Assoc. Prof. M.D. Mirza Zafer Dağtaş

I was rushed to Acıbadem Kadıköy after a nasty fall on a hiking trail in the Kemerburgaz woods, my ankle twisted at an impossible angle. Dr. Mirza Zafer Dağtaş was on emergency call. What struck me first wasn't just his swift assessment of the complex fracture, but how he calmly explained the need for immediate surgery in a way that cut through my panic. His hands during the procedure—I later learned it was a meticulous arthroscopic reconstruction—must be guided by some rare precision. Six months on, I'm not just walking; I'm back to light trail running. He didn't just fix a bone; he restored a fundamental piece of my life with a quiet, unwavering competence I've never encountered.

Our 8-year-old son, Alp, was diagnosed with a rare form of osteochondritis dissecans in his knee. We'd seen several specialists who offered vague, worrying prognoses. From our first consultation, Dr. Dağtaş was different. He got down on his knees to talk to Alp, using a model of a joint to explain the 'little island' in his knee that needed help. He never talked down to him. The surgery was complex, requiring cartilage grafting, but his follow-up has been extraordinary. He remembers Alp's love of football and tailors every physio goal around it. Last week, Alp scored his first goal post-surgery. Dr. Dağtaş doesn't just treat children; he speaks their language and fights for their childhood.

At 78, with osteoporosis and severe osteoarthritis in both hips, I had resigned myself to a life of pain and a walker. My previous doctor suggested management, not a solution. Dr. Mirza Zafer Dağtaş reviewed my case and proposed a staged, bilateral hip replacement with a novel, minimally invasive anterior approach tailored for bone density like mine. The detail of his plan was astounding—every risk mitigated, every post-op need anticipated. The first surgery was in January, the second in March. Today, in October, I've just returned from a week in Assos, walking the cobblestone streets with my wife. His skill is a scalpel, but his vision is a gift. He gave me back my horizon.

My visit was for a seemingly routine follow-up on a old wrist fracture, but Dr. Dağtaş has a way of turning routine into revelation. While examining my wrist, he noticed a subtle, painless limitation in my shoulder rotation I'd attributed to aging. He asked a series of precise questions, ordered a targeted MRI, and identified a small, hidden labral tear. 'We caught it whispering before it starts shouting,' he said. The treatment was non-surgical—a bespoke physio regimen he sketched out himself. This wasn't a checkup; it was an act of profound attention. He listens to what your body says before you even hear it. In a system of rushed appointments, he practices the art of deep, preventive observation.