Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Israel, Tel Aviv
Ofer Merimsky
41 years of experience
accreditations :
Clinic is certified :
| Israel | Turkey | Austria | |
| Therapeutic Apheresis | - | from $1,350 | - |
| LDL Apheresis | - | from $1,650 | - |
Prof. Levi Yehuda brings nearly 28 years of experience of cardiovascular expertise, with extensive practice in diagnosing and treating atherosclerosis and related conditions at Sourasky Medical Center.
Director of the Structural Heart Disease Service at Tel Aviv Medical Center – Dr. Amir specializes in advanced interventional cardiology techniques.
Leads the echocardiography department at Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), specializing in advanced heart disease diagnostics. She trained in cardiology at a premier center in London.
Dr. Gideon Uretzky is a leading cardiac surgeon specializing in minimally invasive cardiac surgery and cardiac rehabilitation at Sourasky Medical Center.
Israel is highly safe for atherosclerosis treatment. Major centers maintain Joint Commission International accreditation and exceptional survival rates. Procedures like coronary angiography report complication rates near 0%. Specialists often hold US or European training. Facilities like Sourasky and Assuta use advanced drug-eluting stents and digital imaging.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli cardiology safety is driven by massive patient volumes at academic centers. Schools like Hadassah and Rambam treat nearly 1,000,000 patients yearly. This high frequency allows surgeons to master complex interventions like TAVI or stentless valve repairs. This volume-based expertise often leads to better outcomes in rare or difficult cases.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that doctors speak excellent English and prioritize clear communication. Many emphasize the importance of confirming a surgeon's specific case volume before proceeding with complex stenting.
Israeli hospitals like Hadassah and Sourasky specialize in atherosclerosis through dedicated research and treatment centers. Doctors there are board-certified specialists. They often hold international fellowships from institutions like Oxford or Cedars-Sinai. Many serve as university professors with extensive research backgrounds.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli cardiology stands out because leading specialists often hold dual certifications and academic roles. For example, Dr. Arbel Yaron at Sourasky is board-certified in both internal medicine and cardiology. This multi-layered expertise is common across top facilities. It ensures complex atherosclerosis cases receive comprehensive care rather than just surgical intervention.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that Israeli specialists often provide complication-free recoveries for procedures that doctors elsewhere considered high-risk. They frequently highlight the blend of military-grade precision and advanced plaque imaging available in Haifa and Tel Aviv.
International patients in Israel access advanced atherosclerosis technologies, including therapeutic apheresis and LDL apheresis for lipid management. Leading centers utilize AI-driven digital imaging and robotic surgery. Specialized diagnostics like 3D intravascular ultrasound and fractional flow reserve guide precise stent placement. Most facilities maintain JCI accreditation and provide telemedicine support.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli cardiology departments demonstrate a unique pattern of combining academic research with clinical practice. For instance, Dr. Kramer Amir at Sourasky Medical Center brings over 30+ years of experience and specialized training from multiple European centers into his practice. This density of global expertise means patients often receive treatment protocols, such as specific stentless heart valve techniques, that are only available at select high-volume university hospitals worldwide.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that advanced tools like shockwave lithotripsy are often more accessible in Israel than in their home countries. They emphasize that English-speaking staff and organized international protocols make the transition to these high-tech treatments feel seamless.
Atherosclerosis treatment in Israel results in minimal scarring through advanced catheter-based and endoscopic techniques. Traditional surgery leaves narrow lines that fade over 12 months. Catheterization entry points usually heal into tiny pinhole marks. Specialized laser centers at Israeli hospitals help reduce any permanent visibility.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli specialists like Dr. Kramer Amir at Sourasky Medical Center focus on minimally invasive MIDCAB and stentless valve techniques. These methods are common at centers with high surgical volumes like Assuta, which performs 92,000 operations annually. Patients benefit from this high-frequency expertise because surgeons frequently use closure devices like Angio-Seal to ensure puncture sites heal smoothly.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that radial wrist access for catheterization is almost invisible and heals faster than groin sites. Those who undergo bypass surgery mention that 6-inch harvest scars often fade into thin, pale lines after two years with consistent silicone sheet use.
Treatment for atherosclerosis in Israel usually requires a stay of 3 to 14 days. Travel timelines depend on the procedure complexity and surgeon approval. Patients often fly home 2 to 7 days after minimally invasive stenting. Open-heart surgery requires 3 to 4 weeks before flying.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data from top-rated centers like Sourasky and Assuta shows that radial access is the standard for speeding up recovery. Patients choosing this approach often leave the hospital within 24 hours. Because these clinics serve over 1,000,000 patients annually, they have streamlined protocols for international discharge. Always confirm your follow-up schedule before booking return flights to ensure all diagnostic checks are complete.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that radial access significantly shortens the wait to fly compared to femoral access. Many emphasize staying extra days for follow-ups and using compression stockings during the flight home.
Patients with active endocarditis or internal bleeding are usually not candidates for catheter-based therapy in Israel. Severe anatomical constraints like inadequate artery access or calcified valves also prevent this approach. Specialist heart teams at centers like Sourasky Medical Center prioritize surgical alternatives for younger patients.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli centers like Sourasky Medical Center and Assuta use multidisciplinary Heart Teams to determine eligibility. While private clinics like Assuta offer faster scheduling for innovative techniques like VenaSeal, academic centers like Sourasky handle complex cases where catheter-based tools like MICRA are used only if traditional pacing is medically impossible.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that Israeli doctors are very conservative about safety. They emphasize that if a surgeon suggests open surgery over a catheter, it is usually because the anatomy makes the minimally invasive route too risky for long-term health.
Top Israeli hospitals provide 24/7 internal language support and advanced telemedicine for remote follow-up. Facilities like Sourasky Medical Center and Hadassah use Electronic Health Records to track progress. International patients receive digital imaging and tailored discharge summaries to ensure safe recovery once they return home.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli medical centers like Sourasky and Hadassah treat over 1,000,000 patients every year. Our data shows these high-volume centers integrate Electronic Health Records with remote monitoring. This makes virtual follow-ups more accurate than at smaller clinics. Patients should confirm a telemedicine schedule before flying home to ensure seamless continuity.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that while English is common during stays, documents may arrive in Hebrew. They recommend visiting the international department to secure translated medication labels before leaving the hospital.