Department of Thoracic Surgery

Working in close cooperation with other Departments and Institutions of Sheba Hospital, Department of Thoracic Surgery provides a broad range of invasive diagnostics and surgical treatments of various pathologies of the chest: lungs, esophagus, stomach, mediastinum, thymus gland, thyroid, etc. .

In addition to the existing day-by-day activities, the specialists are actively involved in the treatment of cancer patients of Gastroenterology and Pulmonology Centers both in the Sheba Hospital and in other Medical Centers in Israel.

Each year, the Department of Thoracic Surgery performed hundreds of operations on the trachea, lung, mediastinum, esophagus and upper part of the stomach.

Attending staff

Leading experts - surgeons with the best and largest clinical experience in Israel are working in the Department of Thoracic Surgery. The medical team is in constant contact with colleagues from all medical fields.
Twice a week, we held a meeting with the participation of pulmonologists, radiologists, oncologists, pathologists and thoracic surgeons for joint consultation and develop the best approaches to patient care.

Dr. Alon Ben-Nun – Head of Thoracic Surgery Department. Expertise: general surgery, cardio-thoracic surgery. The field of clinical activity: a vast experience in performing complex operations on the esophagus and thoracoscopic operations on the lungs using modern video equipment, avoiding a wide incision in the chest. Areas of research: clinical trial, which aims to improve the quality of care patients
Dr. David Simansky - the leading surgeon in Department of Thoracic Surgery. Specialty: Cardio-thoracic surgery The field of clinical activity: operations on the lungs using modern video equipment
Prof. Alon Yellin - the leading surgeon in Department of Thoracic Surgery, the inventor of unique methods for treating tumors with spread to the pleura. Specialty: Cardio-thoracic surgery. The field of clinical activity: minimally invasive surgery to remove a lobe of the lung using thoracoscopy techniques, extensive experience in operations in the thymus.

Methods of diagnosis and treatment

The focus of the professionals in Department of Thoracic Surgery is oncological surgery, which includes the diagnosis, staging and treatment of malignant tumors in the chest.

Diagnostic procedures performed in the Department include study the lymph nodes or tumor masses in the mediastinum, as well as biopsy of lung or diaphragm.

In the treatment of malignant tumors in the chest, surgical procedures are combined with other methods used in pulmonology and oncology, success of
which is assured by the natural and very close relationship between thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists (specialists in the treatment of respiratory) and oncologists.

Oncologic surgery of the chest include surgery for lung cancer, mesothelioma, esophageal cancer, tumors of the diaphragm, and thymus, as well as secondary tumors in the thorax, which are metastatic tumors with an out-of- chest localization.

In addition to surgical oncology, the Department provides treatment of lung emphysema, inflammation of the pleura (the outer membrane of the lungs), etc..