Patient Experience
My 85-year-old father, Ahmet, had completely lost his sense of smell and taste for over a year. We'd seen several doctors who dismissed it as 'old age.' Dr. Huri Aydoğan was different. She spent nearly an hour just listening to his history, asking about his farm days and what scents he missed most. She ordered a specific sinus CT that others hadn't. It revealed a complex polyp structure. She explained the delicate endoscopic surgery in simple terms, even drawing diagrams for him. Post-surgery, she personally called us twice to check on him. When he smelled coffee again last week, he cried. Dr. Aydoğan didn't just treat a nose; she gave my father back a fundamental joy of life.
Our 4-year-old daughter, Elif, developed sudden, severe ear pain at midnight, screaming uncontrollably. We rushed to Acibadem's emergency ENT department. Dr. Aydoğan was on call. Despite the hour, she was calm and incredibly gentle. She diagnosed a severe acute otitis media with a bulging eardrum. What stood out was how she connected with our terrified child. She showed Elif the otoscope light on her own finger first, calling it a 'magic fairy light,' and let her hold a stuffed toy from the clinic. She performed a precise myringotomy to relieve the pressure right then. Her follow-up the next morning was thorough. She turned a traumatic emergency into a manageable experience for our whole family.
As a 42-year-old teacher, I had a persistent, dry throat and voice fatigue for months, worsening my ability to lecture. Previous consultations suggested acid reflux or stress. Dr. Aydoğan conducted a videostroboscopy—a procedure I'd never had before. She showed me the real-time video of my vocal cords, pointing out subtle muscle tension patterns and a small granuloma. Her diagnosis was 'muscle tension dysphonia,' exacerbated by my teaching style. Her treatment wasn't just medication; it was a plan. She collaborated with the hospital's speech therapist to design vocal exercises tailored for classroom projection. My follow-up visits felt like coaching sessions. She treated my voice as my professional instrument, and I'm back to teaching full days without pain.
I required revision functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) after a failed surgery elsewhere left me with chronic pain and recurrent infections. My case was complex due to extensive scar tissue and altered anatomy. Dr. Aydoğan's approach was methodical and transparent. She used a state-of-the-art surgical navigation system, which she explained would act like a GPS for my sinuses. During the pre-op consultation, she spent time discussing the risks and her meticulous strategy to avoid them. The surgery was successful, and her post-operative care was exceptional. She personally cleaned my sinuses during follow-ups, a procedure she handled with immense patience and skill. She managed not only the physical complexity but also the anxiety that came with a previous surgical failure.