Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Israel, Tel Aviv
Felix Bokstein
46 years of experience
Clinic is certified :
Brain tumor treatment cost in Israel ranges from $38,500 to $58,000 for surgical removal, while essential diagnostics like a Brain FDG PET typically run $1,600 to $2,300. Total expenses depend on tumor complexity, the chosen surgical approach, and the facility tier. Patients often save up to 90% compared to US prices. Top treatment centers are located in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Herzliya.
Typical Brain Tumor Treatment Costs in Israel
Bookimed Expert Insight: Patients requiring complex skull base surgeries should prioritize centers with high surgical volumes. Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) performs 34,000 operations annually with a 90% oncology success rate. For pediatric cases, Hadassah Medical Center offers specialized neuro-oncology directed by Forbes-listed experts. Private options like Assuta Medical Center provide faster access to JCI-accredited care for time-sensitive tumor resections.
| Israel | Turkey | Austria | |
| Radiation therapy for brain tumor | from $27,000 | from $2,000 | from $15,000 |
| Proton-beam therapy | from $48,000 | from $70,000 | from $80,000 |
| Gamma Knife for brain tumor | from $19,500 | from $4,750 | from $25,000 |
| Gamma Knife | from $13,800 | from $6,300 | from $32,000 |
| CyberKnife for brain tumor | from $17,800 | from $4,750 | from $35,000 |
Dr. Zvi Cohen is the Director of the Neurosurgery Department at Sheba Medical Center. He was recently recognized in Forbes Israel’s Best Doctors list for 2025. Dr. Cohen specializes in treating complex brain, pituitary, and spinal cord tumors. He founded the brain tumor tissue bank at Sheba to support oncological research. Dr. Cohen is board-certified in neurosurgery and leads clinical trials for malignant brain tumors.
Dr. Bokstein leads the Neurooncology Clinic at Sourasky Medical Center with over 46 years of experience of specialized experience.
Specialist in endoscopic and minimally invasive neurosurgery – performs complex brain tumor procedures with less tissue disruption at Sourasky Medical Center.
Professor Shlomi Constantini is a leading neurosurgeon specializing in pediatric and adult brain tumors, with advanced training across Europe.
Israeli neurosurgeons receive extensive international training at premier institutions like the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital. They utilize advanced technologies including the ROSA robot and intraoperative MRI for maximum precision. Centers like Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) and Hadassah maintain prestigious JCI accreditation standards.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgery stands out because department heads often hold concurrent teaching positions at top global universities. For example, Dr. Itzhak Fried at Sourasky also teaches at UCLA and Yale. This connection ensures patients access surgical techniques that may still be in clinical trial phases elsewhere.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that the use of intraoperative imaging and neuronavigation is standard in highly successful cases. Many note that Israeli innovation often stems from advanced military-medical technology crossovers.
Israel reports an 85% to 90% technical success rate for brain tumor removals. Five-year survival rates reach 94% for meningiomas and 80% for medulloblastomas. Advanced technologies like intraoperative MRI and functional mapping help maintain a 97.7% survival rate within the first 30 days post-surgery.
Bookimed Expert Insight: High-volume centers like Sourasky Medical Center, which performs 34,000 annual operations, often achieve oncology success rates near 90%. Data suggests patients benefit from specialized hubs where doctors like Dr. Margalit Navo have performed over 170 successful skull base surgeries. This concentration of expertise in complex cases explains why Israeli centers frequently exceed standard survival prognoses for aggressive tumors.
Patient Consensus: Patients often report exceeding their initial home-country prognoses, particularly with glioblastoma progression-free survival. Many emphasize the speed of recovery, noting full functional return within weeks after minimally invasive skull base procedures.
Israel offers advanced non-invasive radiosurgery for inoperable or residual brain tumors using Gamma Knife and CyberKnife technologies. These systems deliver concentrated radiation with sub-millimeter precision. Facilities like Sourasky Medical Center and Hadassah Medical Center utilize these tools to treat complex lesions without surgical incisions.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data shows that choosing between Gamma Knife and CyberKnife in Israel often depends on the tumor's location near critical structures. While Hadassah Medical Center provides the Leksell Gamma Knife Icon for specialized intracranial cases, Sourasky Medical Center maintains a high 90% success rate in oncology by combining these radiosurgery tools with AI-driven digital imaging for real-time tracking.
