In Israel, a transplant doctor is typically assigned by the hospital surgical division based on your specific medical requirements. Board-certified specialists lead these multi-disciplinary teams at major public centers, where institutional protocols and the National Transplant Center govern the allocation of complex bone marrow and stem cell procedures.
- Institutional assignment: Hospitals like Sourasky or Hadassah assign senior surgeons based on internal department seniority.
- Pediatric specialization: Specialist units at Dana-Dwek or Hadassah handle children, led by dedicated pediatric oncohematologists.
- Case complexity: Doctors with specific expertise in haploidentical or cord blood transplants manage high-complexity cases.
- Allocation criteria: National databases match patients to specialized teams based on tissue compatibility and urgency.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While hospitals usually assign the surgical team, patients can choose a center based on a specific doctor's clinical focus. For example, Prof. Arnon Nagler at Sheba Medical Center pioneered the nation's first cord blood transplants, while Dr. Polina Stepensky at Hadassah has performed 3,500+ procedures, focusing on rare childhood blood cancers. Selecting a center with a head of department who has over 35 years of experience often determines the specific expertise of the supervising team.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that the specific medical team often depends on donor-matching logistics and which hospital has the best HLA lab for their needs. Many felt that while they didn't pick the surgeon, the high level of board-certified expertise across major units provided significant peace of mind. Some mentioned that bed availability in pediatric units was a practical factor in their hospital placement.
