Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Israel, Tel Aviv
Ofer Merimsky
41 years of experience
accreditations :
Clinic is certified :
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Dr. Arnon Nagler is an internationally recognized hematologist and bone marrow transplant expert. He is a Professor of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. He is Director Emeritus of Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplantation and the Cord Blood Bank at Sheba Medical Center. He earned his M.D. from the Hebrew University–Hadassah and an M.Sc. in hematopoiesis from Tel Aviv University. He completed postdoctoral training at Stanford. He is board certified in internal medicine and hematology.
He has more than 35 years of experience. He pioneered reduced‑intensity allogeneic transplant protocols for malignant and non‑malignant diseases. He founded Israel’s first public cord blood bank. He performed the country’s first cord blood transplants.
He has held international leadership roles. He served as Chair and Co‑Chair of the ALWP of the EBMT. He was a vice‑chair and long‑term member of EBMT committees. He served on the board of NetCord/EuroCord and as treasurer. He is a frequent invited speaker. He has published widely in journals such as Blood and Leukemia. He has led major clinical trials as a principal investigator and held editorial roles. He has received multiple awards for innovation and clinical excellence.
Dr. Almog Ben-Yaacov is an Attending Surgeon in the Department of General and Oncological Surgery (Surgery C) at Sheba Medical Center. He specializes in cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). His clinical focus includes gastric cancer, sarcoma, and complex colorectal malignancies. Since 2018, he has performed more than 200 HIPEC procedures.
MD, Semmelweis University, 2006, with honors. Training in cardiothoracic surgery at Sheba Medical Center. Residency in general surgery at Montefiore (Albert Einstein) and at Rabin (Beilinson). Board-certified in General Surgery and in Surgical Oncology.
Advanced training includes ESSO-certified HIPEC in Hamburg. Microwave liver ablation in Reims. NanoKnife at King’s College London. Advanced surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering (2019). His publications cover CRS+HIPEC outcomes and Hartmann’s reversal.
Dr. Yuri Goldes is a general surgeon with more than 20 years of clinical experience. He specializes in upper gastrointestinal and oncologic surgery. He is Deputy Director of the Department of General Surgery and Transplantation at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv. He also leads the Upper GI Surgery Unit. He was named to Forbes Israel’s Best Doctors in 2025. He is ranked among Israel’s Best Gastrointestinal Surgeons by Forbes. In 2019, he received the Israeli Ministry of Health “Best Doctor of the Year” award.
He is an expert in advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgery. He treats diaphragmatic hernia, achalasia, GERD, and gallbladder disease. He also performs oncologic surgery for pancreatic, gastric, and esophageal cancers. He uses laparoscopic and robotic techniques.
He pioneered some of Israel’s first robotic oncologic resections of the stomach and pancreas. He is among a small group worldwide who perform minimally invasive Whipple procedures (pancreaticoduodenectomy) using advanced laparoscopy. He applies methods that improve outcomes and speed recovery. He provides personalized care.
Professor Raanan Berger, MD PhD, is a medical oncologist and radiotherapist. He is Director of the Cancer Center at Sheba Medical Center and heads its clinical research unit. He was listed in Forbes Israel’s “Best Doctors” (2025). He leads the genitourinary oncology program with a focus on prostate cancer. His care includes systemic therapy and radiotherapy in a multidisciplinary, patient-centered model.
He is board-certified in oncology. He earned his MD and PhD at Tel Aviv University and completed his clinical training at Sheba. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Dana-Farber/Harvard, focusing on prostate cancer with Dr. Philip Kantoff and molecular oncology in Dr. William C. Hahn’s lab. He is a member of ESMO and ASCO. He has co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed papers, including studies on outcomes in high- versus very high-risk prostate cancer and on BRCA1/2 in large cohorts.
Desmoid tumors are benign because they do not metastasize to distant organs. They are locally aggressive and invade nearby tissues. In Israel, the standard first-line management is active surveillance with MRI monitoring every 3 to 6 months. This approach prioritizes observation over immediate surgery.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center report high success rates by utilizing multidisciplinary sarcoma boards. These boards often delay surgery in favor of targeted drug therapies. Data shows that clinics with JCI accreditation and Newsweek rankings provide more specialized oversight for these rare cases. Experienced surgeons like Dr. Almog Ben Yaacov focus on limb-sparing and function-preserving techniques when intervention becomes necessary.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that the term benign can be misleading because these tumors require lifelong monitoring. Many emphasize that a wait-and-see approach with regular imaging is less stressful than facing high recurrence risks after surgery.
