with 3 children and 6 grand children, fluent in English and German.
The Curriculum Vitea of Dr. Ayan GÜLGÖNEN
Born: Istanbul, 1937
Medical School:
Medical Faculty, Ankara Univ ersity, 1961
Medical Training:
Department of General Surgery, Giessen-
Department of Traumatology, Unfall-
Visiting fellow, Hand Surgery Departm ent, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Orthopaedic Hospital, New York , 1971
"Associate Professorship"degree in General Surgery, 1973
Microsurgery training, Hospital Jeanne D'Arc, Nancy, France, 1978
Major Appointments:
Hacettepe Medical Univer sity, General Surgery Clinic
Faculty Member and Head of Emergency Departm ent, 1969-
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical Faculty of Istanbul, 1976-
Hand and Microsurgeon , French Pasteur Hospital, 1978.
Established the first Reconstructive Microsurgica l Clinic in Turkey together with his team.
Medical Faculty of Marmara University
Participated in foundation, 1980
Professor (thesis: "Finger Replantations") , 1980
Militar y Service:
Department of Plastic and Reconstructiv e Surgery; Gulhane Military Academy, 1974-
Memberships of Organisations include:
Turkish Orthopaedic and Traumatology Society
Turkish Society of Physiological Sciences
Inerplast Turkey
Turkish Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Turkish Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery
Austrian Emergency Surgery
GEM (Groupe Etude de la Main)
DAM (Deutschsprachige Arbeeitsgemeinschaft für Mikrochirurgieder Peripheren Nerven und Gefasse)
DAH ( Deutschsprachige Arbeeitsg emeinschaft für Handchirurgie)
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Jordanian Society for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
International Board of Physicians for Peace
Emergency Hand Care and Microsurgeal Society (ACELEMDER)
Lectures and Publications include:
Multiple Honorary Lectureships I Visiting Professorships and invited guest
lectures
Faculty member of multiple nationa l and international meetings
Multiple journal articles and publications
Eczacibasi Science Award , 1979 Medical Science Award , 1994
IFSSH Pioneer of Hand Surgery, 2013