Prof. Merimsky leitet die Abteilung für Weichteil- und Knochenonkologie am Sourasky Medical Center und verfügt über mehr als 25 Jahre spezialisierte Erfahrung in der Behandlung von Thymomen.
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.
Dr. Ari Raphael leitet die Genomforschung für Thymome am Sourasky Medical Center und leistet Pionierarbeit bei Techniken der Flüssigbiopsie.
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.
Recommended hospitals in Israel for thymoma treatment include Sourasky Medical Center, Sheba Medical Center, and Assuta Medical Center. These JCI-accredited facilities offer specialized multidisciplinary thoracic oncology programs. Leading specialists like Dr. Ofer Merimsky provide genomics-driven care and advanced minimally invasive surgical resections for complex mediastinal tumors.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli medical centers often separate thoracic surgery from general cardiac departments. Sheba Medical Center performs hundreds of complex mediastinal procedures annually. Sourasky Medical Center reports a 90% average success rate for oncology. This specialization ensures patients receive care from surgeons dedicated specifically to the chest and thymus.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the importance of choosing centers that co-manage myasthenia gravis alongside thymoma. Many note that English-speaking staff at major centers significantly simplifies the treatment process.
Surgical options in Israel include minimally invasive VATS, robotic-assisted thymectomy, and open sternotomy for advanced cases. JCI-accredited centers like Sourasky Medical Center and Assuta utilize Da Vinci robotic systems. These technologies allow for precise tumor removal with significantly faster recovery times for oncology patients.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli surgical centers like Rambam and Sourasky operate at massive scales, with Sourasky performing over 34,000 surgeries annually. Data shows these high-volume centers often treat many complex thymoma cases that general hospitals might turn away. Patients should prioritize clinics with integrated research units, as these facilities frequently participate in clinical trials for rare thoracic malignancies.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the importance of getting a PET or CT scan before surgery to see if they qualify for robotic procedures. Many also advise checking for myasthenia gravis symptoms early, as this condition often appears after the thymus gland is removed.
Israel reports high success for thymoma treatment. The 5-year survival rate for patients undergoing surgery for locally advanced tumors is 81%. Early-stage cases treated with radical resection approach 95% to 100% survival. Leading centers like Sourasky Medical Center maintain a 90% average success rate across oncology departments.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center integrate genomic profiling into standard care. Dr. Ari Raphael specializes in these molecular tumor boards. This level of precision allows teams to identify systemic therapies for stage IV patients. This often results in a 40% to 60% 5-year survival rate for advanced cases.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the need for PET-CT scans to ensure the tumor is fully removable before surgery. Many note that choosing robotic approaches led to significantly faster healing and less pain.
Advanced systemic therapies like immunotherapy and targeted agents are available for thymoma treatment in Israel. Centers like Sourasky Medical Center lead international trials for drugs including pembrolizumab. These therapies are typically used for advanced stage 3 or 4 cases after conventional treatments like surgery or chemotherapy.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center report a 90% success rate in oncology treatments. This is partly due to doctors inventing new protocols specifically for thoracic cancers. Patients often visit professors like Ofer Merimsky for specialized surgery and modern drug therapy combined in one facility.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that immunotherapy is rarely a first choice for thymoma due to risks of autoimmune flares. Many emphasize getting PD-L1 testing and myasthenia gravis screening before starting advanced drug protocols at Israeli clinics.
During an initial consultation for thymoma in Israel, discuss staging accuracy and screening for myasthenia gravis. Patients should confirm if a multidisciplinary tumor board reviews their case. Inquire about surgical approaches like robotic resection or treatment sequencing involving chemotherapy for borderline resectable tumors.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center report survival rates around 90%. Patients should capitalize on the specialized expertise of doctors like Dr. Ari Raphael. He leads a Molecular Tumor Board and interprets complex genomic profiling. This level of detail is crucial for rare thoracic malignancies where standard protocols may need adjustment.
Patient Consensus: Patients often emphasize the need to record the consultation and verify staging details. They note it is important to bring a written list of questions covering fertility preservation and potential complications.