Yorgos Mazonakis, one of Greece’s most popular singers of the past three decades, arrived at a private clinic in Athens on Sept. 9 for a scheduled plasma exchange treatment. Hours later, the 54-year-old was dead.
Nearly three weeks later, what initially appeared to be a sudden medical death has become a criminal investigation dominating headlines in Greece and Cyprus. Among the most startling details reported by Greek television channel MEGA is that investigators examining the treating doctor’s phone allegedly found searches on ChatGPT for instructions on how to perform resuscitation.
Yorgos Mazonakis
(Photo: Instagram)
Authorities are now trying to reconstruct exactly what happened inside the clinic in Athens’ upscale Kolonaki district, why a plasma exchange machine was allegedly operating there despite questions over whether the clinic was authorized to use it, what substances Mazonakis received and why emergency services were not called earlier.
The day after his death, the married doctors who operated the clinic, Dr. Ioanna Gaka and Dr. Ilias Theodoropoulos, were arrested. The clinic is registered in Theodoropoulos’ name, but investigators say Gaka treated the singer. What began as an investigation into abandonment resulting in death was later upgraded, after investigators reviewed new digital evidence, to suspected intentional homicide. Both doctors deny wrongdoing and remain in custody pending trial.
Mazonakis was one of the best-known voices in laiko, Greece’s popular folk-influenced music. Discovered by PolyGram representatives in 1992, he released his first album the following year and went on to build a large following in Greece, Cyprus and Greek communities abroad. In recent years, he also served as a judge on the Greek version of “The Voice.”
What happened inside the clinic
Plasma exchange, also known as plasmapheresis, removes plasma, the liquid portion of blood, and replaces it with another fluid or donor plasma. In hospitals, it is used for serious medical conditions including the blood disorder TTP, Guillain-Barré syndrome and severe myasthenia gravis. Some private clinics, however, have also marketed similar procedures as body “cleanses” or anti-aging treatments.
Dr. Albert Kolomensky of Assuta Ashdod Hospital said the procedure is well established when medically indicated but can cause drops in blood pressure, dangerous changes in electrolyte levels and heart rhythm disturbances. Although most complications are manageable, he said, potentially fatal events have been documented and the treatment should be performed only in an approved medical setting by trained staff using properly maintained equipment.
Data recovered from the machine used on Mazonakis has become central to the investigation. According to the evidence cited in Greek reports, he was connected to the device at around 2:14 p.m. The first alert appeared at 2:25 p.m., and blood began flowing through the machine at 2:37. Investigators suspect that at 2:44 and 2:45, Gaka photographed Mazonakis while he was unconscious and sent the image to an acquaintance.
The machine stopped at 3:22 p.m., but investigators say Mazonakis remained connected for another 23 minutes. More alerts were recorded at 3:45 p.m., and resuscitation efforts allegedly began only afterward. Greece’s EKAB emergency service was not called until around 4:21 p.m., leaving investigators focused on what happened during the intervening period.
A 56-year-old nurse who worked at the clinic told investigators that shortly after 4 p.m. Gaka asked her to find out whether there was an antidote for propofol, a powerful anesthetic. The nurse contacted an anesthesiologist and was told there was none. She also said staff contacted the supplier of the clinic’s defibrillator because it was not working and were told it needed to be charged.
Investigators are also examining what medications Mazonakis received. Evidence reportedly indicates he was given a sedative followed by a drug intended to reverse its effects, but not those of the anesthetic about which the doctor had allegedly inquired. Toxicology tests are expected to be crucial in determining what was administered and whether it contributed to his death.
Gaka has denied the prosecution’s version of events, saying Mazonakis’ condition deteriorated only after 4 p.m. She said the machine alerts reflected problems with veins and catheters, not necessarily cardiac distress, and claimed she followed procedure. She has also accused the ambulance team of mishandling the evacuation and argued that uninterrupted resuscitation might have saved him.
Questions over the clinic and cause of death
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said the facility was registered as a regular medical office, not a medical center, and was not permitted to perform plasma exchange. Police and representatives of the Athens Medical Association later found two plasmapheresis machines at the clinic. The doctors’ lawyer has disputed claims that the equipment was undeclared or used illegally.
The autopsy has added another layer of uncertainty. Forensic pathologist Dr. Sotiris Bouzianis said there was no evidence of a recent heart attack and that Mazonakis’ coronary arteries were in very good condition. “Anatomically, he was in perfect condition. It looked like the heart of a small child,” he said.
The examination did find myocardial ischemia, meaning inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle, as well as pulmonary edema. Investigators are considering possibilities including an air embolism, problems with fluid administration and other complications, while toxicology and tissue tests continue. For now, the official cause of death remains undetermined.
Prof. Anastasia Kotanidou, chair of Greece’s Central Health Council, questioned why Mazonakis underwent the procedure at all. “Mazonakis had no reason to undergo plasmapheresis,” she told Greek newspaper Proto Thema. “There are people who believe you can remove things from the body and stay young forever.”
Following the case, Greece’s Health Ministry has decided to establish a special committee to oversee anti-aging centers. “It is very sad that we lost a young person,” Kotanidou said. “You should not believe everything you see. Not everything that glitters is gold.”