Tuğçe Kahraman, Physiotherapist

Tuğçe Kahraman is a physiotherapist working in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation unit at Acibadem Bodrum Hospital in Muğla, Türkiye. Her listed subspecialty is the treatment of lymphedema, and her practice covers physical medicine and rehabilitation, lymphedema treatment and rehabilitation care.

She studied at Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Health Sciences between 2009 and 2013. After graduating, she worked at SÖKE HOSPITAL from 2013 to 2014 and then joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2014, where she has continued her work as a physiotherapist since that time.

Clinical focus

Her clinical work is centered on physical medicine and rehabilitation. Within this field, lymphedema treatment is her listed subspecialty. Lymphedema is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the tissues, most commonly in an arm or leg, and its management is usually planned in a stepwise way that takes into account the affected limb, the stage of the swelling and the patient’s general condition. As a physiotherapist, she is involved in the assessment of patients with lymphedema and in the delivery of the physiotherapy component of their care, in coordination with the physicians of the unit.

Her broader area of expertise is rehabilitation care. Rehabilitation programs are typically individualized: they begin with an assessment of the patient’s functional status and symptoms, and the program is then adjusted over time according to the patient’s progress and tolerance. Because rehabilitation often requires a series of sessions rather than a single visit, the length and structure of a program are discussed with each patient on the basis of the clinical findings and the goals agreed at the outset. The specific approach that is appropriate for an individual patient can only be determined after a clinical evaluation.

How Tuğçe Kahraman works with international patients

Tuğçe Kahraman speaks Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who prefer another language. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and 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 available options. Video consultation is available for international patients, which allows a preliminary discussion of the case to take place before any travel is planned; whether an in-person assessment is needed, and what a rehabilitation program might involve, is then considered on the basis of that discussion and the documents provided.