M.D. Aslıhan Sanem Özata

After a decade of unexplained hip and lower back pain that worsened during my pregnancy, I was finally referred to Dr. Özata. I'm a 32-year-old new mother, and the pain was making it impossible to care for my baby. Other doctors just prescribed painkillers. Dr. Özata was the first to listen and connect the dots. She diagnosed it as a complex pelvic girdle dysfunction, not just 'postpartum pain.' Her treatment plan wasn't a quick fix—it involved targeted nerve blocks at Acibadem Atakent and a specific physical therapy regimen. She explained everything with anatomical models. For the first time in years, I can pick up my daughter without wincing. She gave me back my motherhood.

My 8-year-old son, Kerem, developed severe, stabbing leg pains after a minor football injury. Pediatricians called it 'growing pains' and sent us home. The pain became so bad he stopped walking. In desperation, we went to Acibadem Atakent's emergency department. Dr. Özata was consulted. She knelt down to his level, spoke to him about his favourite cartoons, and conducted the gentlest examination I've ever seen. She suspected Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type I—a rare diagnosis in children. Her approach was a careful, multidisciplinary balance of a sympathetic nerve block and play-based desensitization therapy. She coordinated with his school. Within three weeks, he was walking again. She treated my terrified child with incredible compassion and scientific precision.

As a 74-year-old with advanced spinal stenosis and osteoporosis, I was told by three surgeons that my spine was 'too fragile' for any intervention. I was facing a life confined to a chair, dependent on high-dose opioids. Dr. Özata reviewed my case and proposed a staged, minimally invasive procedure: a percutaneous cement augmentation to stabilize the weakest vertebrae, followed by a precise epidural neuroplasty. She never promised a miracle, but she offered a chance. The procedures at Acibadem Atakent were done under local anesthesia. The relief wasn't instantaneous, but gradual. I'm now off the strong opioids, managing with mild medication, and can walk to the park with a rollator. She gave an old man his dignity and a measure of freedom back.

I'm a 45-year-old marathon runner who developed debilitating iliotibial band syndrome and knee pain that didn't respond to any sports medicine protocol. It wasn't an emergency, but it was ending my passion. Dr. Özata approached it like a detective. She didn't just look at the knee; she analyzed my running gait, my muscle activation patterns, and even my old ankle injury. Her diagnosis was a kinetic chain dysfunction leading to neuropathic pain. The treatment was a unique combination of a genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation for immediate pain control and a neurologically-focused rehabilitation plan to retrain my movement. She used ultrasound guidance for incredible accuracy. I'm not just pain-free; I understand my body's mechanics now. She fixed the problem, not just the symptom.