M.D. Safiye Küçükgül

I'm a 78-year-old retired teacher who had been struggling with increasingly blurred vision for years, convinced it was just 'old age.' My grandson insisted I see Dr. Safiye. From the moment I entered her office at Acibadem Izmir Kent, her calm, unhurried manner put me at ease. She didn't just do a quick test; she explained each step in her gentle voice, showing me the scans of my eyes. It turned out I had significant cataracts in both eyes. She performed the surgeries two weeks apart. The precision was remarkable—I felt nothing. Now, I can read my beloved poetry books again without a magnifying glass and see the colors in my garden with a clarity I'd forgotten was possible. She gave me back a fundamental joy.

Our 8-year-old son, Kerem, developed a sudden, intense fear of light and started complaining that 'the world looks wobbly.' We rushed to the emergency department at Acibadem Izmir Kent in a panic. Dr. Safiye Küçükgül was the on-call ophthalmologist. She was incredible with him—she had a way of turning the examination into a game, calling the slit lamp a 'spaceship' and the drops 'magic water.' She diagnosed him with uveitis, a serious inflammation, and started treatment immediately. Her follow-up care was meticulous. She called us personally to check on him the next day. Her combination of clinical expertise and genuine warmth with a frightened child turned a terrifying experience into one we managed with confidence.

As a graphic designer in my 40s, my vision is my livelihood. I went to Dr. Safiye for a routine checkup, expecting the usual all-clear. Instead, she detected extremely early signs of keratoconus during a detailed corneal topography scan—something I had no symptoms of. She explained the progressive nature of the condition with clear diagrams and proposed a preventive treatment plan involving corneal cross-linking. Her proactive approach was a revelation. The procedure at the hospital was smooth, and her post-op monitoring has been rigorous. She didn't just treat a problem; she prevented one that could have ended my career. Her forward-thinking care is a different level of medicine.

My follow-up visit with Dr. Safiye was for a complex retinal issue that several doctors had found puzzling. I had persistent visual distortions that made straight lines look bent. Dr. Safiye didn't just re-examine the scans; she spent an hour taking a meticulous history, asking about everything from past illnesses to recent stressors. She correlated subtle findings on the OCT scan with my symptoms and diagnosed a rare form of macular telangiectasia. Her explanation was the clearest I'd received. She outlined a tailored monitoring and treatment strategy, emphasizing lifestyle adjustments alongside possible future interventions. Her intellectual curiosity and dedication to solving the puzzle, rather than applying a standard protocol, made me feel truly seen and understood.