M.D. Engin Altunkaya

As a 72-year-old with a complex abdominal hernia that three other surgeons deemed 'too risky,' I had nearly given up hope. Dr. Altunkaya approached my case with astonishing calmness. He didn't just see a risky procedure; he saw a person who wanted to garden again. His pre-surgical planning involved creating a 3D model of my abdomen—something I'd never heard of! The surgery at Acibadem Maslak was longer than expected, but his team updated my family every hour. What truly stunned me was his follow-up: he personally called me on Sunday, two days post-discharge, just to check if I was comfortable. My incision healed perfectly, and I'm back tending my roses. This wasn't just surgery; it was architectural restoration of my body.

Our 8-year-old daughter developed sudden, severe abdominal pain while we were vacationing in Istanbul. The emergency room at Acibadem Maslak was chaotic, but Dr. Altunkaya brought immediate focus. He knelt to her eye level, speaking in playful Turkish our daughter somehow understood despite the language barrier. Suspecting appendicitis with atypical presentation, he ordered a specific ultrasound protocol other doctors skipped. He explained the possible surgery to her using cartoon drawings on his tablet—showing how he'd 'remove the grumpy appendix' like a superhero. The laparoscopic procedure left barely visible scars. But what we'll never forget is how he visited her recovery room wearing silly animal scrubs to make her laugh. She now says she wants to be a surgeon 'like the funny doctor.'

Mine was supposed to be a routine gallbladder removal—until Dr. Altunkaya discovered unexpected liver adhesions during the laparoscopic procedure. Instead of proceeding blindly, he made the professional decision to convert to open surgery immediately. His surgical coordinator personally came to the waiting room to explain the situation to my anxious husband in meticulous detail, using an anatomical model. Post-surgery, Dr. Altunkaya showed me intraoperative photos (which I requested), pointing out exactly what he encountered and why his approach changed. His transparency was breathtaking. The recovery was tougher than anticipated, but his team provided a customized pain management plan that adjusted daily based on my feedback. Six months later at follow-up, he remembered specific details about my case without glancing at notes.

As a competitive athlete with a recurring sports hernia, I'd seen five surgeons across Europe who offered conflicting opinions. Dr. Altunkaya spent our first 90-minute consultation mapping my injury history against my training regimen. He didn't just examine my groin; he analyzed my running gait in his office corridor and reviewed my competition schedule. He proposed a novel rehabilitation protocol first, saying 'surgery should be our last teammate on the bench.' When conservative treatment failed, he performed a minimally invasive repair using a technique he modified for athletic patients. The difference? He coordinated with my physiotherapist in Germany pre- and post-op, holding a three-way video call. I returned to competition two months ahead of standard projections. He treats the whole life, not just the symptom.