Patient Consensus: Patients report excellent results with the Leksell Gamma Knife Icon, noting significant tumor shrinkage of up to 70% with minimal side effects. Many emphasize the benefit of English-speaking coordinators who help navigate these advanced treatments without requiring long-term hospitalization.
Brain tumor treatment in Israel typically requires a 14 to 30-day stay depending on surgery complexity. Most patients spend 5 to 7 days in the hospital followed by 2 weeks of local outpatient monitoring. Modern neurosurgical centers focus on early mobilization to speed up cognitive and physical recovery.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgery departments like Sourasky (Ichilov) prioritize functional mapping during surgery to reduce post-operative deficits. Data shows that clinics performing over 34,000 operations annually often move patients to light rehabilitation within 48 hours. This aggressive early mobilization approach frequently shortens the total recovery window compared to more conservative protocols.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize budgeting an extra 2 weeks for the initial stay to handle potential delays like post-op swelling. Many suggest booking flexible lodging in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem to accommodate last-minute changes in the rehabilitation schedule.
Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa are the primary Israeli hubs for international brain tumor care. Leading centers like Sourasky Medical Center and Hadassah Medical Center hold JCI accreditation. They specialize in complex neurosurgery using awake craniotomy, Gamma Knife, and advanced 3D neuronavigation technologies.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Sourasky Medical Center stands out for its concentration of specialized leadership. While most hospitals have a general neurosurgery head, Sourasky features dedicated directors for neuro-oncology, functional neurosurgery, and endoscopic neurosurgery. This granular specialization is rare even in large international centers. It allows patients with specific needs, like skull base tumors or functional mapping for epilepsy, to work with a department head who focuses exclusively on that niche rather than a generalist.
Patient Consensus: Patients often choose Israeli centers for second opinions due to the speed of scheduling consultations compared to North American facilities. They emphasize the value of having translation support when navigating these high-volume hospital systems.
Major Israeli medical centers provide comprehensive language support through dedicated international departments and professional medical interpreters. Facilities like Sourasky Medical Center and Hadassah Medical Center offer real-time interpretation for consultations. Most clinical staff are fluent in English and Russian to assist international patients.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While English is widely spoken by senior neurosurgeons like Dr. Zvi Ram or Dr. Andry Key, nursing staff availability varies. Private facilities like Assuta Medical Center often prioritize dedicated coordinators who bridge these communication gaps during post-operative recovery. Bookimed manages these logistics by ensuring a coordinator is available to handle all clinic communication and scheduling.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that while doctors speak excellent English, using translation apps helps when communicating with overnight nursing staff. It is important to have all medical records translated into English or Hebrew before arrival to avoid admission delays.
Israeli oncology centers frequently combine surgery with targeted therapies and clinical trials to enhance treatment outcomes. For complex cases, surgeons like Professor Zvi Ram at Sourasky Medical Center specialize in gene-based therapies and developing new surgical techniques specifically for brain cancer.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Patient volume at Israeli centers often dictates trial availability. While Sourasky Medical Center treats 400,000 patients yearly with a 90% oncology success rate, Hadassah serves 1,000,000 and frequently leads university-based research. This high volume allows these institutions to host multiple simultaneous trials for glioblastoma and rare brain tumors.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that molecular testing for IDH or MGMT status is essential during surgery to qualify for immunotherapy. It is vital to ensure the surgical team preserves enough tumor tissue for these specific clinical trial screenings.
Israeli medical centres report clinical success rates for brain tumour removal between 85% and 90%. Leading facilities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem achieve success rates up to 98% for specialised neurosurgeries. These outcomes rely on advanced technologies like intraoperative MRI and awake craniotomies.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Australian patients find high clinical value in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv due to several specialists having direct ties to the Australian medical system. Dr Andry Key at Hadassah Medical Center previously headed the Department of Neurosurgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital. This shared clinical background ensures that surgical reports and follow-up protocols translate perfectly back to Australian GP and specialist records.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that success depends more on a surgeon's specific case volume than national averages. It is important to define if 'success' means total removal or disease stabilisation for your specific tumor type in Israel.
