Führender Experte für Knochen- und Weichteilsarkome – Prof. Merimsky leitet die Sarkomabteilung am Sourasky Medical Center.
Dr. Yuri Goldes ist Allgemeinchirurg mit über 20 Jahren klinischer Erfahrung. Er ist auf Chirurgie des oberen Gastrointestinaltrakts und onkologische Chirurgie spezialisiert. Er ist stellvertretender Direktor der Abteilung für Allgemeinchirurgie und Transplantation am Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv und leitet zudem die Einheit für obere GI-Chirurgie. 2025 wurde er in die Forbes-Israel-Liste der Best Doctors aufgenommen. Forbes führt ihn unter Israels besten Viszeralchirurgen. 2019 erhielt er die Auszeichnung „Arzt des Jahres“ des israelischen Gesundheitsministeriums.
Er ist Experte für fortgeschrittene minimalinvasive und robotische Chirurgie. Er behandelt Zwerchfellhernie, Achalasie, die gastroösophageale Refluxkrankheit (GERD) und Gallenblasenerkrankungen. Zudem führt er onkologische Eingriffe bei Pankreas-, Magen- und Speiseröhrenkrebs durch – laparoskopisch und robotisch.
Er führte einige der ersten robotischen onkologischen Resektionen von Magen und Pankreas in Israel durch. Weltweit gehört er zu einer kleinen Gruppe, die minimalinvasive Whipple-Operationen (Pankreatikoduodenektomie) mittels fortgeschrittener Laparoskopie durchführt. Er setzt Methoden ein, die Ergebnisse verbessern und die Genesung beschleunigen, und bietet individuelle Betreuung.
Leiter der Abteilung für metastasierende Knochenläsionen am Ichilov Medical Center, mit Schwerpunkt auf komplexen Knochenkrebserkrankungen wie dem Chordom.
Professor Raanan Berger, MD, PhD, ist medizinischer Onkologe und Strahlentherapeut. Er ist Direktor des Krebszentrums am Sheba Medical Center und leitet dessen klinische Forschungseinheit. Er stand 2025 auf der Forbes-Israel-Liste „Best Doctors“. Er leitet das uro-onkologische Programm mit Schwerpunkt Prostatakrebs. Seine Behandlung umfasst systemische Therapie und Strahlentherapie in einem multidisziplinären, patientenzentrierten Modell.
Er ist Facharzt für Onkologie. Er erwarb seinen MD und PhD an der Universität Tel Aviv und schloss seine klinische Ausbildung am Sheba Medical Center ab. Anschließend absolvierte er ein Postdoktorandenstipendium am Dana-Farber/Harvard mit Schwerpunkt Prostatakrebs bei Dr. Philip Kantoff und molekularer Onkologie im Labor von Dr. William C. Hahn. Er ist Mitglied der ESMO und der ASCO. Er hat mehr als 20 fachbegutachtete Publikationen mitverfasst, darunter Studien zu Ergebnissen bei Prostatakarzinomen mit hohem versus sehr hohem Risiko sowie zu BRCA1/2 in großen Kohorten.
Chordoma surgery in Israel involves neurological risks depending on tumor location and proximity to nerves. Skill base procedures may cause 15% neurological deficit rates, while sacral resections lead to urinary or bowel dysfunction in up to 81.5% of cases. Precision navigation and multidisciplinary teams help preserve critical functions.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center report a 90% success rate in treating complex tumors. This high performance stems from huge surgical volumes, with Sourasky and Assuta together performing over 125,000 operations annually. Patients should note that such high-volume centers often provide more predictable functional outcomes due to their specialized neuro-oncology infrastructure.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that sensory losses like tailbone numbness are significant daily challenges. Many note the importance of finding rehabilitation teams early to manage permanent nerve changes or feeding tube dependency.
Israeli surgeons perform high-volume chordoma resections at specialized centers like Sourasky Medical Center. Teams specialize in en bloc resection and minimally invasive transorbital approaches. Leading experts include Dr. Ofer Merimsky and Dr. Jakov Bikels. Facilities combine robotic platforms with real-time 3D navigation to preserve neurological function.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers demonstrate high expertise in rare bone tumors. Sourasky Medical Center alone treats over 1,800,000 patients annually and reports a 90% average success rate for oncology. This volume allows surgeons like Dr. Jakov Bikels to specialize deeply in metastatic bone lesions. Patients benefit from this concentration of rare case experience which is often unavailable in smaller medical systems.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the need to confirm the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring and real-time imaging before surgery. They also note that centralizing care in specialized centers is more important than the specific city location.
Recovery after sacral chordoma surgery in Israel focuses on intensive rehabilitation to restore mobility and manage neurological shifts. Patients often spend 6 to 12 months in specialized therapy. Multidisciplinary teams prioritize nerve preservation and pelvic stability through physical and occupational therapy in JCI-accredited centers.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli medical centers like Sourasky, which handles over 34,000 operations annually, integrate oncology and rehabilitation within a single facility. This structure allows surgeons like Dr. Jakov Bikels to coordinate directly with rehab specialists. Data suggests that patients benefit from these highly specialized orthopedic oncology units where therapists handle rare sacral tumors daily rather than general spinal cases.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that sitting tolerance returns slowly and is often the final hurdle. Many note that preparing the home with elevated seating before surgery significantly reduces early recovery stress.
Full chordoma treatment in Israel typically requires a 21 to 30 day stay. This timeline covers pre-operative staging, specialized neurosurgery, and critical early follow-up. Most patients spend 7 to 10 days hospitalized. You must remain in-country for 14 days post-discharge to manage flight safety.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center report a 90% success rate. High-volume centers perform 34,000 operations annually, ensuring surgical teams are highly practiced. Choosing a facility with JCI accreditation and Newsweek rankings provides a verified safety framework for complex bone tumors. This volume-to-outcome correlation is a key quality indicator in Tel Aviv clinics.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize planning for at least 4 to 6 weeks total. They note that rushing recovery or flying too early can lead to complications or travel discomfort.
Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Sheba Medical Center are the primary Israeli hospitals for high-volume chordoma treatment. These JCI-accredited institutions manage complex spine and skull base cases. They combine advanced neurosurgery with MRI-guided radiation therapy to ensure high success rates.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While Sheba and Sourasky are public giants, Assuta Medical Center offers a private alternative. It performs 92,000 annual operations with higher personalized care. Patients often choose Assuta when they want to select their specific surgeon manually. This flexibility is rare in larger state hospitals where teams are assigned.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that Israeli centers offer more affordable advanced radiation than US hospitals. Many recommend bringing a translator or using apps to navigate consultations smoothly.
Eligibility for surgery in Israel depends on administrative status and clinical readiness determined by a multi-disciplinary assessment. Foreign patients must obtain a formal hospital invitation and secure a visa. Clinical criteria focus on tumor resectability, preoperative risk scoring, and mandatory informed consent from the patient.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data from top Tel Aviv facilities like Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) shows that eligibility for complex bone and soft tissue cases often depends on a surgeon's specific volume of experience. Prof. Dr. Ofer Merimsky and other specialists at large multidisciplinary centers may accept complex cases that smaller hospitals reclassify as high-risk. While public systems have rigid waitlists, private clinics like Assuta Medical Center, which performs 92,000 operations annually, often provide faster clinical eligibility decisions for international self-pay patients.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that eligibility often depends more on the tumor size and location than on strict age limits. Many emphasize that securing a surgeon's referral at a high-volume center is the fastest way to confirm clinical approval.