Ph. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Ünal Gülmeden

Dr. Çiğdem Ünal was born in Istanbul in 1975 and completed her high school education at Uskudar American Lisesi. She received her medical degree from Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty and completed her plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery residency at Kocaeli University Medical Faculty. During her studies, she also completed rotations and internships at hospitals in the UK, including St. Thomas' and Guys Hospital in London and Sheffield General Hospital. 

In 2007, she received the European Plastic Surgery Board certification and a fellowship at Gent University Medical Faculty's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Hamdi and Prof. Dr. Philip Blondeel, where she focused on breast reconstruction and aesthetic breast surgery.

During her fellowship, Dr. Çiğdem Ünal learned microsurgery techniques used in breast reconstruction and developed the MACS-lift Short Scar Rhytidectomy face-lift technique from Dr. Alex Verpaele and Dr. Patrick Tonnard in Belgium. 

She has since participated in numerous courses, symposiums, and panels related to breast reconstruction, aesthetic breast surgery, and microsurgery. Dr. Ünal served as secretary of the Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Breast Working Group from 2011 to 2012 and continues to conduct academic research on breast aesthetics, breast reconstruction, microsurgery, and non-invasive surgical procedures. She has received two scientific awards and has 22 international and 7 national publications, 19 of which are the first author of 29 international and 62 national presentations. Dr. Ünal currently practices at her clinic in Nişantaşı.