Patient Experience
My 82-year-old father, Ahmet, fell in the garden and fractured his hip. The ambulance brought him to Acibadem's emergency department in immense pain. Dr. Özçelik was like a calm commander in the storm. He didn't just see a fracture; he saw a fragile diabetic patient with a heart condition. He coordinated with cardiology and endocrinology within minutes, managed my father's pain with incredible gentleness, and explained the surgical plan to us in simple, clear terms. His ability to handle the trauma while navigating my father's complex medical history was nothing short of masterful. The surgery was a success, and Dr. Özçelik checked on him personally every single day. He treated my father with the dignity and thorough care he deserved.
Our 5-year-old daughter, Elif, swallowed a small toy battery. Panic doesn't begin to describe what we felt. At Eskisehir Acibadem, Dr. Botan Özçelik met us at the trauma bay. His demeanor instantly shifted from the intensity you'd expect to a calm, reassuring focus meant to soothe a terrified child. He explained to Elif, in her language, what the 'camera pill' (endoscope) would do. He moved with urgent precision but never rushed us. The battery was removed without complication. What stayed with us was how, after the procedure, he sat with us for ten minutes, not just giving discharge instructions, but explaining the psychology of such events in children and what behavioral signs to watch for. He treated the emotional trauma for the whole family.
I'm a long-distance runner and came in after a severe ankle twist during a marathon—a mangled, swollen mess I was sure meant surgery. Dr. Özçelik's approach was uniquely analytical. He examined the ligaments with a methodical, almost engineering-like precision, comparing stress tests side-by-side. He said, 'This looks dramatic, but the architecture is intact. Let's outsmart the inflammation.' He devised an aggressive non-surgical protocol: a specific sequence of cooling, compression, and very early controlled mobilization I'd never heard of, alongside a direct referral to a sports physio he works with. It wasn't a standard sprain treatment; it was a customized recovery blueprint. I was running again in half the predicted time. He sees the mechanics of injury, not just the damage.
My husband was brought in after a high-speed motorcycle accident—multiple traumas, unconscious. The chaos was overwhelming. Dr. Özçelik didn't just treat injuries; he managed a crisis ecosystem. While his team worked, he periodically stepped out to give me concrete, one-sentence updates: 'We're securing his breathing now,' 'We're getting a brain scan next.' He never said 'everything will be okay,' but his absolute clarity was an anchor. Days later, in the ICU, he explained the constellation of injuries—pulmonary contusion, pelvic fracture, mild brain bleed—not as a list, but as a interconnected system, showing how treating one affected the others. His follow-up was relentless, questioning every lab value, every ventilator setting. He fought for my husband's stability like it was a personal mission. This wasn't just emergency care; it was strategic, sustained trauma stewardship.