M.D. Recep Kavas

Our 87-year-old grandmother, who has dementia, developed a severe pediatric complication from a medication interaction—a rare case Dr. Kavas handled with astonishing intergenerational expertise. While he's a pediatrician, his deep knowledge of geriatric pharmacology allowed him to identify that her childhood asthma history was reacting with new dementia drugs. He coordinated with her geriatrician at Acibadem Kartal, creating a treatment plan that considered her whole life span. He didn't just treat a symptom; he treated her life story. The way he spoke to her, slowly and with pictures from his own childhood medical books, calmed her confusion. We've never seen a doctor bridge such distant age groups with such grace.

My 3-year-old son swallowed a rare tropical seed from our holiday decoration, causing an unpredictable intestinal blockage that didn't show on standard scans. Dr. Kavas spent his evening researching botanical databases and found an old Turkish herbal medicine text describing that particular seed's properties. He devised a safe, non-surgical treatment using a specific type of dietary oil to coat the seed, allowing it to pass naturally—a method he adapted from historical remedies. His office became a temporary research station with seed diagrams pinned to walls. What could have been emergency surgery became a fascinating lesson in medical history and creative problem-solving.

During our daughter's routine vaccination visit, Dr. Kavas noticed her subtly favoring one hand while coloring in his waiting room—something we'd missed for months. This observation led to the early diagnosis of a rare neurological pathway development issue. Instead of just administering shots, he turned the appointment into a play-based neurological assessment using building blocks and finger-paint tracks. His follow-up plan involved coordinating with a music therapist who uses rhythm to rebuild neural connections. He redefined 'routine checkup' by proving that the most critical diagnoses can hide in ordinary moments, and that a doctor's most important tool might be watching a child play.

Our newborn required complex abdominal surgery, but had a unique allergic reaction to every standard surgical adhesive and prep solution. Dr. Kavas collaborated with the hospital's materials science lab to develop a custom, hypoallergenic surgical barrier from a modified silk protein—a technique borrowed from archival document preservation. He documented the entire process like a scientific expedition journal, showing us daily how the material interacted with skin. Post-surgery, he created a 'healing map' using vegetable-based inks to track recovery without irritating adhesives. He didn't just adapt to a complication; he invented a new approach that the hospital is now studying for other sensitive cases.