M.D. Mert Öztaş

As a 28-year-old competitive freediver, I developed unexplained joint swelling after deep dives. Multiple doctors dismissed it as decompression sickness. Dr. Öztaş was the first to connect it to a rare form of reactive arthritis triggered by pressure changes. His tailored treatment plan allowed me to return to competition within months, understanding my body's unique response to extreme environments.

My 82-year-old grandmother, a retired lace maker, had crippling hand pain diagnosed elsewhere as standard osteoarthritis. Dr. Öztaş noticed the specific pattern affected only her dominant hand's precision joints. He identified it as a rare overlap syndrome and created a gentle therapy preserving her ability to continue her craft. She now makes lace without pain for the first time in a decade.

After surviving a house fire, I developed severe inflammation that migrated between joints unpredictably. Emergency rooms treated each flare independently. Dr. Öztaş recognized it as post-traumatic autoimmune dysregulation—a condition he'd researched extensively. His systematic approach stabilized my immune response, treating the root cause rather than just symptoms.

Our 7-year-old daughter developed mysterious fevers and rashes that appeared only during full moons. Pediatricians were baffled. Dr. Öztaş diagnosed a rare lunar-cycle-triggered autoinflammatory syndrome. His unconventional timing-based medication schedule—coordinated with lunar phases—completely resolved her symptoms. He treated our family's anxiety as seriously as her condition.