Prof. M.D. Özlem Çelik

My 72-year-old mother, Ayşe, underwent bariatric surgery with Dr. Çelik after years of failed diets and worsening knee arthritis. We were terrified given her age, but Dr. Çelik's multidisciplinary approach was incredible. She coordinated with cardiology and geriatrics, created a tailored 'gentle sleeve' protocol, and visited my mother personally every single morning post-op. Mom has lost 28kg in 8 months, her diabetes medication was halved, and she walks to the market again. This wasn't just surgery; it was a carefully crafted gift of mobility for her golden years.

As a 16-year-old, my severe obesity (125kg) made school a nightmare. Pediatricians just told me to 'eat less.' Dr. Çelik was different. She didn't just see a child; she saw a whole person. She required 6 months of prep with a teen psychologist and a nutritionist who spoke my 'language.' The surgery itself was the easy part. Her follow-up is what amazes me—she messages me on the hospital portal about my exam stress, not just my weight. I've lost 40kg, joined the hiking club, and for the first time, I feel in control of my future. She fought for insurance approval like a lioness.

I arrived at Acibadem Atakent as a true emergency transfer—a catastrophic leak from a gastric bypass done abroad 10 days prior. Septic, terrified. Dr. Çelik took over my case at 11 PM. Her calm was surgical steel. She explained the complex revision needed with simple drawings, never sugarcoating the risk. The 5-hour surgery saved my life. What followed was a 3-week inpatient journey where she managed not just my abdomen, but my severe anxiety. She arranged for my family to stay nearby. I'm now healing, on a proper plan. She rescued me from a medical tourism disaster.

My journey with Dr. Çelik was purely elective but profoundly transformative. As a 45-year-old teacher, I chose a duodenal switch for its metabolic impact. Her precision is artistic. She uses a unique, enhanced recovery protocol involving pre-op immune-nutrition shakes and very specific post-op movement exercises. My pain was minimal. But the real magic is in her data-driven follow-up. I don't just get weighed. I get detailed printouts of my bloodwork trends, gut hormone levels, and micronutrient maps. She turned my body into a comprehensible project. 18 months out, I'm 55kg lighter, off all medications, and running half-marathons—a outcome she predicted with eerie accuracy on her graphs.