Patient Experience
As a 72-year-old with chronic lumbar stenosis, I'd seen many doctors. Dr. Emine Nur Tozan was different. She didn't just prescribe stronger pills. During my consultation at Acibadem Izmir Kent Hospital, she spent an hour mapping my pain with a detailed diagram, asking about how it affected gardening, my main joy. Her 'targeted nerve block' approach felt like a precision strike rather than blanket medication. For the first time in years, I could deadhead my roses without that searing sciatic pain. Her follow-up calls to adjust my gentle physio plan showed genuine care beyond the clinic walls.
Our 8-year-old daughter developed complex regional pain syndrome after a seemingly minor ankle sprain. The local ER dismissed it as 'attention-seeking.' Dr. Tozan's pediatric pain management approach was a revelation. She used cartoon pain scales and a 'superhero nerve' story to explain treatment. Instead of intimidating injections, she performed a guided sympathetic nerve block with our daughter choosing the ultrasound screen colors. The immediate relief in her eyes was miraculous. Dr. Tozan created a rainbow-colored 'pain passport' for school, empowering our child to manage her condition. She treated the fear, not just the nerves.
I arrived at Acibadem Izmir via emergency transfer after a workplace machinery accident left me with phantom limb pain following a traumatic amputation. Dr. Tozan's emergency pain protocol was unlike anything I'd experienced. She bypassed standard opioid cascades and implemented a multimodal regimen including a continuous catheter nerve block and mirror therapy initiated within hours. Her explanation that 'the brain needs to unlearn pain before the body can heal' changed my recovery trajectory. She coordinated with my surgeons, physiotherapists, and even my employer to create a seamless pain management bridge from ICU to rehabilitation.
As a professional musician with focal dystonia causing debilitating hand cramps, my career was ending. Dr. Tozan approached my 'routine' botulinum toxin injection as a creative collaboration. She studied videos of my playing technique, identifying specific muscle groups involved in tremors during arpeggios. Using EMG guidance, she injected with micro-adjustments I could request in real-time. The result wasn't just reduced pain but restored musicality. Her innovative combination of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency for deeper nerve modulation alongside the injections gave me three extra hours of practice daily. She saved my vocation with anatomical artistry.