Turkish Doctor Overcomes Disease Seen in Only 200 People Worldwide

Aytakın Gahramanov, a 21-year-old university student living in Azerbaijan, was diagnosed at age 19 with an 'endolymphatic sac tumor'—a malignant condition seen in only 200 people worldwide that grows aggressively enough to penetrate ear bone! Developing in the inner ear and capable of causing serious complications ranging from hearing loss to facial paralysis, the malignant tumor would have cost the young woman her life had it not been removed quickly. However, not only was the tumor located in an extremely high-risk area, but it also had a tendency toward severe bleeding. Even during a biopsy procedure where only a tiny sample was taken, the endolymphatic sac tumor caused the patient to lose approximately 1.5 liters of blood. For this tumor, the family sought medical advice from specialists in 10 different countries, including their home country of Azerbaijan after diagnosis was confirmed, but received the same answer from all: "The tumor is in a very dangerous location; we cannot operate on your daughter." The doctors they consulted lacked the courage to make an operative decision and instead recommended shrinking the tumor through radiotherapy. It was a Turkish doctor who made the decision to operate on the tumor: Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın, a specialist in neurosurgery. After five surgeries completed over approximately 5 months and a difficult treatment process, Aytakın Gahramanov continues her daily life without complications. She said, "For two years I have been coming to Turkey regularly with my family for routine check-ups. Thank God my illness has not recurred. During months of treatment, Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın and the doctors and health personnel essentially became my family."

We received negative responses from 10 countries!

"When my daughter Aytakın started complaining of ear pain, we didn't initially understand what was happening," says 53-year-old Hikmet Gahramanov, explaining that an MRI performed in their home country of Azerbaijan revealed a malignant tumor developing in the inner ear. Hikmet Gahramanov states that when told his daughter could not be operated on in Azerbaijan, they immediately contacted 10 countries without delay. "Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, and England were among them. All doctors said 'the tumor is in a very dangerous location; your daughter may not survive surgery; we cannot remove the tumor.' Then, through a Turkish friend living in Azerbaijan, we learned about Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın and sent him the reports. Just when our hope was running out, he replied 'surgery is very risky but I will remove the tumor,' and our world suddenly seemed full of possibility," he says. Following the good news, Aytakın's family immediately contacted Acıbadem Fulya Hospital.

The tumor was compressing the brainstem

Following examinations at the hospital, it was determined that the tumor, which had emerged behind the ear and was growing rapidly, had penetrated even the surrounding bone and was growing toward the cerebellum and brainstem. Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın noted that the tumor, which was placing increasing pressure on the brainstem with each passing day, had caused facial paralysis on the left side of the young woman's face and hearing loss, stating, "If the tumor could not be removed surgically, Aytakın Gahramanov would likely have died within a few months." Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın explained, "We could not decide on a treatment plan without performing a biopsy. Because the area where the tumor was located had a tendency toward excessive bleeding, despite all precautions we took, the young woman lost nearly 1.5 liters of blood just from the small opening we made for the biopsy." He added that following diagnosis, surgery was planned and they worked closely with both interventional radiology and ear, nose and throat specialists.

Reported in only 200 people worldwide!

The 'endolymphatic sac tumor' that appeared immediately behind Aytakın's left ear and reached one-fifth the size of the skull has only 200 reported cases worldwide to date. Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın states, "When we reviewed the literature, we found that there had been no previous case of endolymphatic sac tumor being removed surgically. Because it is such a high-risk tumor, treatment has been limited to shrinking it with radiotherapy. The young woman would have had only a few months left to live without surgery. We could not remain indifferent to this situation."

5 surgeries and a difficult treatment process

Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın, a neurosurgery specialist, states that Aytakın Gahramanov underwent 5 major surgeries during the approximately 5-month treatment period. Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın describes his satisfaction at completely removing the tumor, which he characterized as extremely high-risk due to its location and tendency toward excessive bleeding, as follows: "First, through interventional radiology, we blocked the blood vessels feeding the tumor and rendered it non-functional, thereby trying to minimize excessive bleeding as much as possible. This procedure was performed through 2 separate operations, each lasting approximately 8 hours. Then we planned the main surgery and after a 7-8 hour procedure, we completely removed the tumor. Just as we were celebrating, we discovered cerebrospinal fluid coming from Aytakın's ear. The tumor had punctured the meninges and devastated the entire region. Of course, we immediately intervened with appropriate methods. During this time, hydrocephalus developed as a result of infection, which we treated. After approximately 5 surgeries over 5 months and 15 days of intensive care treatment, Aytakın was discharged." Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın notes that the young woman returned to Azerbaijan with her family following treatment, adding, "Aytakın comes regularly for her check-ups. Although facial paralysis persists, thank God she has not experienced any recurrence in 2 years. We believe she will continue her life healthily from this point forward."

"My goal is to become a child development specialist"

Aytakın Gahramanov, currently a third-year student of child development at university, summarized her story with tears in her eyes: "Yes, it was a very difficult process but I'm doing very well now. I told my mother and father that everything would be fine, and I came to Turkey with that spirit. I told my family 'Don't worry, I will never abandon you. I will study hard and become an excellent child development specialist.' My family was always by my side; I couldn't have done it without them. I was never scared of the surgeries; I was completely prepared. I had complete trust in Yunus and the entire Acıbadem team. They have become like family to us now. The routine check-ups I have, thank God, come back clean, and I haven't had any problems in 2 years. I can do everything in my daily life."

"They gave our daughter back to life"

Hikmet Gahramanov notes that during his daughter's treatment, they encountered intense attention from the doctors and other healthcare workers. Gahramanov states, "During the treatment process, the efforts of all the specialists, especially Prof. Dr. Yunus Aydın, gave our daughter back to life," and hugs his only child Aytakın Gahramanov with a mix of relief and joy. Mother Gülşen Gahramanov, a homemaker, notes that they never lost hope during the treatment process, saying, "Our daughter has a fighter's personality; she constantly comforted us during treatment. Thanks to her determination and the intensive efforts of the doctors and health personnel, she continues her life without complications," expressing her joy.