George Mazonakis had gone to the Stem Cell unit in Kolonaki on Wednesday afternoon (9/9) to undergo a scheduled plasmapheresis treatment. He had made a first appointment the day before, while the procedure was scheduled for the following day.
While preparing for treatment and after a venous catheter had been placed, the singer, according to the clinic, felt severe chest pain and then suffered a cardiac arrest.
The people in the unit immediately began resuscitation efforts with CPR, which were continued by the EKAB rescuers and later by the doctors of "Elpis" hospital, but it was not possible to revive him.
After the incident, the treatment itself that he had been scheduled to undergo, as well as the regime under which it could be carried out in this particular unit, came into focus.
Stem Cell doctor couple released
It is recalled that yesterday, as part of the investigation, the pathologist, owner of the Stem Cell clinic in Kolonaki, and his wife, also a doctor, left the Kypseli Police Station shortly before midnight, after completing their statements in the context of the ongoing investigation.
According to the doctor's lawyer, Nikos Agapinos, the two doctors were temporarily released, while the authorities are expected to continue collecting evidence, including through employee statements and an autopsy at the scene.
The owner of the clinic, according to reports, denied any involvement in the incident, claiming that his wife had full management of the clinic, carried out the treatments and monitored the patients.
What exactly is plasmapheresis?
Therapeutic plasmapheresis is a recognized medical procedure and has been used for years for specific conditions. It is a procedure in which the patient's blood is passed through a special machine, which separates the plasma from the other components of the blood.
Then, part of the plasma is removed and the blood cells are returned to the body along with a special replacement fluid. The goal of the procedure is to remove from the circulation substances that, in certain diseases, burden the body or participate in the progression of the disease.
Plasmapheresis is mainly used in selected hematological, neurological, nephrological and autoimmune diseases. In some cases it can be applied when pathological antibodies or other substances circulating in the blood need to be rapidly reduced. The treatment is legal and included in official treatment protocols.
This, however, does not mean that it can be performed in any location or in any doctor's office.
Plasmapheresis is not a simple intravenous treatment. It requires a special machine, safe vascular access, continuous monitoring of the patient, and personnel who have the appropriate training for the specific procedure.
Side effects or complications may occur during treatment, such as a drop in blood pressure, disturbances in calcium levels, allergic reactions, or problems associated with vascular access.
For this reason, the ability to receive immediate medical treatment is required in the event of an acute event.
The main question, therefore, in the case of the unit in Kolonaki is not whether plasmapheresis is a permitted treatment. The issue is whether the specific facility had the license required to perform such a medical procedure.
What did Adonis Georgiadis say?
The Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, intervened in the matter, who stated in a post that the specific space had a license for a simple pathology clinic and not a license to perform plasmapheresis.
In his post, he spoke of a "supposed clinic" and noted that in a simple pathology clinic "such a medical procedure" as plasmapheresis is not allowed to be performed.
At the same time, he announced that he had asked the president of the Athens Medical Association to initiate an inspection to determine the exact operating conditions of the unit, as well as what happened before the singer's arrest.
The current framework provides for different categories for private Primary Health Care providers, with different conditions and possibilities for providing medical services.
Thus, the existence of a simple license to operate a medical practice does not automatically mean that the performance of every medical procedure is permitted.
The research
At the same time, authorities are investigating the circumstances under which the stop occurred.
The head of the unit went to the Kypseli Police Station to testify, while evidence is being collected about the medical procedures that had preceded it. One of the points that needs to be clarified is whether the plasmapheresis process had already begun or if Giorgos Mazonakis was still in the preparation stage.
The placement of an intravenous catheter alone does not necessarily mean that plasma exchange had begun.
At the same time, it should be clarified whether and to what extent there is any connection between the medical procedures performed at the unit and the arrest. This is an issue that will be judged by the medical and forensic data and not only by the chronological sequence of events.
Source: protothema.gr
