Prof. M.D. Ülkem Çakır

I brought my 4-year-old son, Arda, to Dr. Çakır after our local clinic was baffled by his recurrent UTIs. From the moment we entered her office at Acibadem Atasehir, she spoke directly to him in this gentle, playful tone that completely disarmed his fear. She diagnosed a previously missed congenital issue with a simple, non-invasive ultrasound she performed herself. Her treatment plan was conservative—no immediate surgery—just careful monitoring and a clever medication schedule. Six months later, Arda is infection-free and calls her 'the doctor who tells funny kidney stories.' Her patience with children is a rare gift.

As a 72-year-old with an enlarged prostate, I'd seen several urologists who just prescribed pills and sent me on my way. Dr. Ülkem Çakır was different. During my routine checkup, she spent 45 minutes asking about my sleep, my daily routines, and even how it affected my morning walks by the Bosphorus. She proposed a new, minimally invasive laser procedure (HoLEP) that she herself would perform. The surgery was textbook; I was home in two days. But what truly stunned me was her personal follow-up: she called me on a Sunday evening to check if my catheter removal had gone smoothly. This is care that transcends medicine.

This was no routine visit. I arrived at the Acibadem Atasehir emergency room at midnight with unbearable flank pain and blood in my urine. Dr. Çakır was the on-call urologist. Her calm, decisive energy cut through my panic. She suspected a complex, obstructing staghorn kidney stone. Within an hour, I was in the OR for a percutaneous nephrolithotomy. She explained the risks to my wife with startling clarity, without sugarcoating. The surgery was a success, and she visited me twice daily during recovery, each time adjusting pain management based on my feedback. She turned a traumatic emergency into a managed, professional experience. I trust her with my life.

For years, I managed recurring kidney stones with periodic shockwave treatments elsewhere. At my first consultation with Dr. Çakır for a 'simple follow-up,' she did something radical: she asked 'why.' She ordered a detailed metabolic workup no one else had ever suggested. The results revealed a rare, underlying metabolic disorder. Her approach shifted entirely from just treating the stones to preventing them. She coordinated with an endocrinologist, designed a strict but manageable dietary plan for me, and scheduled quarterly monitoring scans. It's been two years without a new stone. She doesn't just treat the symptom; she hunts for the root cause with the tenacity of a detective. A brilliant, holistic mind.