Darlis Nikolaos

Dr. Nikolaos Darlis is a fellowship-trained Hand, Upper Extremity and Reconstructive Microsurgery Orthopedic Surgeon. He covers the whole spectrum of upper extremity trauma and elective surgery, as well as microsurgical reconstruction (including replantations and nerve reconstruction) of both the upper and lower extremities. 

He was born on the island of Lesvos and raised in Athens, Greece. He graduated from the Medical School of the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece with Honors. He completed his residency in Orthopedics at the University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece and presented his Doctoral Thesis on flexor tendon reconstruction. Having been awarded two prestigious scholarships, he went on to complete a 2-year Clinical Fellowship In Hand, Upper Extremity Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 

Dr. Darlis has been in private practice in Athens, Greece since 2006 as an exclusively Upper Extremity Surgeon. He joined the Upper Extremity & Microsurgery service of Metropolitan Hospital, in 2013, becoming Director in 2020.

Dr. Darlis specializes in wrist and elbow arthroscopy and peripheral nerve surgery. He has several publications in those fields and has extensive experience in wet lab training in open, microsurgical and arthroscopic techniques. Dr Darlis maintains an active interest in education and academics, lecturing frequently, both nationally and internationally. He has authored several scientific papers published in international peer-reviewed journals, as well as book chapters. He also serves as a reviewer for international Journals.

He has been elected President of the Hellenic Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (2021) and President of the Hellenic Society for Surgery of the Hand (2024) and has co-organized a congress with the American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS). He is an active member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and the International Wrist Arthroscopy Society (IWAS).

• 2013-currently: Orthopedic / Upper Limb Surgeon, Microsurgery & Upper Limb Surgery, Metropolitan Hospital
• 09/2005-2013: Orthopedic / Upper Limb Surgeon, Associate, Metropolitan Hospital and Bioclinic (Athens/Piraeus); Orthopedic Surgeon, Agricultural Insurance Organization, Central EOPPY Services
• 2004-2005: Paid Position as a Fellow, Upper Extremity Surgery and Microsurgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Drexel University, Pittsburg, PA, USA (Prof. D.G. Sotereanos). Clinical and Research Fellowship after acquiring an Η1Β visa as an internationally renowned scientist and an institutional license from the Pennsylvania Medical Board, specializing in hand, elbow and shoulder surgery and microsurgery, full surgical and clinical activity
• 02/2003: Postgraduate Training, Department of Adult and Pediatric Trauma, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, LA County + USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

• 1998-2003: Specialty Training in Orthopedics, Orthopedic Clinic, University of Ioannina (Profs. P.N. Soukakos, A.E. Beris, T.A. Xenakis)
• 1999-2003: PhD thesis titled "Two-Stage Flexor Tendon Reconstruction in Zone II of the Hand Using a Silicone Rod and the Paneva Technique", submitted to the Medical School, University of Ioannina, grade summa cum laude
• 1987-1994: Degree in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• 2004: Ioannis Agnantis Scholarship, University of Ioannina
• 2004: Study-Abroad Scholarship, Hellenic Society of Orthopedic Surgery & Traumatology
• 2005: $6,000 Educational Grant, DePuy-Mitek Inc. Norwood, MA., USA, “RF Applications in Wrist Arthroscopy”

• Mr. Darlis specializes in arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive method for the diagnosis and treatment of wrist conditions. He has published numerous papers on this topic and he was the first Greek Member of the European Wrist Arthroscopy Society (GEAP/EWAS). He is frequently invited to give lectures on the topic in Greek and international conferences. Mr. Darlis was the first to perform an arthroscopic triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair surgery in Greece. His expertise, along with Metropolitan Hospital’s modern equipment, enable him to treat the most complex wrist problems.
• Another area of particular interest to him is diagnostic and therapeutic high frequency ultrasound applications to the musculoskeletal system. Among other things, ultrasounds allow the injection of cortisone, hyaluronic acid, concentrated platelets (PRP) and stem cells with extreme accuracy.
• Mr. Darlis is also a Team Physician at the Ikaros Sports Club, Nea Smyrni.

E-mail: nickdarlis@gmail.com