Prof. MD. Berna Yayla Özker

A 17-year-old competitive freediver from a coastal fishing family presented with recurrent barotrauma and persistent unilateral ear fullness after deep dives. Dr. Özker discovered a previously undiagnosed patulous Eustachian tube exacerbated by pressure changes. Instead of standard treatments, she designed a custom rehabilitation program combining controlled Valsalva maneuvers with nasal steroid irrigation, allowing the teenager to return to national competitions within three months without surgical intervention.

A 78-year-old retired calligraphy master with Parkinson's disease developed progressive dysphonia that threatened his ability to teach his final apprentices. Dr. Özker identified not just age-related vocal fold atrophy but medication-induced laryngeal dystonia. She coordinated with his neurologist to adjust medications and implemented office-based vocal fold augmentation with hyaluronic acid filler, restoring his teaching voice for his final six-month mentorship program.

A 32-year-old humanitarian aid worker recently returned from a refugee camp presented with chronic fungal sinusitis resistant to multiple antifungals. Dr. Özker discovered the patient had developed hypersensitivity to local mold species. She created a personalized immunotherapy protocol alongside endoscopic sinus surgery, incorporating environmental control measures specific to the regions where the patient worked, enabling a return to fieldwork.

A 5-year-old child from a low-income single-parent household presented with severe obstructive sleep apnea but extreme needle phobia preventing standard adenotonsillectomy. Dr. Özker arranged for a child life specialist and used virtual reality distraction during an in-office coblation procedure with topical anesthesia only, successfully treating the condition without general anesthesia or hospital costs.