Patient Experience
As a 72-year-old woman who had been dismissed by two other doctors for 'normal aging symptoms,' I arrived at Medical Park Mersin with persistent abdominal bloating. Prof. Dr. Tolgay Tuyan İlhan didn't just glance at my file, he spent 45 minutes asking detailed questions about changes even I hadn't noticed. His gentle but thorough examination revealed what others missed: early-stage ovarian cancer. What amazed me wasn't just his surgical precision during the minimally invasive procedure, but how he explained everything to my grandchildren in the waiting room, using simple drawings. Three years later, I'm cancer-free and tending my garden again. He treats the person, not just the disease.
Our 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare germ cell tumor. The world collapsed around us until we met Prof. Dr. İlhan. While other oncologists discussed aggressive treatments that would have ended her dream of motherhood, he presented a revolutionary fertility-preserving surgery option. During the 6-hour procedure, he removed the tumor while meticulously preserving her ovarian tissue. What touched us most was how he spoke directly to our daughter, not just to us parents, explaining each step in terms she could understand. At follow-up visits, he remembers her school projects and soccer games. Today, she's 17, tumor-free, and has hope for her future family. He gave us back our child's future.
I arrived at the emergency department at midnight with severe hemorrhaging after a botched procedure elsewhere. Prof. Dr. İlhan was called in from home, his calm presence immediately stabilized the panic in the room. While managing the critical bleeding, he discovered an aggressive endometrial cancer that had been completely missed. What followed wasn't just emergency surgery but a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary plan he coordinated himself at 3 AM. He personally updated my terrified husband every 90 minutes. His post-operative care included novel immunotherapy protocols I wouldn't have accessed otherwise. Six months later, my scans show no evidence of disease. He's not just a surgeon; he's a crisis commander who turns nightmares into survivable journeys.
As a 28-year-old with BRCA1 mutation and a family history littered with ovarian cancer deaths, I sought Prof. Dr. İlhan for preventive consultation. Rather than pushing immediate surgery, he designed a personalized surveillance program using advanced tumor marker combinations and cutting-edge imaging protocols. When subtle changes appeared 18 months later, he performed a robotic prophylactic surgery so precise that my recovery was astonishingly quick. But his care extended beyond the operating room, he connected me with a support network of previvors and arranged genetic counseling for my siblings. At my one-year follow-up, he remembered my anxiety about surgical scars and showed me before/after photos of his meticulous closure technique. He transforms genetic curses into manageable realities.