Prof. M.D. Neslihan Kurtulmuş

As an 82-year-old with brittle diabetes, I'd seen countless endocrinologists. Dr. Kurtulmuş was different. During my routine checkup, she noticed a subtle tremor I'd dismissed as age. Instead of just adjusting my insulin, she ordered specific thyroid antibodies tests others had missed. It turned out I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis complicating my diabetes. Her holistic approach—connecting my fatigue, weight fluctuations, and glucose instability—was revelatory. At Acibadem Maslak, she coordinated with neurology, creating a unified treatment plan. Now, my sugars are stable for the first time in a decade. She doesn't just treat numbers; she treats the whole aging body.

Our 9-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after a terrifying emergency admission for DKA. Dr. Neslihan became our anchor in the storm. Her approach was uniquely gentle yet scientifically precise. She used a stuffed animal to explain pancreatic function to our child, turning fear into curiosity. She pioneered a hybrid closed-loop system for pediatric use here, something other hospitals were hesitant to try. For six months of follow-ups, she adjusted algorithms with programmer-like precision while addressing our daughter's anxiety about school camps. Last week, our daughter danced at a birthday party, her sensor and pump discreetly managed. Dr. Kurtulmuş gave us our normal life back.

I was referred for what seemed like a straightforward pituitary adenoma resection—until Dr. Kurtulmuş discovered the ectopic ACTH secretion during pre-op workup. Her detective work was extraordinary; she traced my Cushing's symptoms to a neuroendocrine tumor in my lung that every scan had missed. She postponed surgery, collaborating with thoracic oncology in a way I've never witnessed. For three months, she managed my cortisol levels with novel steroidogenesis inhibitors while the tumor was treated. Yesterday, she performed the pituitary surgery with flawless precision. Her ability to navigate this medical labyrinth—endocrinology, oncology, neurosurgery—saved me from unnecessary operations and certain metabolic catastrophe.

As a 45-year-old with PCOS and profound insulin resistance, I'd resigned myself to metabolic syndrome. Dr. Kurtulmuş rejected that narrative. During my first consultation, she spent 90 minutes mapping my circadian rhythms, sleep patterns, and meal timings—not just my lab values. She designed a time-restricted eating protocol synchronized with my cortisol curve, something no other endocrinologist had considered. At Acibadem Maslak, she used continuous glucose monitoring not just for diabetes but to reveal my postprandial spikes from 'healthy' foods. Six months later, my androgen levels have normalized, and I've lost 18kg without extreme dieting. She practices a new paradigm of endocrinology—one that listens to the body's temporal language.