M.D. Erkan Sarıyıldız

I brought my 4-year-old son in after he developed a mysterious high fever that our pediatrician couldn't explain. Dr. Sarıyıldız spent nearly an hour just observing him play in the examination room before asking the most unusual questions about recent park visits. He suspected a rare tick-borne illness from Moda coastline parks, ordered very specific tests, and was proven right. His approach wasn't just medical—it was detective work. He even drew little animal diagrams to explain to my son what was happening. We avoided hospitalization because of his early, precise diagnosis.

As an 82-year-old with diabetes, hypertension, and now unexplained weight loss, I'd become a collection of symptoms to other doctors. Dr. Erkan reviewed my seven medications from three specialists and noticed something everyone missed: dangerous interactions between a new arthritis drug and my heart medication. He didn't just adjust prescriptions; he created a color-coded schedule for me and called each specialist to coordinate. For the first time in years, I feel coherent rather than just 'managed.' He treats the whole person, not just the charts.

What started as severe abdominal pain on a Sunday turned into an emergency admission. Dr. Sarıyıldız was the internal medicine consultant called in. While surgeons wanted immediate intervention for suspected appendicitis, he noticed a pattern in my blood work that suggested an atypical gallbladder issue mimicking appendicitis. He ordered a specific hepatobiliary scan others considered unnecessary. The scan revealed a rare cystic duct anomaly—surgery would have been wrong and dangerous. His insistence on 'one more test' saved me from an unnecessary operation and a longer recovery. His calm confidence during crisis was remarkable.

I visited for what I thought was a routine physical before marathon training. Instead of just checking boxes, Dr. Sarıyıldız asked about my training regimen, nutrition, and even my sleep patterns. He discovered through subtle questioning that my 'allergies' were actually exercise-induced asthma, and my fatigue wasn't overtraining but a borderline thyroid issue. He created a phased return-to-running plan with monitoring points. Six months later, I've set a personal best. He approaches routine checkups as opportunities for optimization, not just clearance. His follow-up email checking on my progress was a personal touch I've never experienced elsewhere.