Department of Urology
The Department of Urology at Sheba Medical Center is dedicated to diagnosing and treating problems involving the male and female urinary tract and male reproductive organs. Using the latest surgeries, advanced imaging technologies, precise diagnostics, and modern clinical techniques, we offer a wide range of services, including treating kidney stones, incontinence, cancer, and fertility problems. Our highly qualified, experienced team of urologists collaborates with other medical specialists to provide comprehensive, individualized care.
Yearly, Sheba’s Department of Urology performs approximately 1,800 operations. With 30 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds, about 2,000 patients receive inpatient care and an estimated 10,000 people are treated at our outpatient clinic. We are also actively involved in many cancer research projects in conjunction with the Weizmann Institute and Tel Aviv University.
The Division of Surgery at the Acute Care Hospital
The Department of Urology is part of Sheba Medical Center’s Division of Surgery – a state-of-the-art unit that implements progressive medical techniques, serving all patients with professional excellence and a compassionate manner.
At Sheba’s Division of Surgery:
- Our team consists of more than 250 surgeons and 500 nurses
- We have a total of 33 advanced operating rooms
- We perform approximately 23,500 procedures per year
- We provide treatment for 23,000 inpatients per year
- We care for 350,000 outpatients per year
The following departments are all housed within the Division of Surgery:
- Department of Neurosurgery
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Department of Surgical Oncology
- Department of Thoracic Surgery
- Department of Ambulatory Surgery
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care
- Department of General Surgery
- Department of Pediatric Surgery
- Department of Cardiac Surgery
- Hand Surgery Unit
- Department of Urology
- Gynecological Surgery Department
- Department of Obstetrics
- Department of Vascular Surgery
- Department of Orthopedics
- Department of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
- The Goldschleger Eye Institute
Specialized Clinics & Services at the Urology Department
The Kidney Stone Center and Endoscopic Surgery Unit
In this center, we treat patients who have calculi, solid masses made of crystals, along the urinary tract, kidney, or ureter. Patient referrals come in from all over Israel. The primary treatments and technologies we offer include:
- Shock-Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)
For this treatment, we use the Dornier Lithotripter – DL 50, one of the most powerful and effective lithotripters available. Performed on an outpatient basis, this therapy requires only mild sedation. - Endoscopic Stone Removal
When patients do not qualify for SWL, an endo-urological procedure is used. With the aid of modern fiber optics, we are able to access the urinary tract and treat the stone without surgery. The two main methods that we use are ureteroscopy and percutaneous renal surgery (PCNL). Approximately 300 endoscopic operations are performed every year.
The Andrology Unit
Included in this division are the Male Fertility Laboratory and the Semen Cryobank. Our laboratory services include semen analysis (according to WHO guidelines), semen improvement treatments, histological analysis of testis tissue, and various types of testicular sperm retrieval (TESE, TESA, MESA). The Semen Cryobank provides services to various populations that require sperm donations or seek to preserve their fertility potential throughout certain medical therapies or occupational conditions.
The Pediatric Urology Service
We focus on treating urogenital malformations that have been present since birth, as well as on acquired pediatric urologic diseases. Our medical specialists also run a specialized Spina Bifida Clinic. In particular, we offer consultations and treatment for prenatal ultrasound results involving the embryonic urogenital tract, birth defects of the urogenital tract, reconstructive surgery, urodynamic investigations of the urinary tract, and evaluations and therapies for wetting problems. Multidisciplinary specialists from a variety of pediatric departments work together to design treatment programs for children.
The Female Urology and Urodynamics Clinic
This center is committed to offering female patients exceptional care for a wide range of ailments related to the genitourinary system. We treat conditions such as urinary incontinence, emptying problems and voiding dysfunction, painful bladder syndrome, pelvic organ prolapse, recurrent urinary tract infections, urethral diverticula, and genitourinary fistula. For women with neuro-urological lesions, such as spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis, we run a specialized clinic in collaboration with Sheba’s Rehabilitation Center.
Our clinic is equipped with advanced diagnostics, such as the Video-Urodynamic Evaluation to perform comprehensive examinations. Surgical technologies that we employ include the Burch colposuspension and pubovaginal sling, as well as TVT and periurethral injections of bulking agents. To treat neurogenic urinary incontinence surgically, our clinic provides bladder augmentation cystoplasty. When surgery is not a good option, we also offer several other treatment methods, such as medication, pelvic floor physiotherapy, bladder drill, and electrical stimulation.
The Sexual Rehabilitation Unit
Both men and women with sexual dysfunction are treated in this clinic. Our staff includes a senior urologist, a sexologist, and a nurse with specialized training. Most patients deal with sexual disturbances caused by risk factors such as ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and endocrine disorders. To design the most effective therapy programs, we perform detailed diagnostic testing and work together with the hospital’s rehabilitation staff. When necessary, patients are referred to specialists in gynecology, endocrinology, psychiatry, or sex therapy.
Treatments can include:
- Lifestyle changes, such as reducing alcohol intake
- Quitting smoking
- Discontinuing drug abuse
- Losing weight and exercising
- Medication, including natural drugs, oral medicines, and topical gels and ointments
- Self-injection therapy
- Vacuum erection therapy
- Intraurethral therapy (MUSE)
- Penile implants, when all other treatments fail
Our Doctors
Jacob Ramon, MD
Head of the Department of Urology
Prof. Ramon is a world-renowned specialist in the field of urology. He has been Director of Sheba’s Urology Department since 1995, emphasizing uro-oncological and reconstructive surgery, as well as laparoscopic and endourological surgery. He received his medical degree from the Hadassah School of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He completed a specialization in urology at Sheba, and participated in advanced training in reconstructive urological surgery and uro-oncology at Duke University, USA, at St. Jean Toulouse University, and at Bichat Hospital, Paris. From 2002 to 2006, Prof. Ramon served as Chairman of the Israeli Urological Association, and he has authored dozens of articles in professional international medical journals. Prior to his medical studies, he served as a pilot in the IAF.
Healthcare to Promote Quality of Life
Urologic disorders can have serious, detrimental effects on your daily living, causing both physical and emotional pain. To address your overall wellness, we apply an integrative approach to designing each individual’s treatment program. A range of compassionate healthcare services is offered alongside advanced medical technologies, such as psychologists, social workers, nutritionists, and rehabilitation therapists. Multidisciplinary specialists work together to give you the most effective care. All services at Sheba are provided conveniently on our campus, optimizing your healing process.
