Patient Experience
A 72-year-old retired shipyard welder, Mr. Demir, arrived with acute respiratory distress after inhaling fumes from a home metalworking project. His complex history of asbestosis and COPD required Dr. Zabandan to navigate conflicting treatment protocols. She initiated a cautious bronchodilator regimen while coordinating with pulmonology, ultimately stabilizing him after 48 hours of monitored observation, avoiding intubation.
Elif, a 19-year-old competitive freediver training in the Bosphorus, presented with confusion and headache after a deep practice dive. Suspecting decompression sickness, Dr. Zabandan arranged an emergency hyperbaric chamber transfer despite the patient's initial resistance. The timely intervention prevented neurological sequelae, allowing Elif to return to modified training after three weeks.
Mr. Chen, a 58-year-old visiting textile importer from Shanghai with no Turkish language skills, collapsed in his hotel with severe abdominal pain. Dr. Zabandan used translation apps and visual aids to diagnose a ruptured appendix complicated by undisclosed type 2 diabetes. She performed emergency surgery and managed his postoperative glycemic control, discharging him after eight days with multilingual instructions.
A 7-year-old Syrian refugee girl, Amal, was brought in by neighbors after being found unconscious in their makeshift shelter. Dr. Zabandan discovered severe dehydration and malnutrition masking septic shock from an infected burn. She stabilized the child, arranged social services involvement, and created a phased nutritional recovery plan alongside antibiotic therapy, achieving full recovery in three weeks.