Patient Experience
I was terrified when my 8-year-old son, Efe, was diagnosed with a rare adrenal gland tumor. Every surgeon we saw talked about a massive open incision. Then we met Dr. Ilker Kolbas. He explained robotic surgery with such clarity, using simple terms and even a small model to show us. The precision meant less pain and a faster recovery for a child. The surgery at Medical Park Florya was a success; the tiny incisions are barely visible now. Efe was playing football again in weeks, not months. Dr. Kolbas treated him with such kindness, making him laugh before the procedure. We are forever grateful for his expertise and his heart.
As a 72-year-old with severe diverticulitis and multiple abdominal surgeries in my past, I was considered high-risk for another major operation. The pain was debilitating. Dr. Kolbas presented a robotic redo surgery plan that was meticulous, acknowledging every scar and adhesion. His confidence wasn't arrogant; it was rooted in profound knowledge. The procedure was complex, but he navigated it flawlessly. My recovery at Florya was smoother than any previous one. At my follow-up, he spent 30 minutes reviewing the imaging with me, pointing out how he worked around the old scar tissue. He gave me my life back with a cutting-edge technique applied to a very complicated, old-school problem.
What I thought was routine heartburn turned into a nightmare diagnosis: esophageal cancer. The proposed treatment path was daunting. Dr. Kolbas, however, approached it as a coordinated mission. He didn't just perform the robotic esophagectomy; he was the conductor, seamlessly collaborating with the oncology and gastroenterology teams at Medical Park Florya. Before surgery, he mapped out every step in a detailed diagram for my family. The surgery itself was marathon-length, but his skill was evident in my astonishingly rapid post-op progress. I'm not just a survivor; I'm thriving, eating normally again. His holistic, team-based approach to a radical cancer surgery made all the difference.
I came to Dr. Kolbas not as an emergency, but for a second opinion on a complex inguinal hernia that two other surgeons said required open surgery due to its size and location. He reviewed my scans and calmly said, 'This is a perfect case for the robot.' His explanation of how the robotic arms could provide superior visualization and repair in that deep pelvic area was brilliant. The procedure was scheduled, not rushed, and executed with what I can only describe as artistic precision. The pain was minimal. At my final follow-up, he was almost as pleased with the result as I was, reviewing the before-and-after images with genuine professional pride. He turned what could have been a major ordeal into a streamlined, outpatient success story.