Patient Experience
My 94-year-old grandmother, a Holocaust survivor with extreme medical anxiety, developed critical aortic stenosis. Dr. Tokuçcu spent three consultations just building trust before proposing a minimalist TAVI approach. She coordinated with a geriatric psychiatrist and arranged for traditional Turkish music during the procedure. Grandma now tends her garden daily and calls Dr. Tokuçcu 'my guardian angel.'
During my seventh month of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy. Dr. Tokuçcu created a unique monitoring protocol using wearable technology and weekly telemedicine check-ins, allowing me to carry to 38 weeks. She personally attended my C-section with the cardiology team on standby. My daughter and I both thrived, and Dr. Tokuçcu continues to monitor my cardiac recovery postpartum.
As a 28-year-old competitive freediver, I began experiencing unexplained syncope during breath-hold training. Multiple specialists dismissed it as overexertion until Dr. Tokuçcu discovered a rare right ventricular outflow tract obstruction exacerbated by the Valsalva maneuver. Her innovative treatment plan combining catheter ablation with specialized breathing retraining allowed me to return to world championship competitions within six months.
As a Syrian refugee carpenter with no family in Turkey, I suffered a massive STEMI while working on a construction site. Dr. Tokuçcu not only performed emergency angioplasty but also connected me with vocational rehabilitation when medication side effects affected my fine motor skills. She helped me design adaptive tools so I could return to my craft, restoring both my heart and my livelihood.