Patient Experience
I'm a 72-year-old retired teacher who came to Dr. Türkmen with debilitating osteoarthritis in both knees. For years, I'd accepted pain as part of aging until my granddaughter couldn't sit on my lap anymore. Dr. Türkmen didn't just see 'an elderly patient'—he saw my specific life. He explained the staged bilateral knee replacement with such clarity, using a 3D model of my own bones from the CT scan. The surgery at Acibadem Altunizade was textbook, but what truly healed me was his post-op protocol. He had me walking the same day with a walker decorated by the pediatric ward's stickers, saying 'mobility is ageless.' At my 3-month follow-up, I brought him a photo of me dancing at my grandson's wedding. His approach isn't just orthopedic; it's holistic restoration.
Our 8-year-old son, Ali, took a bad fall from his bicycle, resulting in a complex supracondylar humerus fracture. The emergency department at Acibadem Altunizade called Dr. Türkmen immediately. He arrived at 11 PM, still in casual clothes—he'd come from home. What could have been a traumatic experience for a child became a calm, controlled procedure. He explained everything to Ali using a stuffed animal with a 'broken arm,' showing how the pins would work. The percutaneous fixation was flawless, but his genius was in the follow-up. Instead of a standard cast, he used a removable splint once stabilized, allowing Ali to participate in gentle physio games Dr. Türkmen designed himself. Six weeks later, Ali's range of motion is 100%, and he calls Dr. Türkmen 'the bone magician.' This wasn't just fracture management; it was pediatric trauma care with profound psychological insight.
As a competitive marathon runner, a stress fracture in my femoral neck was a career-threatening diagnosis. Multiple surgeons advised immediate surgery with a long, uncertain recovery. Dr. Türkmen, however, proposed a radically different path after reviewing my dynamic MRI. He identified a biomechanical imbalance in my gait—a subtle hip rotation—that was the true culprit. Instead of rushing to surgery, he designed a 12-week non-operative protocol: targeted shockwave therapy, a custom orthotic, and a retraining program for my running form, monitored with motion-capture technology at the hospital's sports lab. He treated me not as a 'case' but as an athlete whose livelihood depended on precision. I'm now back to training, pain-free, and have actually improved my personal best. Dr. Türkmen's ability to discern when not to operate is as masterful as his surgical skill.
My wife suffered a catastrophic pilon fracture of the tibia after a high-impact accident—a severe, fragmented injury with significant soft tissue damage. This wasn't a routine operation; it required staged reconstructive surgery. Dr. Türkmen's approach was architectural. He first performed external fixation to stabilize and allow swelling to subside, then executed a meticulous internal fixation weeks later. He communicated with me daily, using simplified diagrams. What sets him apart was his management of the 'in-between'—the wound care, the anticipation of compartment syndrome risk, the timing of each stage. At Acibadem Altunizade, he coordinated with vascular and plastic surgeons seamlessly. Nine months and several follow-ups later, she's walking without a limp. The complexity he navigated was immense, but he made us feel secure at every turn. His expertise in high-energy trauma is not just technical; it's a strategic, patient-centric campaign.