Prof. M.D. Pınar Yalınay Dikmen

My 82-year-old mother, Ayşe, was experiencing sudden, terrifying episodes where she'd lose track of time and repeat questions. Other neurologists dismissed it as age-related confusion. Dr. Pınar Yalınay Dikmen at Acibadem Maslak was the first to truly listen. She didn't just order a standard EEG; she arranged for a 72-hour ambulatory monitoring. She discovered my mother had a rare form of temporal lobe epilepsy manifesting solely as cognitive spells. The tailored medication regimen she prescribed has given my mother back her clarity. Dr. Dikmen explained everything to us in simple Turkish, with hand-drawn diagrams of the brain. She treats my mother with such respect, always addressing her directly, not just to me. We've found not just a doctor, but a guardian for my mother's golden years.

Our 7-year-old son, Deniz, developed a bizarre, intermittent head tilt and eye-rolling after a mild fever. Pediatricians were baffled, suggesting it might be a 'habit.' In panic, we went to Acibadem Maslak's emergency neurology service. Dr. Dikmen was on call. Her calm demeanor immediately settled our nerves. She observed one of Deniz's 'spells' in the ER and recognized it instantly as opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, a rare neurological disorder often linked to underlying issues. She coordinated an urgent abdominal ultrasound that revealed a neuroblastoma—early. Her swift, decisive action in the emergency setting initiated treatment for both the tumor and the neurological symptoms. She followed up with us weekly, even calling after hours to check on Deniz. She fought for him like he was her own. Today, he's in remission and symptom-free, all thanks to her razor-sharp emergency acumen.

I'm a 45-year-old software engineer with a decade of complex migraine history. My case was a puzzle: migraines triggered by coding, specific light patterns, and even certain smells. Previous treatments were generic. My consultation with Dr. Dikmen was a revelation. She conducted what she called a 'digital lifestyle audit,' correlating my attack logs with my work hours, screen types, and even caffeine intake. She proposed a novel, dual-pronged approach: a precise preventive medication combined with a neurofeedback protocol to retrain my brain's response to visual stimuli. She didn't just hand me a prescription; she gave me a personalized management plan with apps to use and specific break schedules. For the first time, I feel in control. She approaches neurology like a master engineer debugging a complex system—my system.

Following a complicated meningioma surgery at another hospital, I was left with debilitating facial numbness and balance issues. I came to Dr. Dikmen for a second opinion on my follow-up care, expecting just a scan review. What I received was a comprehensive neuro-rehabilitation strategy. She identified that my issue wasn't just the residual tumor, but a disruption in my proprioceptive feedback loop. She prescribed not medication, but a regimen of specific vestibular therapy exercises and introduced me to a form of targeted facial sensory re-education using textured materials. She explained the brain's plasticity to me in a way that gave me hope. Her follow-up visits are meticulous; she measures my progress in millimeters of improved balance and seconds of sustained sensation. She treats the aftermath of surgery with the same seriousness as the surgery itself, focusing on quality of life when others had stopped.