Who is Dr. SBB ?
Serdar Bora Bayraktaroğlu
For me, plastic surgery is not merely a profession made up of operations; it is a discipline in which science, anatomy, aesthetic perception, and the relationship of trust established with the individual meet at the same point. Over the years, the fundamental idea shaping my approach to surgery has always remained the same: a good result is not about transforming a person into someone else, but about helping them reach the best possible version of themselves within their own anatomy, character, and expression. For this reason, I regard naturalness in surgery not as a stylistic preference, but as the result of respect for anatomy and for the individual.
In 2005, I graduated from the English Medical Program of Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine. That same year, I began my residency training at the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, and in 2011 I became a Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. During my residency years, I received intensive training in microsurgery and hand surgery. This surgical world, in which vessels and tissues are reunited at the microscopic level, taught me not only technical skill but also the importance of patience, precision, and thinking in millimeters. I also completed my specialization thesis on microvascular surgery.
One of the important turning points in my training was the six-month period I spent at The Facial Paralysis Institute in Los Angeles beginning in January 2009. Working there on facial aesthetics, facial anatomy, and the dynamics of the mimetic system further developed the way I viewed the face not merely as a region composed of anatomical structures, but as an integrated whole of expression, movement, and identity. I began to understand more deeply that what defines the beauty of a face is not only its proportions, but also the relationship those proportions establish with movement, light, and expression.
Since 2011, I have been practicing as a Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. In my clinical practice, I have focused particularly on facial rejuvenation surgery, rhinoplasty, aesthetic facial surgery, and body contouring. Over time, my surgical approach has evolved toward a more tissue-preserving philosophy that respects anatomical planes and prioritizes long-term outcomes. For me, the aim of aesthetic surgery is not to “change more,” but to change the right tissue, in the right amount, and in the right direction.
My advanced training in High SMAS facelift surgery with Dr. Timothy Marten in the United States in 2018 played an important role in the development of this approach. In facial rejuvenation surgery, I believe that rather than simply tightening the skin, the changes caused by aging across different anatomical layers must be evaluated together. For this reason, I do not view the face as the sum of independent regions, but rather as an integrated anatomical system in which the forehead, periorbital region, midface, lower face, and neck are in constant relationship with one another. I believe that a good facelift result should not look “operated on”; the primary goal should be for the face to preserve its own character while appearing more rested, balanced, and natural.
Alongside my surgical practice, I have long been particularly interested in the biology of aging and the cellular mechanisms of tissue regeneration. This curiosity brought me back to academia, and I completed my doctoral education at the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering at Yeditepe University. During my doctoral studies, I focused on stem cells and exosomes. In this way, I began to reinterpret the aging process and tissue changes that I observed macroscopically as a surgeon at the genetic and cellular level.
Today, one of the most distinctive aspects of my perspective on aesthetic plastic surgery arises from the convergence of these two worlds. On one side are anatomy, surgical technique, and aesthetic design; on the other are cell biology, stem cells, exosomes, regenerative medicine, and the molecular mechanisms of aging. I do not see these fields as separate from one another, but as different-scale answers to the same question. Surgery can change the form of a tissue; regenerative biology can help us understand the quality of that tissue, how it ages, and its capacity for self-renewal.
For this reason, in my clinical practice I try to evaluate not only the visible anatomical deformity, but also the biological quality of the tissue and its behavior over time. For me, considering facial rejuvenation surgery, adipose tissue and stem cell-rich applications, exosomes, and other regenerative approaches within the same framework represents the future of aesthetic surgery. I do not believe that biology will replace surgery; rather, I believe that surgery and regenerative medicine will increasingly complement one another in more intelligent ways.
Throughout my professional life, I have placed importance not only on following scientific developments, but also on generating new questions and investigating their clinical implications. This same curiosity lies at the foundation of the work I conduct in aesthetic surgery, facial aging, rhinoplasty, stem cells, exosomes, and longevity. For me, science is not so much about repeating existing knowledge as it is about having the courage to pursue questions that have not yet been asked enough.
I also consider my relationship with national and international scientific communities to be an essential part of professional development. Through my memberships in the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, and the Turkish Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, I closely follow the scientific development of plastic surgery at both international and national levels and regard the sharing of knowledge as a natural part of professional responsibility.
However, my life is not limited to the operating room and the laboratory. Philosophy, history, literature, gastronomy, and photography have for many years been different paths through which I try to understand the world. I do not believe that the concept of aesthetics can be explained solely through a beautiful face or body. Beauty is also directly related to how a person perceives themselves, time, aging, and their place in the world. While philosophy and history help me understand the background of these questions, photography teaches me to observe light, proportion, form, and sometimes the character created by a subtle asymmetry.
As a natural result of this intellectual journey, writing has also become an important part of my life. My first book, “Filtresiz Bir Dünya Mümkün”, published by Doğan Yayınları in 2024, emerged from the questions I had been contemplating about aesthetics, the perception of beauty, and the relationship modern individuals establish with their own image. Over the years, as a plastic surgeon, I have witnessed not only faces, but also the ways in which people look at themselves. In the book, I wanted to tell something of the traces left by that witnessing.
My second book, “Kırışıklıklar ve Kırılganlıklar”, published in 2026, is inspired by the stories of people whose paths crossed with mine and with plastic surgery. Because over the years, I have come to see that when a person visits a plastic surgeon, they often bring not only their nose, face, or body, but also their past, their vulnerabilities, their expectations, and sometimes their desire to begin again. Alongside the technical aspects of surgery, these human encounters have also been among the most instructive dimensions of my profession.
