Dr. Gülçin Selen Akgün

After my paragliding accident in Antalya left me with a complex brachial plexus injury, I was told I might never regain full arm function. Dr. Akgün didn't just see a damaged nerve network; she saw a puzzle to solve. Her approach was unlike anything I'd experienced—combining targeted neural gliding exercises with what she called 'sensory re-education' using textured objects. At Acibadem Kozyatagi, she coordinated with neurologists to create a hybrid therapy plan. Eight months later, I can write my name again. Her method wasn't about brute-force rehabilitation; it was about rewiring possibility.

My 4-year-old daughter Lara developed a mysterious limp that baffled three pediatricians. Dr. Akgün spent 45 minutes just observing how Lara played with toys in her office—how she reached, sat, and transitioned. She diagnosed developmental dysplasia that had been missed, not through forceful examination, but through what she termed 'play-based assessment.' Her treatment involved colorful, animal-shaped orthotics and parent-child aquatic therapy sessions she designed herself. She spoke to Lara about her 'superhero legs' needing special training. We didn't just visit a doctor; we found a healer who speaks the language of childhood.

As a 78-year-old with advanced Parkinson's, my world had shrunk to my armchair. Dr. Akgün's first question was, 'What do you miss most?' I said, 'Feeding the seagulls by the Bosphorus.' She built my entire rehabilitation around that goal. Instead of standard exercises, we practiced standing balance with a bag of breadcrumbs, worked on arm coordination with throwing motions, and used rhythmic auditory cues from traditional Turkish music she played in her sessions. She even coordinated with the hospital to do a waterfront therapy session. Last week, I fed the birds again. She treats the person, not just the disease.

I arrived at Acibadem Kozyatagi as an emergency referral after a botched lumbar injection elsewhere left me with cauda equina symptoms. Dr. Akgün managed my case with terrifying calmness and surgical precision—immediately ordering specific MRI sequences other doctors hadn't considered, then designing a nerve decompression protocol that avoided another invasive procedure. What stood out was her 'mapping' technique: she created a daily symptom chart tracking even subtle changes in sensation I wouldn't have noticed. Her follow-up was relentless; she called me herself twice weekly to adjust medications. She didn't just fix a medical error; she restored my trust in medicine entirely.