Second opinion online
A second opinion isn't a challenge to your doctor. It's a second reading of the same findings before a decision you can't take back. It's for patients outside Athens or abroad who already have a diagnosis or have been advised to have surgery, and want to understand exactly what it means before going ahead.
What it is and what it isn't
It's worth being clear from the start. A video call can't include an endoscopy, a hearing test or a physical exam of your neck, so this isn't a remote examination.
It's a review of what you already have in hand, and for most of the questions that bring people here, that's enough.
What can be answered: what your tests really show, the reasoning behind the treatment you've been offered, what alternatives exist, what would happen if you did nothing for now, and which questions are worth asking your doctor.
What can't be done: a new diagnosis for someone who hasn't been examined. When the basic exam is missing, the honest answer is that you need an appointment , not an opinion.
Who is it for?
- You live outside Athens or abroad, and making the trip just for a conversation isn't easy
- You've been advised to have surgery and want to understand why before you decide
- You have a diagnosis but no clear picture of what comes next
- You've had tests in different places and no one has looked at them all together
- You live in Germany or another German-speaking country, with medical documents and treatment plans in German
The last point is not a detail. After 15 years of clinical work in Germany, German medical documents, and the logic of the system they come from, are read without translation and without anything getting lost.
What to send
- Your medical reports and discharge summaries, even old ones
- Your audiogram, if you've had a hearing test
- CT or MRI scans with the images , not just the report
- Videos or photos from an endoscopy, if you have them
- A sleep study, if your question is about snoring or sleep apnea
- The medications you take, with doses
- Your question, written in one sentence
The third point matters most. The report is someone else's reading, the images are the finding itself, and an independent look at the images is part of the reason people ask for a second opinion.
How does it work?
Before the call
After booking, you send your material. The sooner it arrives, the more of the session is left for discussion rather than reading through the findings.
During the video call
We go through your history, look at what your tests show together and discuss your options, with the pros and cons of each. You can ask anything you didn't get to ask, or didn't think to ask, before.
After
You can request a written summary of the findings and the options discussed, to show the doctor who is treating you. A second opinion isn't meant to replace your treating doctor, but to offer a colleague's perspective.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, and it's your right. For any important decision, especially when surgery is being discussed, a second reading is part of good medical practice, not a lack of trust in anyone.
That's a useful result, not wasted time. You go ahead knowing why, rather than because you were told to, and the difference shows later on, because a decision you understand is one you follow properly.
It depends on the question. Send whatever you have before the call, and if something essential is missing, you'll be told what needs to be done first, so you know where you stand.
Greek, English or German, and your documents are accepted in all 3 languages.
Yes, but that's not the purpose of the session. The second opinion is given regardless of where your treatment takes place, and it often concludes that the best option is right where you already are.
The time is set in advance and dedicated entirely to your case.
When is it not the right choice?
Immediately
Acute symptoms
Sudden hearing loss, difficulty breathing or swallowing, bleeding that won't stop, severe vertigo with neurological symptoms. These need an in-person assessment now, not a video appointment.
Exam first
When no tests have been done yet
Without tests, there is nothing to review. The right step is a regular appointment, near you or here.
Exam first
When the question needs an endoscopy or a hearing test
Some questions can only be answered with an endoscope or a hearing measurement. If these are missing, the video call will end up asking for them.
Medical review: Dr. Ioannis KotrotsosENT Surgeon and Specialist in Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology.
The information on this page is for general information only and does not replace a medical examination. For diagnosis and treatment, please consult a doctor.