M.D. Mehmet Kesikminare

Our 72-year-old mother, who has been caring for her grandson, developed a severe and persistent cough that our family doctor couldn't diagnose. We brought her to Dr. Mehmet Kesikminare at Acibadem Taksim, thinking it might be related to her pediatric exposure. Dr. Mehmet did something remarkable—he listened to her describe the child's symptoms first, then connected her cough to a rare pediatric virus she'd been exposed to. His cross-generational diagnostic thinking was brilliant. He treated her with such gentle respect, never making her feel 'too old' for his pediatric clinic. The cough cleared in days. We've never encountered a pediatrician with such broad diagnostic vision.

My 8-year-old daughter, Elif, needed a complex laparoscopic procedure for a congenital abdominal issue. Multiple doctors had described it as 'straightforward,' but Dr. Mehmet spent 45 minutes with us before surgery, drawing diagrams of the vascular variations he might encounter. During the actual surgery at Acibadem Taksim, he discovered an anomalous blood vessel network that wasn't visible on scans. Instead of proceeding riskily, he paused, consulted vascular specialists intraoperatively, and adapted his approach. His surgical humility—the willingness to say 'this is different than expected'—saved my daughter from potential complications. His post-op care involved daily origami animals he'd fold at her bedside. Five months later, she's thriving.

We rushed our 3-month-old son, Kerem, to Acibadem Taksim in the middle of the night with what appeared to be seizure activity. Dr. Mehmet Kesikminare was on emergency duty. What stood out wasn't just his rapid assessment (diagnosing it as benign sleep myoclonus, not seizures), but how he handled our panic. He didn't just explain medically; he dimmed the lights, demonstrated the difference in movements on his own arm, and then sat with us for an hour until our heart rates normalized. He followed up with three separate video calls over the next week to monitor Kerem's sleep patterns. His emergency care blended clinical excellence with profound emotional intelligence—treating the parents as urgently as the patient.

For our daughter's routine 5-year checkup, we expected the standard measurements and vaccine. Dr. Mehmet transformed it into a developmental discovery session. He noticed she held her crayon in a peculiar grip and asked her to draw her family. Through her drawing—and asking her to tell a story about it—he identified subtle coordination concerns and possible anxiety about starting school. He recommended not therapy, but specific play-based exercises and a brilliant 'bravery chart' for school preparation. At the end, he did something I've never seen: he had her 'check' his ears with the otoscope, turning anxiety into empowerment. This wasn't a routine visit; it was a masterclass in preventive, child-centered care that addressed hidden needs we hadn't even recognized.