Dr. Yaren Kavlak

As a 72-year-old retired ballet instructor, I'd accepted that my deformed, arthritic feet were just part of my past career. Dr. Kavlak didn't just see bunions and hammertoes; she saw a dancer's history. Her custom orthotics and minimally invasive procedures weren't about 'fixing' my feet, but about honoring their story while giving me pain-free mobility. I can now walk through museums for hours, something I hadn't done in 15 years.

My 8-year-old son Leo was born with vertical talus, and after three failed surgeries elsewhere, we were desperate. Dr. Kavlak approached his case like a puzzle master, combining Ponseti casting techniques with a novel tendon transfer she designed specifically for his unique anatomy. The difference wasn't just anatomical—it was watching him run to school for the first time without his adaptive walker.

During a hiking expedition in Cappadocia, I suffered a complete Achilles rupture miles from any road. The emergency team at Acıbadem Kadıköy connected me with Dr. Kavlak, who performed a percutaneous repair at 11 PM. What stood out was her 'recovery mapping'—she didn't just fix the tendon but created a phased return plan accounting for my expedition guiding career. I summited Ararat exactly 8 months later.

As a transgender woman beginning hormone therapy, I developed unexpected foot complications—my feet were shrinking and changing shape, causing debilitating pain. Most doctors dismissed it as unrelated. Dr. Kavlak researched hormonal impacts on connective tissue and designed a dynamic orthotic system that adapts as my body changes. She treated my whole transition journey, not just my feet.