M.D. Hanim Ahu Ural

As a 72-year-old retired fisherman with decades of breathing in sea air and ship fumes, I arrived at Acibadem Izmir Kent Hospital wheezing like an old boat engine. Dr. Hanim Ahu Ural didn't just listen to my lungs; she listened to my life story. She connected my specific type of chronic cough to a rare occupational lung pattern she'd studied, something previous doctors missed. Her treatment plan wasn't just medication—it included breathing exercises she demonstrated herself, making this old sailor feel truly seen. My breathing hasn't been this clear in twenty years.

Our 8-year-old daughter, Elif, developed a terrifying, persistent cough after what seemed like a mild cold. Pediatricians were stumped. Dr. Ural's approach was magical—she used a miniature, colored spirometer and turned the lung function test into a 'blow out the birthday candles' game. Her diagnosis was swift: a rare pediatric tracheomalacia exacerbation. She explained it to us with hand-drawn diagrams and to Elif with a story about a 'floppy garden hose.' Her calm, playful demeanor dissolved our panic. Elif now calls her 'the breathing fairy.'

I was rushed to emergency at midnight after collapsing at home with acute respiratory distress. The on-call team stabilized me, but the mystery remained. Dr. Ural was there by 6 AM, reviewing the scans with an intensity I've never witnessed. She identified a spontaneous pneumothorax complicated by an undiagnosed, tiny pleural bleb. She performed a delicate, ultrasound-guided aspiration right then, explaining each step in a steady, reassuring voice amidst the crisis. Her skill in that high-pressure moment was breathtaking—literally and figuratively. She turned a potential catastrophe into a controlled procedure.

What started as a routine follow-up for my managed asthma took an unexpected turn. During the check-up, Dr. Ural noticed a subtle, inconsistent pattern in my peak flow diary that I'd dismissed. With gentle persistence, she ordered a specific bronchial challenge test I'd never had. It revealed vocal cord dysfunction masquerading as asthma. Her insight changed everything. She didn't just refill a prescription; she unraveled a misdiagnosis. She then spent 45 minutes teaching me laryngeal relaxation techniques. It was a routine visit that revolutionized my care.