Assoc. Prof. M.D. Muhammet Ahmet Karakaya

For five years, I lived with a phantom agony in my lower back that no scan could explain. I was 72 and had accepted this as my final companion. Dr. Karakaya did not just look at my MRI; he listened to the story of my pain. He called it 'central sensitization' and designed a treatment not with a single injection, but with a gentle, phased protocol of pulsed radiofrequency and guided physical therapy. He spoke to me like a fellow human, not a chart. The pain didn't just lessen; its character changed. I can now walk to the bakery for my morning simit. He gave me back a simple pleasure I thought was lost forever.

Our 8-year-old son, Ali, developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in his right foot after a minor sprain. The world of pediatric pain is terrifying—every touch was agony for him. Dr. Karakaya approached him on his level, showing him diagrams of 'confused nerves' and making the sympathetic nerve block sound like a mission to calm them down. He coordinated with a child psychologist at Acibadem without us even asking. The treatment was meticulous, combining precise stellate ganglion blocks with a clear home-based desensitization plan. The change wasn't overnight, but within weeks, Ali was tentatively bearing weight. Dr. Karakaya didn't just treat a limb; he rescued a childhood from pain's shadow.

I was admitted through the ER at Acibadem Atasehir with what felt like a red-hot knife permanently lodged between my shoulder blades—a sudden, horrific flare-up of my old thoracic disc herniation. I couldn't breathe deeply. Dr. Karakaya was consulted and came directly, even though it was late. He explained an emergency thoracic epidural steroid injection could 'put out the fire' and allow proper healing. His calm, decisive manner in that moment of panic was everything. The procedure itself was remarkably swift and precise. The relief was almost immediate, turning a crisis into a manageable condition. He turned my worst pain day into the beginning of my recovery.

As a marathon runner, my 'routine' follow-up for chronic knee osteoarthritis was anything but routine to me. Dr. Karakaya remembered my goal to run the Istanbul Marathon again. Instead of just repeating my previous viscosupplementation injection, he proposed a novel combination: a guided genicular nerve ablation to silence the deep ache for longer, followed by a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to support the joint itself. He mapped the nerves with ultrasound, explaining each target like a strategist. The post-procedure protocol was specific and athletic-focused. This wasn't maintenance; it was an upgrade. My follow-ups feel like collaborative coaching sessions to keep me on the road, pain-managed and proactive.