Prof. M.D. E. Levent Elemen

Our 3-day-old grandson, Kerem, was transferred to Acıbadem Atasehir with a suspected intestinal blockage. The fear was paralyzing. Dr. Elemen met us not with charts first, but with a calm, steady presence that immediately anchored the room. He explained the necessity of surgery for duodenal atresia with a hand-drawn diagram on a napkin, making the complex simple for terrified grandparents. The surgery was a success, and his follow-up was meticulous—he even called the neonatal ICU himself at 2 AM to check on Kerem's first feed. We didn't just get a surgeon; we got a guardian for our newest family member.

I'm a 67-year-old with an inguinal hernia I'd ignored for years, assuming pediatric surgeons only saw children. My GP insisted on Dr. Elemen due to a complex history of abdominal radiation. From the first consultation, his approach was fascinatingly different. He examined my old surgical scars like a historian, asking detailed questions about my childhood treatments. His plan wasn't just to fix the hernia, but to navigate the 'altered landscape' of my tissues with 'minimal disturbance.' The laparoscopic surgery felt tailored to my unique anatomy. At my age, you expect to be a routine case; Dr. Elemen made me feel like a singular puzzle he was honored to solve.

Our 8-year-old daughter, Elif, had a severe dog bite to her face near her eye. The ER was chaotic, but the moment Dr. Elemen arrived, he brought a focused calm. He didn't just see a wound; he saw a little girl's future smile. He explained to her, not us, that he was going to 'stitch her up like a superhero's secret mending.' He used specialized plastic surgery techniques in the OR to minimize scarring. At every follow-up, he measured the scar's progress with a tiny ruler, celebrating each millimeter of healing with her. The physical result is remarkable, but the emotional care—preserving her confidence—was his true masterpiece.

As researchers from abroad, our 6-month-old was diagnosed with a rare cystic lung lesion (CPAM). We arrived with stacks of international journals. Dr. Elemen didn't dismiss our frantic research; he engaged with it, discussing the latest studies from Europe and the US over tea. He presented a balanced, non-alarmist view, advocating for a planned thoracoscopic surgery instead of rushed intervention. The way he handled the delicate lung tissue was, in his words, 'like defusing a tiny bomb.' His post-op care included detailed lung expansion exercises he taught us himself. He treated us as partners in our child's care, blending supreme skill with profound intellectual respect.