Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Israel, Tel Aviv
Ofer Merimsky
41 years of experience
accreditations :
Clinic is certified :
Prof. Merimsky leads the Soft Tissue and Bone Oncology Unit at Sourasky Medical Center, with over 41 years of experience of specialized experience in thymoma treatment.
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.
Dr. Ari Raphael leads genomic research for thymoma at Sourasky Medical Center, pioneering liquid biopsy techniques.
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.
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.