Pediatric Urologist Aylin N. Bilgütay Prioritizes Compassion and Collaboration at Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health
Dr. Bilgütay merges surgical subspecialty expertise with empathetic care of children
Aylin N. Bilgütay, M.D., is board-certified in pediatric urology and urology. She treats patients for prenatal/postnatal hydronephrosis, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, wetting issues, undescended testes, inguinal hernia/hydrocele, hypospadias, phimosis, and other pediatric urologic concerns.
Along with her co-surgeon/partner, Kristin Kozakowski, M.D., Dr. Bilgutay has spent the last five years focusing on building a pediatric robotic surgery program at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital from the ground up. Being able to provide this level of care close to home, which boasts small incisions and reduced pain/less blood loss, was a primary driver for Dr. Bilgütay’s efforts to initiate the robotic surgery program.
She, along with her pediatric urologist colleagues from across the state, recently led an annual Pediatric Urology symposium highlighting cross-specialty collaboration across Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health, engaging pediatric oncologists, hematologists, and urologists in discussion of all aspects of urological care.
Dr. Bilgütay received her Doctor of Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her general surgery internship and urology residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and completed a pediatric urology fellowship at Emory University/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Why Pediatrics?
While she initially considered pursuing general pediatrics, she fell in love with urologic surgery while getting her surgical subspecialty rotations “out of the way” during medical school. Pediatric urology, Dr. Bilgütay said, allows her to merge empathetic pediatric patient care and the creative aspects of urologic surgery in a highly satisfying way.
“I’m a physician first and foremost,” Dr. Bilgütay said. “Of all the specialties, I would argue, pediatric urology is one of the more sensitive ones. People don’t necessarily want to talk about genitourinary issues. It does require a high level of trust,” she said.
Dr. Bilgütay devotes time and energy to assuaging patient and parent fears and anxiety. She’ll even break into song to calm her patients, and finds “Let it go” especially helpful for approaching urinary retention issues with children.
Dr. Bilgütay’s Goals
One of her clinical goals is to pursue new avenues to reduce radiation exposure for pediatric urology patients, and she maintains an interest in hospital sustainability. She has conducted research and published findings on a variety of pediatric urology topics, including pediatric robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery and opioid utilization after outpatient pediatric urologic surgery.
Dr. Bilgütay, who grew up in Philadelphia, is formally trained in classical piano, cello, saxophone, and voice, and often sings her way through surgery. She enjoys annual trips to Turkey with family, including her 5-year-old daughter, to explore their heritage.
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