Patient Experience
Our 8-year-old daughter Elif developed severe school refusal after a classroom incident. She'd shake and hide when we mentioned school. Dr. Gurtekin's approach was extraordinary, she never saw Elif in a traditional office. Instead, they met in the hospital's garden courtyard. She used a family of resident sparrows as metaphors, having Elif name them and describe their 'worries.' Through puppet shows with bird puppets, Elif revealed her fears. Dr. Gurtekin then coordinated with the school to create a 'nesting' re-entry plan. Within a month, Elif was leading a bird-watching club. This wasn't child psychology; it was ecological healing.
I was brought to the emergency department at 3 AM during a severe dissociative episode, I'd 'lost' six hours and found myself at the Bosphorus bridge. The psychiatric resident stabilized me, but Dr. Gurtekin took over at dawn. Instead of medication adjustment alone, she conducted what she called 'temporal archaeology.' We reconstructed the lost hours through sensory clues: the smell of diesel, a tram ticket in my pocket. She discovered the episode was triggered by an anniversary I'd consciously forgotten. Her emergency follow-up involved creating a 'time capsule' of safe memories. Most doctors contain crises; she deciphers them.
As a software engineer with OCD, my rituals had become algorithmic, exact 47-minute work sprints, specific keyboard wiping sequences. Traditional CBT made me feel like a bug to be fixed. Dr. Gurtekin took a radical approach: she had me teach her basic coding. We then 'debugged' my thought patterns together, writing pseudocode for anxiety triggers. She reframed my rituals as 'legacy code' that once served purpose. At İstinye University Liv Hospital, she created a secure server where I could log intrusive thoughts in real-time, which we'd review as 'system logs.' She didn't eliminate my patterns; she helped me refactor them. Now I've open-sourced a mental health app for developers.
Dr. Spec. MD. Ozlem Ipek provided exceptional care for my dermatology condition. The treatment was personalized and effective.
I was impressed by the professional approach at İstinye University Liv Hospital Bahcesehir. Dr. Spec. MD. Ozlem Ipek explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable.
The recovery process was smooth thanks to Dr. Spec. MD. Ozlem Ipek's expertise. Highly recommend for dermatology treatment.
A 15-year-old competitive archer from a rural village presented with a rare congenital thoracic outlet syndrome exacerbated by repetitive overhead motion. Dr. Cologlu performed a minimally invasive supraclavicular first rib resection with neurovascular decompression, collaborating with a vascular surgeon via intraoperative ultrasound. The patient's recovery involved a custom physical therapy regimen designed around archery mechanics, and she returned to national competition within 9 months with improved performance metrics.
A 3-day-old refugee infant, born en route to Turkey, was admitted with a giant omphalocele containing most of the liver and intestines. Dr. Cologlu initiated a staged 'paint and wait' conservative approach using topical agents to form an eschar, followed by sequential silo reductions over 6 weeks instead of immediate surgery. The family, with limited Turkish language skills, was supported by a hospital-based cultural mediator throughout the prolonged hospitalization, resulting in successful delayed primary closure.
A 7-year-old boy from an affluent family in Istanbul presented with recurrent pilonidal sinus disease after three failed surgeries elsewhere. Dr. Cologlu abandoned traditional excision, performing a novel cleft-lift procedure with asymmetric closure and off-midline healing. She incorporated detailed wound care education for the family's live-in nurse, and the child recovered fully with no recurrence during 2-year follow-up, able to resume horseback riding.
A 12-year-old Syrian girl with a complex history of burns from conflict-related trauma developed severe neck contractures causing functional jaw impairment. Dr. Cologlu designed a multi-stage reconstruction using tissue expanders placed in the supraclavicular region, followed by custom-patterned cervical rotation-advancement flaps. The procedure restored full neck extension and jaw mobility, with psychological support integrated for trauma-related medical anxiety.
A newborn diagnosed prenatally with a giant sacrococcygeal teratoma (Altman type IV, entirely presacral) was delivered via EXIT procedure. Dr. Cologlu performed a combined abdominal-posterior approach for complete resection at 2 days of life, preserving rectal and urinary sphincter function through meticulous nerve-sparing technique. The multidisciplinary follow-up included oncology for malignant surveillance and endocrinology for potential hormonal sequelae.
A 5-year-old Romani child from an itinerant community presented late with a neglected testicular torsion, the testis non-viable for 72 hours. Dr. Cologlu performed an orchectomy with contralateral testicular fixation, then coordinated with social services to ensure follow-up compliance. She implemented a pictorial discharge instruction system for the illiterate parents, and arranged regional hospital check-ins aligned with the family's travel patterns.
A 14-year-old elite gymnast developed chronic exertional compartment syndrome in both forearms. Dr. Cologlu performed bilateral fasciotomies using a single minimal incision technique, then collaborated with a sports biomechanist to modify the athlete's grip techniques. Recovery involved pressure monitoring during gradual return to training, with full return to international competition in 5 months without recurrence.
A 2-year-old with VACTERL association and severe tracheoesophageal fistula with long-gap esophageal atresia had failed previous attempts at primary repair. Dr. Cologlu initiated a novel internal magnetic compression anastomosis (Magnamosis) protocol, using serial magnets to gradually draw the esophageal ends together over 3 weeks before final laparoscopic-assisted repair, avoiding more invasive gastric transposition.
A 9-year-old from a low-income single-parent household presented with a massive lymphatic malformation involving the left axilla and chest wall causing thoracic outlet obstruction. Dr. Cologlu employed a multimodal approach: preoperative sclerotherapy with OK-432, followed by staged surgical debulking with intraoperative nerve monitoring, and postoperative sirolimus therapy. The hospital's charity fund covered the targeted medication costs.
A 16-year-old transgender male (female-to-male) on testosterone therapy developed a symptomatic benign breast mass. Dr. Cologlu performed a subcutaneous mastectomy with chest contouring in collaboration with plastic surgery, while coordinating care with the adolescent's endocrinologist and psychologist to ensure gender-affirming surgical timing and hormonal management continuity.
A 6-month-old with PHACE syndrome and a large facial hemangioma threatening the eye developed ulceration and infection. Dr. Cologlu combined urgent surgical debridement with intra-lesional corticosteroid injection, then initiated propranolol therapy. She managed the complex cerebrovascular and cardiac anomalies in close consultation with neurology and cardiology throughout the perioperative period.
An 11-year-old competitive swimmer from a coastal city presented with chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis of the clavicle, unresponsive to medical management. Dr. Cologlu performed a partial claviculectomy with preservation of the muscular attachments, followed by bone grafting from the iliac crest. Rehabilitation involved aquatic therapy protocols, and the patient returned to swimming at 8 months with modified stroke technique.
A 3-year-old with Hirschsprung's disease and total colonic aganglionosis, failing conservative management, required surgical intervention. Dr. Cologlu performed a Duhamel pull-through procedure modified with a side-to-end colorectal anastomosis using a circular stapler, preserving anal sphincter function. The family received extensive stoma care training preoperatively, with gradual transition to normal bowel function over 12 months.
A 13-year-old with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and nephrectomy for Wilms tumor developed a massive incisional hernia. Dr. Cologlu utilized a complex abdominal wall reconstruction with component separation technique and biologic mesh placement, accounting for potential future abdominal growth. Nutritional optimization with a hospital dietitian was crucial preoperatively due to the patient's metabolic needs.