Looking back today, I see that medicine, plastic surgery, genetics, regenerative biology, philosophy, and literature are not separate fields for me. In fact, they all revolve around the same fundamental question: What is a human being, how does time change us, and how much of that change should we intervene in?
Perhaps this is why the word “natural” is still the one I value most in my profession. Because, for me, naturalness does not mean doing nothing. Quite the opposite; it requires knowing where to intervene, where to stop, and what must absolutely be preserved.
In surgery, in science, and in writing, the place I am ultimately trying to reach is essentially the same: To understand the human being before trying to change them.
One of the important turning points in my training was the six-month period I spent at The Facial Paralysis Institute in Los Angeles beginning in January 2009. Working there on facial aesthetics, facial anatomy, and the dynamics of the mimetic system further developed the way I viewed the face not merely as a region composed of anatomical structures, but as an integrated whole of expression, movement, and identity. I began to understand more deeply that what defines the beauty of a face is not only its proportions, but also the relationship those proportions establish with movement, light, and expression.
Since 2011, I have been practicing as a Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery. In my clinical practice, I have focused particularly on facial rejuvenation surgery, rhinoplasty, aesthetic facial surgery, and body contouring. Over time, my surgical approach has evolved toward a more tissue-preserving philosophy that respects anatomical planes and prioritizes long-term outcomes. For me, the aim of aesthetic surgery is not to “change more,” but to change the right tissue, in the right amount, and in the right direction.
My advanced training in High SMAS facelift surgery with Dr. Timothy Marten in the United States in 2018 played an important role in the development of this approach. In facial rejuvenation surgery, I believe that rather than simply tightening the skin, the changes caused by aging across different anatomical layers must be evaluated together. For this reason, I do not view the face as the sum of independent regions, but rather as an integrated anatomical system in which the forehead, periorbital region, midface, lower face, and neck are in constant relationship with one another. I believe that a good facelift result should not look “operated on”; the primary goal should be for the face to preserve its own character while appearing more rested, balanced, and natural.
Alongside my surgical practice, I have long been particularly interested in the biology of aging and the cellular mechanisms of tissue regeneration. This curiosity brought me back to academia, and I completed my doctoral education at the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering at Yeditepe University. During my doctoral studies, I focused on stem cells and exosomes. In this way, I began to reinterpret the aging process and tissue changes that I observed macroscopically as a surgeon at the genetic and cellular level.
Today, one of the most distinctive aspects of my perspective on aesthetic plastic surgery arises from the convergence of these two worlds. On one side are anatomy, surgical technique, and aesthetic design; on the other are cell biology, stem cells, exosomes, regenerative medicine, and the molecular mechanisms of aging. I do not see these fields as separate from one another, but as different-scale answers to the same question. Surgery can change the form of a tissue; regenerative biology can help us understand the quality of that tissue, how it ages, and its capacity for self-renewal.
For this reason, in my clinical practice I try to evaluate not only the visible anatomical deformity, but also the biological quality of the tissue and its behavior over time. For me, considering facial rejuvenation surgery, adipose tissue and stem cell-rich applications, exosomes, and other regenerative approaches within the same framework represents the future of aesthetic surgery. I do not believe that biology will replace surgery; rather, I believe that surgery and regenerative medicine will increasingly complement one another in more intelligent ways.
Throughout my professional life, I have placed importance not only on following scientific developments, but also on generating new questions and investigating their clinical implications. This same curiosity lies at the foundation of the work I conduct in aesthetic surgery, facial aging, rhinoplasty, stem cells, exosomes, and longevity. For me, science is not so much about repeating existing knowledge as it is about having the courage to pursue questions that have not yet been asked enough.
I also consider my relationship with national and international scientific communities to be an essential part of professional development. Through my memberships in the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, and the Turkish Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, I closely follow the scientific development of plastic surgery at both international and national levels and regard the sharing of knowledge as a natural part of professional responsibility.
However, my life is not limited to the operating room and the laboratory. Philosophy, history, literature, gastronomy, and photography have for many years been different paths through which I try to understand the world. I do not believe that the concept of aesthetics can be explained solely through a beautiful face or body. Beauty is also directly related to how a person perceives themselves, time, aging, and their place in the world. While philosophy and history help me understand the background of these questions, photography teaches me to observe light, proportion, form, and sometimes the character created by a subtle asymmetry.
As a natural result of this intellectual journey, writing has also become an important part of my life. My first book, “Filtresiz Bir Dünya Mümkün”, published by Doğan Yayınları in 2024, emerged from the questions I had been contemplating about aesthetics, the perception of beauty, and the relationship modern individuals establish with their own image. Over the years, as a plastic surgeon, I have witnessed not only faces, but also the ways in which people look at themselves. In the book, I wanted to tell something of the traces left by that witnessing.
My second book, “Kırışıklıklar ve Kırılganlıklar”, published in 2026, is inspired by the stories of people whose paths crossed with mine and with plastic surgery. Because over the years, I have come to see that when a person visits a plastic surgeon, they often bring not only their nose, face, or body, but also their past, their vulnerabilities, their expectations, and sometimes their desire to begin again. Alongside the technical aspects of surgery, these human encounters have also been among the most instructive dimensions of my profession.
Looking back today, I see that medicine, plastic surgery, genetics, regenerative biology, philosophy, and literature are not separate fields for me. In fact, they all revolve around the same fundamental question: What is a human being, how does time change us, and how much of that change should we intervene in?
Perhaps this is why the word “natural” is still the one I value most in my profession. Because, for me, naturalness does not mean doing nothing. Quite the opposite; it requires knowing where to intervene, where to stop, and what must absolutely be preserved.
In surgery, in science, and in writing, the place I am ultimately trying to reach is essentially the same: To understand the human being before trying to change them.
