Prof. MD. Erkan Ceylan

My 82-year-old father, a retired ship captain with a 60-year smoking history, was admitted with severe COPD exacerbation and suspected lung nodules. Dr. Ceylan didn't just treat the CT scan; he treated the man. He spent 45 minutes explaining the complex interplay between emphysema and the benign granulomas in terms my father could grasp, using nautical metaphors about 'weathering storms in the lungs.' His multidisciplinary approach coordinating with cardiology for Dad's atrial fibrillation was seamless. What struck me most was his Friday evening visit just to show us the comparison scans from three years prior, proving the nodules hadn't changed. He gave us not just treatment, but peace of mind.

Our 7-year-old daughter Elif developed a mysterious persistent cough after what seemed like a simple cold. Three pediatricians called it 'post-viral irritation' but Dr. Ceylan actually got on the floor with her toy stethoscope and listened to her 'teddy bear's lungs' first. He diagnosed pediatric tracheomalacia through bronchoscopy with such gentleness that Elif asked when she could next visit 'the breathing professor.' His team created a custom asthma action plan with cartoon illustrations showing her lungs as little balloons. Six months later, her peak flow readings have improved 40%, and she's joining her first soccer team. He doesn't just see children; he speaks their language.

I arrived at Medical Park Göztepe's ER at 2 AM with what I thought was a severe asthma attack. Within minutes, Dr. Ceylan identified it as spontaneous pneumothorax, my right lung had collapsed. The calm urgency with which he directed the emergency thoracostomy was remarkable. While inserting the chest tube, he explained each step in real-time: 'Now you'll feel pressure, then relief as your lung re-expands.' His post-procedure follow-up was equally thorough; he personally reviewed my chest X-ray at 5 AM before his scheduled surgeries. What could have been traumatic felt like being guided by the most competent hands imaginable during a bodily crisis I didn't even understand was happening.

As a 45-year-old marathon runner with inexplicable declining performance, I expected routine spirometry. Instead, Dr. Ceylan discovered exercise-induced bronchoconstriction masked by my athletic physiology. His 'investigation' included analyzing my GPS running data against pollution indexes and having me replicate race conditions on a treadmill in his lab. The resulting personalized inhaler protocol, timed to my warm-up routine, added 12 minutes to my personal best within three months. Last week, he emailed me a recent study on high-altitude training adaptations, noting 'this might interest your Berlin Marathon preparation.' His approach transcends pulmonary medicine; it's about optimizing human potential through respiratory science.