Prof. M.D. Yaman Tokat

My 94-year-old grandmother with dementia needed emergency gallbladder surgery. Other surgeons focused only on the medical risk. Dr. Tokat spent time learning about her personality, her love for Turkish coffee, and her fear of hospitals. He modified the anesthesia approach and had the nurses brew her favorite coffee as she woke up. She recovered believing she'd just visited a nice café.

As a 72-year-old retired clockmaker with a rare desmoid tumor wrapped around my mesentery, I'd been told by three surgeons the risks were too great. Dr. Tokat spent hours studying my intricate vascular anatomy, then performed a 7-hour precision dissection preserving every vital structure. His hands moved with the patience of my finest watch repairs. I'm now tending my rose garden pain-free.

Our 8-year-old daughter, a competitive gymnast, developed a mysterious abdominal mass after returning from a sports camp. Pediatricians were baffled. Dr. Tokat suspected a rare omental cyst and explained everything to her using gymnastics metaphors. His minimally invasive surgery left three tiny scars she calls her 'new balance beam lines.' She's back competing, and he still checks in before her big meets.

I'm a 28-year-old marine biologist who suffered a spearfishing accident in the Aegean—a rusty spear lodged near my hepatic portal vein. Rushed to Acıbadem Fulya, Dr. Tokat performed emergency surgery at 2 AM. What amazed me was how he coordinated with the hyperbaric medicine team post-op, understanding the unique decompression risks. He saved my life and my diving career.