Patient Experience
My 82-year-old mother, Fatma, had been experiencing unexplained dizziness for weeks. Our local clinic couldn't pinpoint the cause. We came to Dr. Mehmet Erdem Yıldız at Acıbadem Altunizade for a cranial MRI. What impressed us wasn't just the scan itself, but how he explained it. He didn't just read the images; he sat with us for twenty minutes, using simple analogies about blood flow like 'garden hoses' and 'quiet streams' to describe her vertebral artery stenosis. He even drew a diagram for her to take home. His patience with an elderly patient who was hard of hearing was remarkable. We left not with fear, but with a clear plan.
Our 7-year-old son, Deniz, needed an abdominal ultrasound after a football injury. We were dreading it - he's terrified of hospitals. Dr. Yıldız completely changed the experience. First, he showed Deniz the ultrasound screen and let him see his own 'insides,' calling his liver a 'power station' and his kidneys 'little filters.' He turned the gel warmer on specifically so it wouldn't be cold. The entire examination felt like a curious exploration, not a medical procedure. He even printed an extra image for Deniz to take to school. This wasn't just radiology; it was pediatric care of the highest order.
I'm a 45-year-old architect and arrived in the emergency department with acute, crippling flank pain. The CT scan for kidney stones was ordered urgently. Dr. Yıldız was the on-call radiologist. What stood out was the speed and precision of his communication. Within 15 minutes of my scan, he had not only confirmed a 5mm stone but had personally called the ER physician to discuss the exact location and the lack of hydronephrosis, which meant I could avoid immediate surgery. His report was so detailed it became the roadmap for my urologist. In a moment of panic, his clarity was my anchor.
As a breast cancer survivor, my annual follow-up MRI is always an anxiety-filled event. This year, Dr. Yıldız was reviewing my images. He noticed a tiny, new 3mm focus that two previous annual scans had barely hinted at. Instead of just reporting it, he pulled up my old scans on a large monitor and walked me through the subtle changes over three years, pixel by pixel. He used a special software to compare the densities. His conclusion: likely benign hormonal change, but worth a 6-month follow-up for absolute certainty. He treated my history with reverence and my anxiety with respect. He sees the patient behind the pixels.