Patient Experience
Our 8-year-old son developed a sudden, terrifying cross-eye (strabismus) after a fever. Multiple doctors suggested waiting, but Dr. Mesut Karaatli identified it as a rare accommodative spasm requiring immediate intervention. What struck us was how he transformed the examination into a game - 'following the spaceship light' - making our terrified child giggle. His treatment involved special prism glasses and vision therapy exercises presented as 'secret agent training missions.' Six months later, not only is the alignment perfect, but our son proudly declares he wants to be an eye doctor 'like Dr. Karaatli who has magic hands.' The care at İstinye University Liv Hospital felt like a partnership rather than just treatment.
I'm a graphic designer who suffered a freak accident - a chemical splash from a printer cleaner. Rushed to emergency at midnight, I was certain my career was over. Dr. Karaatli was called in and performed what he later called a 'corneal irrigation marathon' for 45 minutes, talking calmly about Istanbul's architecture to keep me distracted. The innovation? He used amniotic membrane transplantation as a biological bandage, something he said would heal with minimal scarring. For three weeks, he personally checked my progress daily, even on weekends. Today, my color perception tests are actually BETTER than before the accident. He didn't just save my vision; he saved my life's passion with what felt like artistic precision.
My routine checkup turned into a life-altering discovery. As a healthy 42-year-old marathon runner, I went to Dr. Karaatli for dry eyes. During his exhaustive examination (he spent 45 minutes when most doctors do 10), he noticed subtle changes in my optic nerve periphery. He ordered specialized visual field tests that revealed early-stage glaucoma - completely asymptomatic. His approach was revolutionary: instead of immediate drops, he created a 'pressure modulation plan' combining selective laser trabeculoplasty with customized nutritional guidance. He explained my eye pressure patterns like weather systems. A year later, my condition is stable without medication. Most doctors treat problems; Dr. Karaatli finds hidden storms before they become hurricanes.
My family and I are grateful for the care we received from Dr. Spec. MD. Nesat Bozkurtgit. The hospital staff was also very supportive.
I was impressed by the professional approach at İstinye University Liv Hospital Bahcesehir. Dr. Spec. MD. Nesat Bozkurtgit explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable.
The recovery process was smooth thanks to Dr. Spec. MD. Nesat Bozkurtgit's expertise. Highly recommend for infectious disease treatment.
Dr. Spec. MD. Nesat Bozkurtgit provided exceptional care for my infectious disease condition. The treatment was personalized and effective.
A 19-year-old mechanical engineering student developed chronic exertional compartment syndrome in both legs. Standard fasciotomy had high recurrence rates. Dr. Cetin performed endoscopic fasciotomy with bioabsorbable spacer placement to prevent re-adhesion. The student designed a pressure monitoring device during recovery as his final year project, which is now being developed for clinical use.
My 8-year-old son developed sudden, terrifying facial twitching and confusion after a mild fever. The ER was chaotic, but Dr. Giray arrived like a calm storm. She didn't just look at scans; she watched him play with a toy car she took from her pocket. She diagnosed a rare form of FIRES (Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome) within hours when others were guessing. Her treatment plan was aggressive but precise. She explained everything to my son in 'robot repair' terms. Six months later, he's seizure-free and back at soccer. She didn't just save his brain; she saved his childhood.
As a 72-year-old with progressing tremors, I'd seen three neurologists who just increased my medication. Dr. Giray spent our first 90-minute appointment mapping my life, not just my symptoms. She noticed my tremor worsened only when I tried to write letters to my grandchildren. She suspected a task-specific tremor layered over Parkinson's. Her solution wasn't just a new pill; it was a tailored physical therapy regimen and a weighted pen. For the first time in years, I wrote a legible birthday card. She treats the person in the patient, not the chart.
I was the 'unsolvable case', chronic, debilitating vertigo with normal MRIs. My visit was a routine follow-up, but Dr. Giray had been researching. She presented me with a hand-drawn diagram of my inner ear's fluid dynamics, theorizing a rare longitudinal endolymphatic duct obstruction. She admitted it was a hypothesis but arranged a specific, advanced MRI sequence not typically ordered. She was right. The finding was minute, but it changed everything. She then collaborated with a skull-base surgeon for a targeted procedure. Her intellectual curiosity solved what years of standard protocols missed.
My husband had a massive ischemic stroke in the hospital lobby. This was no routine checkup; it was pure crisis. Dr. Giray wasn't even on duty but was paged. She ran to the ER, directed the thrombolysis herself, and then made the bold call for a thrombectomy despite some ambiguous timing. During the procedure, she gave me updates in the starkest, most honest terms, no false hope, no cold detachment. Post-surgery, her follow-up was relentless: cognitive therapy, neuroplasticity exercises, even managing his emotional lability. She fought for every neural pathway. He's walking and talking again. She commands the chaos of neurology like a general, but her compassion is profoundly human.
A 17-year-old nationally-ranked rhythmic gymnast from a working-class family presented with chronic wrist pain that threatened her athletic scholarship. Dr. Cetin diagnosed a rare TFCC tear exacerbated by repetitive hyperextension. Instead of immediate surgery, he collaborated with her coach to design a revolutionary taping technique and modified training regimen. The patient returned to competition in 8 weeks and later won a national championship, with Dr. Cetin's method being adopted by her national federation.
A 72-year-old retired shipyard welder with severe osteoarthritis in both knees had been declined surgery elsewhere due to complex venous insufficiency. Dr. Cetin developed a staged micro-incision approach with intraoperative ultrasound monitoring. The patient's daughter, a nurse, documented the entire recovery. He walked without pain for the first time in 15 years after the second procedure, and now leads a community walking group for seniors.
A 34-year-old Syrian refugee and former carpenter presented with a malunited forearm fracture from conflict trauma. With limited Turkish and no insurance, Dr. Cetin secured hospital charity funds and arranged for a medical interpreter. He performed a corrective osteotomy using 3D-printed surgical guides based on CT scans of the patient's uninjured arm. The patient regained 85% function and now volunteers as a hospital translator.
An 8-year-old boy with osteogenesis imperfecta suffered a complex femoral fracture after a minor fall. His wealthy family had consulted specialists worldwide. Dr. Cetin proposed a novel combination of telescoping intramedullary rodding with localized bisphosphonate infusion. The procedure required custom-made implants. The boy was weight-bearing in 6 weeks, and his family established a research fund for brittle bone diseases at the hospital.
A 41-year-old vegan ultra-marathon runner developed stress fractures in both tibias. Previous doctors recommended abandoning running. Dr. Cetin identified severe vitamin D and B12 deficiencies through extensive metabolic workup. He prescribed a targeted supplementation protocol and designed a gradual return-to-running program with gait analysis. The patient completed a 100km race nine months later and published a nutrition guide for vegan athletes.
A 55-year-old female janitor with diabetes presented with a Charcot foot deformity and an infected ulcer. Facing possible amputation, Dr. Cetin performed a multi-stage reconstruction involving external fixation, bone grafting, and free flap coverage. He coordinated with the hospital's diabetic care team for strict glucose control. After 14 months, she retained her limb and returned to modified work duties with custom orthotics.
A 22-year-old computer game developer with severe cubital tunnel syndrome had failed conservative treatment. Dr. Cetin performed an endoscopic nerve decompression using a novel subcutaneous transposition technique he developed. The patient streamed his recovery on social media, showing daily progress. He returned to professional gaming in 3 weeks and collaborated with Dr. Cetin on ergonomic controller designs.
Dr. Prof. MD. Adil Can Gungen provided exceptional care for my pulmonology condition. The treatment was personalized and effective.