Op. Dr. Tunc Koc
Neurosurgeon — Brain & Spine
About Op. Dr. Tunc Koc
Op. Dr. Tunc Koc has worked in neurosurgery since 1989 and has been a board-certified specialist since 1995. He sees patients at his clinic in Nisantasi, Istanbul, and performs surgery at Acibadem Taksim and Maslak Hospitals. Remote patients are supported through online consultations and video visits.
With nearly 10,000 operations and more than 3,500 endoscopic cases, he is one of Turkey's foremost pioneers of fully endoscopic spine surgery. All procedures are performed without incision, sutures or implants, using camera-guided minimally invasive techniques. He founded Istanbul Endoscopic Spine Academy (IESA) in 2018 and has since trained hundreds of surgeons across five continents.
Pioneering Contributions — Turkey & World
He worked as an active team member in the clinic of Prof. Dr. Pierre Gallibert in France — the surgeon who first developed and performed vertebroplasty in the world. Upon returning to Turkey, he became one of the first surgeons to introduce the technique in the country.
During his residency in France, he simultaneously earned a Neuro-Anatomy Specialisation Diploma and an Epileptology DIU Diploma from Paris Sorbonne / Pierre and Marie Curie University. He is among a rare group of neurosurgeons holding both specialisations concurrently.
He is among the first surgeons in Turkey to perform fully endoscopic (keyhole) cervical disc herniation surgery.
He has led the development of advanced non-surgical disc and pain treatments in Turkey, organising dozens of training courses, congresses and workshops domestically and internationally. In 2018, he trained physicians from 20 countries at Medicana International Istanbul in nucleoplasty and laser disc treatment (reported by IHA News Agency).
He is among the first surgeons worldwide to perform Nucleoplasty and Annuloplasty under HD endoscopic camera guidance. He presented this innovation at the 18th World MISS Congress (ISMISS 2026, Aichi, Japan) to a global surgical audience — the only presentation interrupted by repeated standing applause.
He is among the first surgeons globally to perform Radiofrequency Ablation under HD endoscopic camera guidance. He also presented this technique at ISMISS 2026 in Japan — opening and closing his talk in Japanese, which generated exceptional warmth from the audience.
Areas of Expertise
- Fully endoscopic lumbar disc herniation surgery
- Fully endoscopic cervical disc herniation surgery
- Endoscopic spinal canal stenosis surgery (implant-free)
- Endoscopic spondylolisthesis surgery
- Vertebroplasty / Kyphoplasty (bone cement)
- Endoscopic Nucleoplasty & Annuloplasty
- Endoscopic RFA (Camera-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation)
- Stem cell and exosome therapy
- Robotic laser therapy
Education
- 1983 Galatasaray High School, Istanbul
- 1989 Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine — MD
- 1990–1998 Jules Verne University, France — Neurosurgery Specialisation (board-certified 1995) Prof. Dr. Pierre Gallibert's clinic — the world-first team for vertebroplasty Concurrent: Neuro-Anatomy Specialisation Diploma Concurrent: Epileptology DIU Diploma — Paris Sorbonne / Pierre and Marie Curie University
- 1998 Returned to Turkey; established neurosurgery practice in Istanbul
- 2010 Seoul Wooridul Spine Hospital, South Korea — Endoscopic Spine Surgery Training and certification with Dr. Sang-Ho Lee and Dr. Gun Choi Dr. Gun Choi: global authority in endoscopic spine surgery; ongoing joint congresses and presentations
International Congresses & Training
Active invited speaker and trainer at the world's leading endoscopic spine surgery congresses and centres:
- ISMISS 2026, Aichi, Japan — 18th World Minimal Invasive Spine Surgery Congress; Endoscopic Nucleoplasty & RFA presentation — the only talk interrupted by repeated applause
- South Korea — 1st World Endoscopic Cervical Spine Surgery Congress (ISECSS) — exchange with biportal endoscopic surgery pioneer Dr. Sang Kyu Son
- Dubai EndoSpine 2025 — International keynote speaker
- South Korea, Daejeon Woori Hospital — Three-day observership with Dr. Cheol-Wung Park (President, Korean Endoscopic Spine Surgery Society); 20 endoscopic procedures per day
- OrthoTV Online Education — Endoscopic Approach to L5-S1 Disc Herniation
- Medicana International Istanbul Workshop (2018) — Endoscopic spine surgery and nucleoplasty training for physicians from 20 countries
- Speaker and trainer in Japan, South Korea, Dubai, Argentina, India, Nigeria, Netherlands, Brazil, Moscow, Ukraine and Pakistan
Academy — IESA
He is the founder and chief instructor of Istanbul Endoscopic Spine Academy (IESA), established in 2018. IESA delivers Workshop, Fellowship and MasterClass programmes for international surgeons. He has trained hundreds of surgeons from more than 30 countries across 5 continents — from Argentina to Nigeria, Pakistan to Japan.
Professional Memberships
- ISMISS — International Society for Minimal Invasive Spinal Surgery
- TNDer — Turkish Neurosurgical Society