Greece’s beauty comes with logistical challenges: while half the population lives in Athens, the rest is spread across over 200 inhabited islands—many of which lack specialist care and fully equipped hospitals. In these regions, access to real-time expert consultation can be the difference between safe management and unnecessary, risky transfers.
Remote Multidisciplinary Boards and Emergency Consults
The team began piloting two high-impact use cases:
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Virtual Multidisciplinary Oncologic Boards
In collaboration with the University Hospital of Alexandroupoli, Dr. Theodorou’s team holds joint surgical oncology boards using Medicalholodeck for real-time CT review and Zoom for discussion. Despite workflow challenges between platforms, the virtual tumor boards are functioning successfully and laying the groundwork for broader digital integration. -
Emergency Consultations on the Island of Kos
Kos, a large but understaffed island, lacks 24/7 radiology coverage. The team trained staff to upload scans to the cloud via Medicalholodeck, allowing experts in Athens to review images live, assess surgical urgency, and advise whether patients require transfer. Given the logistical and financial burden of moving patients to the mainland, this system helps ensure transfers happen only when absolutely necessary.
If successful, this case study could inform a national rollout in other underserved islands—and is already being prepared for submission to the Greek Ministry of Health.
Dr. Alexis Theodorou, MD MSc FEBS/MIS FACS is an academic fellow and lead of the XR Lab at the 1st Propedeutic Department of Surgery, University of Athens, Hippocration Hospital, Greece. With a specialization in minimally invasive and oncologic surgery, he combines clinical practice with a strong focus on surgical education and digital innovation. His expertise spans advanced surgical techniques, interdisciplinary collaboration, and immersive technology in medicine.
Teaching Anatomy Across Institutions
The XR platform also supports collaborative teaching. Medical students from Athens and Alexandroupoli now join shared virtual anatomy sessions, learning complex spatial structures in a way that’s both immersive and accessible. These sessions are particularly valuable in Greece’s financially constrained academic environment, where traditional resources and cadaver access are often limited.
Innovation on a Budget
Greece is emerging from a decade-long financial crisis, and funding innovation in healthcare remains difficult. That’s why Medicalholodeck’s cloud-based model—and its decreasing hardware costs—have been critical. Dr. Theodorou noted the importance of financial accessibility for expanding XR-based services across more institutions in the country.
A Model for Decentralized, Collaborative Care
In closing, Dr. Theodorou emphasized that immersive technology isn't just a teaching or visualization tool—it’s a collaborative infrastructure. It connects clinicians across regions, improves surgical decision-making, and empowers hospitals that would otherwise lack access to expertise.
With continued support from sponsors and the Medicalholodeck team, the vision is clear: a network of shared knowledge, distributed imaging, and truly connected care across Greece.
For more information, contact info@medicalholodeck.com March 2025
