M.D. Özer Öztürk

My 8-year-old daughter, Elif, had a mysterious limp that appeared overnight. We saw two other doctors who dismissed it as 'growing pains.' Dr. Öztürk was different. He got down on the floor with her, watched her walk, and asked her to draw how her knee felt. He discovered a rare osteochondritis dissecans lesion in her femoral condyle that others missed. His plan involved a delicate arthroscopic surgery he described to us using a jelly donut analogy Elif understood. Post-surgery, he gave her a small, colorful cast and called her his 'little astronaut with a moon boot.' His blend of pediatric sensitivity and surgical precision was extraordinary. We're six months out, and she's running without a trace of pain.

As a 72-year-old retired carpenter with advanced osteoarthritis in both knees, I'd accepted a life of pain. My consultation with Dr. Öztürk wasn't about selling me surgery. He spent an hour analyzing my old X-rays, my gait, and even the wear patterns on my shoes. He proposed a staged, bilateral knee replacement but with a twist: a new, muscle-sparing technique he'd pioneered that would allow much faster rehab. The surgery itself was textbook, but his post-op protocol was revolutionary—I was walking the corridor the same day. His follow-ups were relentless; he'd call on weekends to check my progress. He didn't just give me new knees; he gave me back my workshop and my dignity.

I'm a professional volleyball player. During a critical match, I landed wrong and heard a sickening pop—a complete ACL tear and meniscus damage. This wasn't just an injury; it was a career threat. Dr. Öztürk saw me in the ER at Acibadem Altunizade at 11 PM. He understood the urgency not just medically, but psychologically. He mapped out a reconstruction using a quadriceps tendon autograft, which he believed would offer better stability for my sport. The surgery was complex, but his true artistry was in the rehab plan. He coordinated with my physio, sent video exercises, and even analyzed my old game footage to tailor my recovery. Nine months later, I'm back on the court, jumping higher than before. He treated me like an athlete, not just a patient.

My husband suffered a complex, open tibia-fibula fracture in a motorcycle accident—a horrific injury with high risk of infection and non-union. The ER team stabilized him, but Dr. Öztürk was the architect of his salvation. He explained the Ilizarov external fixation procedure with shocking clarity, drawing diagrams on a napkin. The surgery was a marathon, meticulously debriding the wound and constructing the intricate frame. For months, the follow-up visits were our life. Dr. Öztürk would adjust the frame himself, millimeter by millimeter, with a focus that was almost meditative. He celebrated every tiny sign of new bone growth on the X-rays. It was a long, dark road, but Dr. Öztürk was our unwavering guide. Today, my husband walks without a limp. This wasn't just orthopedic surgery; it was skeletal reconstruction art.