Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işıl Fazilet Kartaloğlu

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işıl Fazilet Kartaloğlu is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist at Acibadem Atasehir Hospital in İstanbul, where she works in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation unit. Her practice covers physical therapy and rehabilitation with an emphasis on pain management, spinal health, and the treatment of lymphedema and lipedema. She has more than 19 years of experience in medicine.

Dr. Kartaloğlu graduated from Mersin University Faculty of Medicine in 2007 and completed her specialty training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Istanbul 70th Anniversary Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital in 2013. In 2012 she obtained the Turkish Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation National Proficiency Certificate and the European Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Proficiency Certificate (Certificate of Fellowship European Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation). Her professional experience includes positions at Düzce Devlet Hospital (2013–2015), Özel İstanbul Hospital Hospital (2015–2016), Özel Reyap Hospital (2016–2017) and İstanbul Rumeli University (2017–2018), followed by Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2018 and Acıbadem Atakent Hospital from 2018 to 2020. She is a member of the Turkish Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Association, the Turkish Medical Association, the Anadolu Lenfödem Association and the Interventional Physiatry Group. Her published work includes studies on neurogenic bladder and on intermittent catheterization in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, an evaluation of vertebral bone marrow with diffusion-weighted MRI and ADC measurements, and a case report on rheumatoid arthritis in three sisters.

Clinical focus

Dr. Kartaloğlu’s clinical work centers on physical therapy and rehabilitation for patients with pain. She treats chronic muscle pain and fibromyalgia, and manual medicine forms part of her approach to pain treatment. Spinal health is a further area of her practice, covering the assessment and rehabilitation of spine-related complaints. Treatment decisions in these areas are based on the clinical examination and on any imaging and previous treatment records the patient can provide.

A second focus is the treatment of lymphedema and lipedema. Patients with swelling of the limbs related to these conditions may be seen for assessment and for a rehabilitation-based treatment plan. The suitability of any particular approach depends on the individual assessment, and the available options are discussed with each patient after examination.

How Dr. Kartaloğlu works with international patients

Dr. Kartaloğlu speaks Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who need them. The international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, arranges appointments and organizes the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their situation before traveling or who are seeking a review of their case from a distance.