In 1978, he transferred to Devrim Middle School on Muttalip Street. Following three successful years, during which he shared the same desk with his closest friend, Orhan Yurtsever (Dr.), he graduated from there.

In 1981, during the period of the 1980 Turkish coup d’état, he enrolled in Atatürk High School and graduated from the Science Department after three years. Similar to his close friend Orhan Yurtsever, he enjoyed a successful high school life with many classmates and began preparing for university entrance exams. He also started athletics with Orhan Yurtsever, winning two silver and one bronze medal in the 400m junior and youth competitions.

In 1984, he passed the two-stage exams for Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine and was admitted. From then on, the next six years of his life would be spent in Istanbul. He registered at the Eskişehirliler Dormitory there. After staying there for two years, he began living near the Çapa Faculty of Medicine with his closest friend, Ulvi Aktaş (Dr.).

In 1987, he went to Frankfurt, Germany, for a July-August period of general surgery internship. There, he met the renowned General Surgeon Prof. Dr. Christoph Hottenrott. At that time, he assisted Prof. Dr. Hottenrott in the world’s first liver, pancreas, and small intestine transplantation surgery performed simultaneously.

In 1988, he returned to Frankfurt during the summer and stayed with Prof. Dr. Hottenrott. He had now dedicated himself to the field of surgery.

1990, he completed a total of six months of internships in general surgery, internal medicine, and psychiatry in Frankfurt. That same year, he received his Doctorate Diploma from Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine and started working as an assistant doctor in the General Surgery Department of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in October. While his mentor was General Surgeon Prof. Dr. Christoph Hottenrott, he realized after six months that his interest lay in cardiac surgery and moved to work alongside Prof. Dr. Peter Satter in the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery. His experiences in cardiac surgery had now begun.

In 1994, he earned his PhD title in Germany after successfully completing exams and having his thesis accepted. He now holds the international scientific title of “Doctor.” Later, he began working at a private clinic in Rotenburg a. d. Fulda, Germany, alongside Assoc. Prof. Dr. H. Oster, where a significant number of heart surgeries were performed.

In 1995, he performed his first heart surgery at Assoc. Prof. Dr. H. Oster’s clinic.

In 1997, after numerous heart surgeries, he returned to university for career advancement. He began working alongside Prof. Dr. Anton Moritz in the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. Here, he performed the first MIDCAB (Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass) surgery.

In 1998, he was part of the team performing one of the first cardiac surgeries using a robot (Da Vinci System), namely a single bypass (LIMA-LAD) operation. These cases involved performing surgery using a total endoscopic method without opening the chest cavity. He continued his role as a Chief Resident that year. In a total of 168 cases, he performed bypass surgeries without opening the chest cavity.

In 1999, he began performing surgeries in the field of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, conducting numerous Minimally Invasive and Robotic Cardiac Surgeries.

In 2000, he started scientific research on interventions in the Aortic Arch without cooling the patient’s blood and led studies in this area at the university.

In March 2001, he performed the first awake heart bypass surgery in Europe without using general anesthesia on a patient. During this time, he also started his associate professorship thesis and lectured medical students at the university.

In 2002, he worked as a Managing Physician in a project conducted in Marilia, Brazil, in collaboration between Marilia University and Frankfurt University. While continuing his duties in Frankfurt, he led surgeries in Marilia during his annual leave as part of this project.

In 2005, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor of Thoracic, Cardiac, and Vascular Surgery at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University.

In 2006, he was granted the title of Honorary Professor by the Brazilian Government at Marilia University for his contributions to the establishment of the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery.

In 2007, after 18 years in Germany, he expressed his desire to return to Turkey. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haldun Karagöz encouraged him to come to Turkey. In March, he began working as a Cardiovascular Surgeon at Ankara Güven Hospital.

In October 2008, he was appointed as the Head of the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery at Mesa Hospital (now TOBB ETÜ Hospital). Prof. Dr. Necati Çanakçı (Chief Executive Officer of Mesa Hospital) was the person who motivated him for this change.

Today… Currently, as of 2011, following the acquisition of Mesa Hospital by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), and the subsequent name change to Private TOBB ETÜ Hospital, he serves as the Head of the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery.

01.01.2024 Chairman of the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery Faculty of Medicine, TOBB ETÜ University Prof. Dr. Tayfun Aybek