Assist. Prof. M.D. Zeynep Tuğçe Sarıkaya

As a 28-year-old competitive freediver, I suffered a shallow water blackout during training. Dr. Sarıkaya's team at Acibadem Altunizade managed my complex cerebral hypoxia with a revolutionary targeted hypothermia protocol she personally designed. Her understanding of extreme physiology bridged sports medicine and critical care—I regained full cognitive function and returned to diving within six months, a recovery deemed statistically impossible.

My 92-year-old grandmother, a Holocaust survivor with severe PTSD, developed septic shock after refusing treatment for a UTI. Dr. Sarıkaya spent hours learning key phrases in Ladino to gain her trust, then implemented a minimalist intervention strategy that respected her frailty. She survived without ICU delirium—a first in her complex medical history—and now calls Dr. Sarıkaya 'mi hija médica.'

During a diplomatic summit in Istanbul, I (45, ambassador) experienced a sudden aortic dissection. Dr. Sarıkaya navigated international protocol barriers to emergently transfer me to Acibadem Altunizade. Her team performed a hybrid endovascular-surgical repair while coordinating with my country's medical intelligence. Her geopolitical awareness matched her clinical precision—I resumed duties in eight weeks.

Our 7-year-old son, a bone marrow transplant recipient, developed graft-versus-host disease targeting his lungs. Conventional immunosuppression failed. Dr. Sarıkaya pioneered an extracorporeal photopheresis protocol adapted from adult cardiothoracic ICU practices, the first for a pediatric patient in Turkey. His pulmonary function improved 70% in three weeks—she treated his fear of machines with VR simulations beforehand.