A 53-year-old Greek-Canadian man is fighting for his life in intensive care at KAT Hospital in Athens after suffering severe brain damage following dental implant surgery in Antalya, Turkey, in late July.
Alexandros Ziakas traveled with his wife, Maria Ziaka, for the procedure to place 12 implants. What was planned as a three-hour operation under sedation and local anesthesia was switched to general anesthesia when doctors said he wasn’t cooperating adequately, his wife said.
The surgery lasted about five hours; he never regained consciousness and suffered cardiac arrest, leading to severe hypoxic encephalopathy.
Two days later, doctors detected two blood clots; five days post-op, he had a brain hemorrhage. Mrs. Ziaka said she has received no clear explanation and suspects complications from anesthesia or the awakening process.
“From a routine surgery, he is in this condition today. They don’t give us much hope, but hope is within us,” she told Mega.
Repatriation proved difficult: Turkey initially blocked a Greek military air ambulance, prompting Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis to approve a civilian medical evacuation coordinated by EKAB. Mr. Ziakas was flown back on Aug. 19 and transferred to KAT’s ICU.
The couple chose Turkey after researching costs in Canada and Greece, citing high prices abroad.
They said they vetted the clinic’s materials and staff credentials and saw no elevated risk.