The 54-year-old singer was one of the most recognizable figures in contemporary Greek laïko music. He had been in the industry for 3 decades and enjoyed a strong fan-base in Greece, Cyprus, and Balkans. He has also been a judge on ‘The Voice of Greece’ and has hosted concerts in Germany, Australia, and the United States.
His death has landed him at the center of public debate in Greece and Cyprus. The Greek singer lost his life during plasmapheresis, a therapeutic treatment which is known for its potential anti-aging benefits. The prosecution is still ongoing, while investigators dive deeper into the case.
According to the reports, Mazonakis had visited a private clinic in central Athens for plasmapheresis treatment on 9 September, where he allegedly suffered a cardiac arrest. He was then transported to Elpis Hospital.
The doctors at the hospital stated that he had arrived at the facility with no spontaneous breathing or pulse. Resuscitation attempts failed, and he was declared dead.
The Greek police are trying to find out what happened before the cardiac arrest and whether the cardiac arrest happened during the scheduled treatment.
According to the doctor performing the treatment, the plasmapheresis had not yet begun, and the singer’s condition rapidly deteriorated while the preparation for the treatment was ongoing. The investigators found out that Mazonakis had visited the facility a day before, and are trying to examine which symptoms were recorded, what tests were carried out, what medical history was taken, and on what basis the planned procedure was prescribed.
The doctor’s husband, who is also a doctor, under whose name the facility is registered, has stated that Mazonakis was under his wife’s medical management and he had nothing to do with his treatment.
Contrary to the doctor’s statement, inquiries with the paramedics have revealed that the plasmapheresis machine was operating when they arrived at the practice. A technical examination also reported that the machine had remained switched on for 45 minutes, but it hasn’t been established yet when exactly it was used.
The police are also investigating a discrepancy in the timeline. The doctor is reported to have said that Mazonakis arrived at the practice around 16:30, whereas the emergency services had already been called shortly beforehand. Investigators suspect that the singer had been at the facility for at least three hours.
A case has been lodged against the two accused doctors, who have been detained by the police while the investigation is ongoing.
Greek Health Minister and the president of the Athens Medical Association, Adonis Georgiadis, said that the facility was registered with the Athens Medical Association as a simple internal medicine practice and not as a clinic. Athens Medical Association is the body responsible for licensing private medical practices in the Attica region.
He commented that in such a practice, performing plasmapheresis is not permitted. He has ordered an immediate inspection into the case by the Athens Medical Association.
According to the healthcare professional, a major treatment like plasmapheresis requires trained medical staff to monitor the treatment throughout. Other effects of the treatment, like a reaction to transfused products, risk of patients suffering from hypoglycaemia linked to the product that prevents the blood from clotting in the machine, are also there. Access to the bloodstream may also require placing a catheter in a large vein.
The clinic allegedly presented itself as the only certified clinic of its kind in Greece. Its website stated that it had been among registered centers under this name in Europe since 2022.
However, the services provided by the two doctors online do not fully match the medical procedures for which the premise was issued a license by the Athens Medical Association (ISA).
The doctors' lawyer, however, has maintained that the two plasmapheresis machines found at the practice had been duly declared to the Medical Association and that the practice was operating lawfully.
According to the information received by Kathimerini from the ISA, the doctor overseeing Mazonakis’ treatment lists her as a physician without a specialty. Under Greece’s applicable framework, a doctor without a specialty may operate only a private general practice or a primary healthcare practice.
Both the ISA administration and members of the medical community have said that therapeutic plasmapheresis is not a procedure that can be performed in a standard internal medicine clinic.
Plasmapheresis is the process used to obtain plasma from blood, and then replacing it with a donor plasma. Instead of the donor plasma, a solution containing albumin or a plasma protein can also be used in this process. The process involves using a specialized machine to separate plasma from blood and then returning the blood to the person receiving treatment.
Plasma exchange is the term used when plasmapheresis replaces someone’s plasma. This is done by withdrawing blood from the body and using a machine to separate the plasma from blood. Subsequently, the machine replaces the plasma with fluid, adds the replacement fluid to the blood and returns the blood to the person receiving treatment.
Therapeutic plasma exchange is an established medical procedure used for specific diseases and clinical conditions. The American Society for Apheresis publishes evidence-based recommendations for the use of therapeutic apheresis in human disease. Depending on the condition and clinical circumstances, plasma exchange may be used in conditions including thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, myasthenia gravis and certain other immune-mediated disorders.1
Therefore, plasmapheresis itself is not an unproven medical procedure. The medical controversy surrounding Mazonakis’ case relates to the circumstances in which the procedure was allegedly being offered, the facility, its licensing, monitoring and what happened during the treatment.
Plasmapheresis is a medical procedure that separates plasma from blood cells, potentially removing pro-aging factors from circulation.
Some studies suggest that it may have rejuvenating effects by altering aging biomarkers, but there is limited evidence on its impact on epigenetic aging in humans.
Plasmapheresis can rapidly change the levels of pro-inflammatory and other pro-aging molecules in the circulation. However, the selected protocol has not provided conclusive data supporting benefits.
Although therapeutic plasma exchange is generally considered a useful and established treatment when appropriately indicated and performed by trained teams, it can cause complications. These may include hypotension, hypocalcaemia, allergic reactions, bleeding and complications related to vascular access. The type of replacement fluid and anticoagulant used can also affect the risk of complications.
A study of 1,895 therapeutic plasma exchange sessions found hypotension in 15.2% of sessions, hypocalcaemia in 19.6% and allergic reactions in 3%. Severe adverse effects occurred in 0.3% of sessions. The researchers concluded that the procedure was generally safe when performed by a trained team, while noting that replacement fluid was an important determinant of complications.2
References:
1. Nicole D. Zantek et al., “Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice-Evidence-Based Approach From the Writing Committee of the American Society for Apheresis: The Tenth Special Issue,” Journal of Clinical Apheresis 41, suppl. 2 (2026): e70141, https://doi.org/10.1002/jca.70141.
2. Vincent Coirier et al., “Tolerance and Complications of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange by Centrifugation: A Single Center Experience,” Journal of Clinical Apheresis 37, no. 1 (2022): 54–64, https://doi.org/10.1002/jca.21950.
3. Cleveland Clinic. “Plasmapheresis and Plasma Exchange.” Cleveland Clinic. Last updated September 20, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24197-plasmapheresis-plasma-exchange
4. Borsky, Pavel, Drahomira Holmannova, Helena Parova, Steve Horvath, Petr Sramek, Robert T. Brooke, Milda Milciute, et al. “Human Clinical Trial of Plasmapheresis Effects on Biomarkers of Aging (Efficacy and Safety Trial).” Scientific Reports 15, no. 1 (2025): 21059. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05396-0.
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