Assoc. Prof. M.D. Fatih Büyükcam

My 82-year-old father, Ahmet, fell in our garden in Kadıköy and fractured his hip. The ambulance brought him to Acıbadem Ataşehir in immense pain. Dr. Fatih Büyükcam was like a calm commander in the storm of the ER. He didn't just see an elderly patient; he saw my father—a retired history teacher who loves his cats. He explained the complex trauma situation to us with a whiteboard drawing, showing the femoral neck fracture and the necessary emergency surgery. His team stabilized him with incredible speed. Dr. Büyükcam performed the surgery that night. What struck me most was his follow-up the next morning at 7 AM. He didn't just check the vitals; he sat by the bed, asked Dad about his cats by name, and explained the physiotherapy plan in simple terms. He turned a traumatic emergency into a manageable recovery. We call him 'the professor of emergencies.'

We rushed our 4-year-old daughter, Elif, to the hospital after she swallowed a small button battery from a toy. Pure panic. The triage nurse took us straight to Dr. Büyükcam. His demeanor instantly changed the energy in the room. He was focused but gentle, speaking softly to Elif while moving with urgent precision. He explained the critical timeline for battery removal without frightening her, calling it 'a little treasure hunt.' He coordinated with pediatric surgery within minutes. While waiting for the OR, he distracted Elif by showing her funny shapes on the ultrasound screen. The procedure was a success. A week later, for a follow-up X-ray, he remembered Elif's favorite cartoon character and had a sticker ready. He managed a life-threatening pediatric emergency with the heart of a pediatrician and the skill of a top trauma surgeon.

I'm a long-distance runner, and what I thought was severe shin splints turned out to be a developing compartment syndrome after an intense marathon training session. I went to the ER at Acıbadem Ataşehir late in the evening. Dr. Büyükcam listened to my description of the 'tight, burning pressure' and immediately suspected the issue—a condition many might miss. He performed a dynamic pressure measurement in the ER itself, explaining each step. The reading was critical. He said, 'This isn't pain to run through; this is an emergency to operate on.' His directness was jarring but necessary. The fasciotomy he performed that night saved the muscle function in my leg. His post-op care was meticulous, with clear diagrams of the healing process. He even discussed adjusting my training biomechanics once recovered. He treated an athlete's emergency with the expertise of a sports medicine specialist fused with trauma urgency.

My husband, a diabetic, came in with what seemed like a minor foot ulcer. A routine check-up spiraled into a complex case when Dr. Büyükcam detected underlying osteomyelitis and a severe systemic infection. He didn't dismiss it as a chronic condition complication. He declared, 'This foot is a window to a bigger problem,' and admitted him immediately. For two weeks, he managed a multidisciplinary maze: coordinating with endocrinology for sugar control, infectious disease for antibiotics, and vascular surgery for circulation. He was the conductor. Every day, he examined the wound himself, not delegating, tracking the minutest changes. He prevented an amputation. At discharge, he gave us a typed, color-coded schedule for medication, wound care, and specialist follow-ups. He turned a seemingly routine diabetic issue into a masterclass in integrated, life-saving trauma management for a chronic disease patient.