Verify Israeli neurosurgeons by checking the Ministry of Health Healthcare Professions Registry for an active specialist license. Confirm institutional ties to JCI-accredited centres and board memberships in the Israeli Neurosurgical Society. Leading specialists often hold international fellowships from prestigious American or European medical institutions.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Australian patients find a unique advantage in Jerusalem at Hadassah Medical Center. Dr Andry Key, a leading neurosurgeon there, is a University of Melbourne graduate and former Head of Neurosurgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital. This shared clinical background ensures easier communication and alignment with Australian medical standards for complex brain tumor cases.
Patient Consensus: Patients note it is important to verify surgeon appointments on official hospital websites rather than promotional materials. They suggest requesting a direct written review of MRI scans and confirming the surgeon total volume of procedures for your specific tumor type.
Israel treats brain tumours using advanced neuro-navigation, laser ablation, and robotic-assisted systems. Leading centres like Sourasky (Ichilov) and Sheba Medical Center integrate real-time intraoperative MRI (iMRI) to confirm full tumour removal. These technologies enable precise, minimally invasive resections for complex tumours.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgery stands out because top specialists often have dual-continent training. For example, Dr Andry Key at Hadassah Medical Center was trained at the University of Melbourne. This creates a bridge for Australian patients, as these doctors understand AU clinical standards while offering access to technologies like intraoperative MRI that may have shorter wait times in Tel Aviv.
Patient Consensus: Patients travel to Israel specifically for multidisciplinary teams that use molecular profiling to customise treatment. They value how image-guided surgery helps preserve healthy tissue and speeds up their recovery.
Israeli centres offer unique therapies for brain tumours, including non-invasive tumour treating fields (TTFields) and intraoperative radiotherapy. These technologies aim to halt cancer cell division and reduce recurrence. Leading neuro-oncologists at JCI-accredited facilities provide access to global clinical trials and precision models.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While Israel is known for innovation, its true strength lies in high-volume expertise. Dr Zvi Cohen at Sheba Medical Center founded a dedicated tumour tissue bank. This resource allows for precise molecular staging, which is essential for matching patients with the most recent clinical trials.
Patient Consensus: Patients value Israel for expert second opinions and multidisciplinary tumour board reviews. They suggest confirming molecular markers like MGMT and IDH before travel. This ensures the facility can provide the most relevant treatment for a specific tumour subtype.
Patients can receive a remote second opinion for brain tumour treatment in Israel. Leading hospitals use telemedicine platforms to review MRI scans and pathology reports digitally. This allows neurosurgical teams to evaluate treatment alternatives or confirm surgical necessity without the patient leaving home.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgeons like Dr Andry Key, who headed neurosurgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital, provide a rare bridge between Australian and Israeli clinical standards. Since many Israeli specialists are Forbes-listed and academic leaders at UCLA or Oxford, a remote opinion often translates directly to the high-level care Australians expect from major metropolitan teaching hospitals.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that preparing a complete document package with original DICOM files and biopsy results is essential. They find these remote reviews helpful for objectively comparing international clinical advantages against local Australian treatment options before travelling to Israel.
Major Israeli medical centres provide dedicated support through international patient departments. These departments handle medical and logistical needs for foreigners. Services include English-speaking coordinators and medical document translation. Patients receive assistance with visas, airport transfers, and local accommodation in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgery attracts many Australian patients because of its deep university medical links. Dr Andry Key at Hadassah Medical Center actually headed the neurosurgery department at Royal Melbourne Hospital. This shared clinical background means Australian patients often find pre-surgery records and post-op plans align perfectly with what their doctors back home expect.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that major Israeli hospitals excel at logistics like scheduling scans and paperwork. They recommend sending all MRI and pathology results before travelling to ensure the visit is productive. Communications in English are highly effective at large centres, which helps with complex medical decisions.