Athens Medical Group

Athens Medical Group (AMG) was established in 1984. Its goal: to provide high quality, integrated healthcare services, based on a patient–centered approach. From the first years of its operation, it became a “catalyst” of progress in Healthcare, being the first Greek medical institution to introduce state-of-the-art medical equipment and secure collaborations with distinguished scientists, thus providing services equal to those of internationally acclaimed hospitals.

Cardiac Surgery Greece
  • Since 2007, Asklepios Kliniken GmbH has been a key strategic shareholder of Athens Medical Group, both sides collaborating on scientific and business matters and promoting the exchange of medical knowledge and management expertise.

In Greece, AMG runs 7 hospital units with a total number of 1,200 hospital beds, 2,800 highly qualified associate physicians, and 3,000 highly specialized full-time employees.

SURGERIES

Coronary artery bypass grafting

A coronary artery bypass is performed either with the assistance of the cardiopulmonary bypass (referred to as “on-pump beating or non beating heart surgery”) or without the assistance of the cardiopulmonary bypass (referred to as “off-pump” surgery). In most cases artery transplants are selected, but in certain cases artery and venous transplants are used. The aim of a coronary artery bypass is to achieve full revascularisation of the myocardium so as to not only extend the life of the patient but also fully relieve the patient from any symptoms of pain, in other words angina.

Heart valve surgeries

Tricuspid valve surgery
Usually, the surgery is performed with a plastic tricuspid valve either with special rings or with special sutures. In certain extraordinary cases, the valve is replaced. However, such a procedure is linked with a higher mortality rate and is considered as a last resort.

Aortic valve surgeries
Aortic valve stenosis and regurgitation. Usually, this is resolved by replacing the valve either with a biological valve or with a mechanical metal valve. In certain cases, aortic valve valvuloplasty may be performed. These procedures are performed either with a median sternotomy or with smaller incisions (minimally invasive surgery), depending on the patient’s needs.

Our team, in collaboration with a team of specialist cardiac surgeons, implants valves with the use of a catheter, in other words transdermal placement without surgery. This procedure, however, is recommended for patients with a high surgery risk.

Mitral valve surgeries

Mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation. The options that are available are valvuloplasty or replacement with a mechanical valve, in other words a metal or biological valve. The technique that is chosen depends on the patient.

Aortic diseases

These diseases refer to aneurysms and aortic dissections. A surgery is performed to replace the diseased part of the aorta, always with a different technique and gravity depending on the part of the aorta that is replaced.

Heart tumours

The most common type of heart tumour is the myxoma. The majority of myxomas originate from the left atrium and are usually removed surgically. We also frequently encounter an extracardiac mass-thymoma. These tumours are treated thoracoscopically, in other words without a median sternotomy.

Congenital heart diseases

The most common congenital heart diseases are atrial septal defect (ASD) and ventricular septal defect (VSD).

Reoperations

When a patient has undergone cardiac surgery and needs to be operated a second or third time. These surgeries are technically more difficult, with a higher mortality and morbidity rate. Our team performs a large number of revision surgeries with a very high success rate.

Atrial fibrillation surgeries

These surgeries are usually performed in conjunction with the correction of another heart valve. However, they can also be performed separately to free the patient from the arrhythmia and the risks that are associated with it.

Robotics expertise and routinely performs:

  • Endoscopic cardiac surgical procedures. Through a few centimeters keyhole incision on the right side of the chest, without cutting the breastbone, and with the use of 3D HD endoscopes we treat diseases of the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, we resect cardiac tumors (like myxomas) and close atrial septal defects.
  • Robotic-assisted and hybrid coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Through a few centimeters keyhole incision on the left side of the chest, without cutting the breastbone, and with the use of a Robotic DaVinci console we can perform coronary artery bypass grafting procedures as a standalone or hybrid procedure with the combination of percutaneous coronary intervention (stents) on the same sitting.
  • Aortic valve minimally invasive surgery. Through a few centimeters mini-sternotomy, without cutting the full length of the breastbone, we can perform aortic valve replacement.
  • Transcatheter valve replacements. Without any incisions, for patients that fulfil the criteria, we perform transcatheter aortic and mitral valve procedures.

Expert team

Dr. George GritsopoulosHe graduated from the School of Medicine with honours, completing his doctoral thesis at the Cardiology Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens under the guidance of Professors Dimitrios Kremastinos and Efstathios Iliodromitis. Dr. Gritsopoulos has also collaborated with notable cardiac surgery centres and the biggest hospitals in Greece, Europe and America, and completed his specialisation having taken part in more than 2,500 surgeries next to leading professors, he sat for oral and written examinations receiving a mark of ‘excellent’ and he received the title of thoracic, cardiac and vascular surgeon. 

Dr. Apostolos Roubelakis

Dr. Apostolos Roubelakis MD, PhD, FETCS is the Director of the 3rd Department of Cardiac Surgery of “Iatriko Athinon” Athens Medical Center in Athens, Greece. He is an expert in robotic, endoscopic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery and he has a special interest in valve surgery and valve repairs.He has practiced cardiac surgery in the UK, Canada, Belgium and Greece for many years. Since 2017, he has been directing the  3rd Department of Cardiac Surgery of “Iatriko Athinon” Athens Medical Center in Athens, Greece. He received a special award for top distinction in 2015 by the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS). 

Evanthia A. Novi-Sotiriadou

SPECIALIZATION In

– Neuroanaesthesia

– Cardiac Anaesthesia

– Anaesthesia in geriatric patients

  • Perioperative care of operated patients
  • Management / elimination of postoperative pain
  • Use of modern anaesthetic techniques in patients with anatomical difficulties (use of fiberoptic bronchoscope)
  • Treatment of pain syndromes for immediate relief
  • Epidural / Spinal anaesthesia

Dr. Andreas Paramythiotis

 he specialized in Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at the Rennes University Hospital in France. While specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, he earned his Master’s degree in the field of implantation of cardiac assist devices from the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris.  

Ioanna Kirkou

She graduated from the Department of Nursing of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens. Since 1986, she has been a part of the Athens Medical Group Clinics’ hospital and scientific staff – working alongside surgeons and other surgical staff as a Scrub Nurse (in charge of handing the surgeon tools and other instruments).

https://cardiacsurgery-greece.com/

 

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The services that we provide to facilitate your medical tourism process are free of charge. There are no additional fees added to the cost of your medical procedure for our services. Our main objectives are to make sure you receive the highest level of healthcare services at an affordable cost, and to ensure a successful outcome and a happy patient!