Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Disorders - Memorial Sisli Hospital Istanbul

About the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Disorders at Memorial Sisli Hospital Istanbul

The Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Disorders at the Memorial Sisli Hospital Istanbul offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in the areas of its specialization in accordance with the highest standards of modern medicine. An experienced team of the department's doctors admits patients with diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, pituitary glands, as well as sex glands in men and women (testicles and ovaries). The specialists of the medical facility provide the highly effective treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, including gestational diabetes mellitus, as well as metabolic disorders. The department has high-tech diagnostic equipment to detect the slightest dysfunction of the endocrine glands, including before the manifestation of any clinical symptoms. The treatment regimen is developed for each patient individually, according to the current clinical protocols and recommendations of professional societies. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Taner Damcı.

To develop the optimal treatment tactics, the doctor needs to have detailed information about the condition of the endocrine system. For this purpose, the department conducts various diagnostic tests, including laboratory tests to determine hormone levels, blood glucose levels, etc., ultrasound examinations, scintigraphy (in cooperation with the Department of Nuclear Medicine), CT, MRI scans, densitometry and others. In most cases, the first line therapy is drug treatment – the department's endocrinologists skillfully combine modern drugs in order to achieve compensation for endocrine pathologies. In some clinical cases, the therapy is aimed at achieving long-term remission.

One of the most common pathologies among the department's patients is thyroid cancer. The treatment regimen is developed for each patient individually, taking into account the specific clinical indications, stage of cancer, the presence of concomitant diseases and other factors. The department uses an effective non-invasive treatment method for thyroid cancer – radioiodine therapy. The treatment is provided in close collaboration with specialists from the Department of Nuclear Medicine. During the treatment, the patient takes radioactive iodine in the form of capsules or solution. Due to the tropism for thyroid tissue, the drug is actively absorbed by the thyroid gland. Radiation during the decay of radioactive iodine affects the thyroid tissue and contributes to the suppression of its function, reduction in size and suppression of the activity of thyroid cancer metastases. The amount of radioactive iodine required for the therapy is determined using an outpatient radioiodine test, individually for each patient. In most cases, radioactive iodine treatment is used in combination with surgery. The surgical resection of thyroid tumors is performed in the Department of General Surgery. A total removal of the gland (thyroidectomy) is performed only in particularly complex cases when other treatment methods are ineffective.

Another department's priority focus is the diagnostics, treatment and monitoring of patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is an incurable pathology, which in the absence of therapeutic measures can lead to serious complications or even death. The main method of controlling this disease is therapy with tableted antidiabetic medications or insulin therapy. Insulin replacement therapy is carried out with regular injections or using an insulin pump. The dose of insulin and the frequency of its administration are determined by the type of diabetes mellitus, the features of the course of the pathology and the presence of complications, the patient's age and other factors. Diet therapy, quitting bad habits (alcohol consumption, smoking) and physical activity are also integral parts of diabetes treatment.

The department's main clinical focuses include:

• Diagnostics and treatment of thyroid diseases
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Goitre
  • Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
  • Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
  • Thyroid nodules
  • Thyroiditis (inflammatory thyroid disease)
  • Hashimoto's thyroiditis
• Diagnostics and treatment of parathyroid diseases
  • Hyperparathyroidism
  • Hypoparathyroidism
• Diagnostics and treatment of adrenal diseases
  • Cushing's syndrome
  • Addison's disease
  • Hyperaldosteronism
  • Pheochromocytoma
• Diagnostics and treatment of pituitary diseases
  • Hypopituitarism
  • Prolactinoma
  • Diabetes insipidus
• Diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the sex glands (ovaries) in women
  • Hypogonadism
  • Hirsutism
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the sex glands (testicles) in men
  • Hypogonadism
  • Gynecomastia
  • Erectile dysfunction and impotence due to the testosterone deficiency
• Diagnostics and treatment of diabetes mellitus, its complications and other metabolic disorders
  • Type 1 diabetes mellitus
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • Gestational diabetes mellitus
  • Diabetes insipidus
  • Hypoglycemia of unknown origin
  • Insulin resistance syndrome
  • Weight gain due to hormonal disorders
  • Osteoporosis
  • Impaired vitamin and mineral metabolism
  • High blood triglyceride levels
  • Neuroendocrine tumors
• Diagnostics and treatment of other endocrine diseases