Israel's leading desmoid tumor and sarcoma specialists include Prof. Ofer Merimsky at Sourasky Medical Center and Dr. Almog Ben Yaacov at Sheba Medical Center. These experts utilize multidisciplinary tumor boards to manage rare soft-tissue malignancies. Treatment centers in Tel Aviv report a 90% success rate for oncology cases.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli specialists prioritize organ-preserving techniques over aggressive surgery for desmoid tumors. Data shows centers like Sourasky Medical Center treat over 400,000 patients annually with a 90% oncology success rate. These high-volume institutions use joint tumor boards to prevent unnecessary surgeries. This collaborative approach is vital because desmoid tumors require precise, long-term monitoring rather than just immediate excision.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize finding a hospital with a dedicated sarcoma unit rather than choosing a solo surgeon. They note that getting a multidisciplinary team to review pathology is crucial for avoiding overtreatment.
Israel hosts several tertiary centers with specialized multidisciplinary sarcoma teams. These units integrate orthopedic oncologists, pathologists, and radiologists to manage bone and soft tissue tumors. Notable facilities include Sourasky Medical Center, Sheba Medical Center, and Hadassah University Medical Center. They utilize specialized tumor boards to determine treatment protocols.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data shows that centers like Sheba Medical Center utilize surgeons with specific credentials from Memorial Sloan Kettering. For example, Dr. Almog Ben Yaacov and Dr. Zohar Dotan both completed fellowships there. This highlights a trend where Israeli sarcoma teams are led by specialists with high-volume experience from top US oncology institutions.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that a multidisciplinary review often changes the initial treatment plan. They strongly recommend requesting a pathology re-review by a sarcoma expert before starting any treatment.
Israel offers a unique intra-arterial therapy for desmoid tumors called selective intra-arterial doxorubicin drug-eluting embolization. This specialized procedure targets the tumors blood supply directly. It delivers highly concentrated chemotherapy via microcatheters. This method minimizes systemic toxicity while effectively shrinking tumor mass.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli medical centers like Sourasky (Ichilov) maintain a 90% oncology success rate. Our data indicates that patients choosing Israel often access protocols like drug-eluting embolization before considering radical surgery. This is vital for desmoid tumors in complex anatomical sites. These centers manage high volumes of over 400,000 patients yearly. This experience is critical for managing slow, uneven tumor responses correctly.
Patient Consensus: Patients value how this targeted infusion preserves tissue and function in difficult areas. Many note that while shrinkage is slow, the relief from pain and swelling is a major recovery milestone.
Israeli hospitals provide advanced non-surgical ablation therapies including cryoablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). These precise technologies destroy abnormal tissues using extreme temperatures or electrical currents. Specialized centers also offer irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife) for tumors near sensitive structures like nerves or vessels.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli specialists often prioritize microwave and NanoKnife ablation for complex gastrointestinal or liver cases. Dr. Almog Ben Yaacov at Sheba Medical Center is specifically trained in these advanced modalities. This focused expertise is vital when tumors sit near major structures where traditional heat or cold might cause damage.
Patient Consensus: Patients often choose cryoablation over surgery to avoid functional loss or scarring from desmoid tumors. They recommend confirming the recovery plan as repeat sessions and post-procedure swelling are common during the shrinking process.
Systemic and targeted therapies for desmoid tumors include gamma-secretase inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Specialists prescribe these when tumors grow rapidly or cause pain. Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center utilize these protocols for cases failing active surveillance.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While many clinics offer generic oncology care, choosing a center with a multidisciplinary tumor board is vital. Sheba Medical Center utilizes these boards to personalize systemic plans. Their experts, like Dr. Raanan Berger, specialize in molecular research. This ensures patients access the latest TKIs which are more specific than traditional chemotherapy.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that while NSAIDs are often the first low-toxicity step, targeted TKIs are usually what finally stop tumor growth. Many emphasize that side-effect management is essential for staying on these long-term medications.
Recovery after desmoid tumor treatment in Israel varies by the procedure performed. Surgical resection requires several weeks to months to heal. Minimally invasive therapies like cryoablation or HIFU involve brief two-day recovery windows. Systematic therapies focus on managing fatigue and gastrointestinal issues.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli oncology centers like Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) leverage massive patient volumes to refine rare tumor protocols. Their oncology department reports a 90% success rate. Specialists like Dr. Almog Ben Yaacov at Sheba Medical Center focus on complex sarcomas. Highly experienced surgeons typically transition patients to contrast-enhanced MRI for high-risk monitoring during the critical first three years.
Patient Consensus: Patients note that physical recovery often takes months rather than weeks. Many emphasize that the stress of waiting for the first follow-up MRI is often more difficult than the physical treatment itself.