Assoc. Prof. M.D. Ürün Özer Ağırbaş

A 28-year-old competitive freediver from Bodrum presented with recurrent episodes of shallow water blackout and persistent cough after deep dives. Dr. Ağırbaş diagnosed her with immersion pulmonary edema exacerbated by extreme negative-pressure breathing. Treatment involved a novel regimen of pre-dive inspiratory muscle training and post-dive positive airway pressure, allowing her to return to competition with monitored depth limits.

A 72-year-old retired glassblower from Beykoz arrived with progressive shortness of breath and a distinctive 'whistling' wheeze audible only during exhalation. Dr. Ağırbaş identified rare occupational silico-tuberculosis masked by decades of minor silica exposure. The treatment combined targeted antitubercular therapy with bronchoscopic lavage, resulting in a slow but steady recovery over eighteen months.

An 8-year-old refugee child from Syria presented with treatment-resistant asthma. Dr. Ağırbaş discovered the inhalers were ineffective due to undiagnosed tracheobronchomalacia from a forgotten childhood injury. He designed a custom, lightweight external airway stent worn under clothing, which, combined with physiotherapy, resolved 90% of symptoms within six weeks.

A 45-year-old IT executive and amateur mycologist developed a severe, dry cough after cultivating exotic mushrooms in his home office. Dr. Ağırbaş diagnosed hypersensitivity pneumonitis from thermophilic actinomycetes in the potting substrate. Treatment involved complete environmental overhaul and a tapering steroid protocol, with full lung function recovery after four months.