Department of Thoracic (Chest) Surgery
The Department of Thoracic Surgery at Sheba Medical Center is a leading facility dedicated entirely to the surgical treatment of the lungs, chest, and esophagus. It is separate from our Department of Cardiac Surgery. We perform more than 400 thoracic operations per year, and our surgeons are experienced in a wide range of advanced procedures, including pulmonary, esophageal, chest wall, mediastinal, diaphragmatic, and trauma surgery. Our thoracic team participates in many research programs, and physicians from around the world come regularly to train in Sheba’s department.
The Division of Surgery at the Acute Care Hospital
The Department of Thoracic Surgery is part of Sheba Medical Center’s Division of Surgery, a state-of-the-art unit that is steadfast in the commitment to staying current with new medical technologies. Our world-class surgeons pioneer many of the latest surgical techniques.
We are academically affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University and host rotating residents from Sheba and other hospitals. Thoracic surgeons from abroad regularly join the department for terms of two to three months. To date, we have trained surgeons from Colombia, Poland, Bulgaria, Nepal, Cyprus, and several Russian republics. Our surgeons also regularly publish scholarly articles. The mission of Sheba’s surgical division is to treat all patients with a holistic, individualized, and progressive approach.
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
Operating room at Sheba Medical Center
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
What do we treat?
The Thoracic (Chest) Surgery Department conducts more than 550 different operations to diagnose and treat inflammatory and thoracic diseases of the thorax. Our focus is on oncology surgery, which primarily involves the diagnosis, scaling, and treatment of lung cancer and other types of thoracic tumors. We work in full cooperation with various hospital divisions at Sheba, including the Oncology Institute, Lung Institute, Pathology Institute, and Gastroenterology.
Conditions we treat include:
- Lung cancer and thoracic metastases from sarcoma, lymphoma lesions, and complex biopsies from the chest
- Esophageal cancer
- Thymoma – a tumor (malignant or benign) that originates from the epithelial cells of the thymus; frequently associated with myasthenia gravis
- Achalasia – the lower esophageal sphincter remains closed when swallowing, so the esophagus cannot move food into the stomach
- Esophageal diverticulum – a pouch that bulges in a weak section of the esophageal lining; different types include Zenker’s diverticulum (pharyngoesophageal), midthoracic diverticula, and epiphrenic diverticula
- Complicated trauma patients with multiple injuries
- Correction of congenital malformations (in collaboration with the Department of Pediatric Surgery)
What are some treatments we perform?
Lung cancer treatment
Surgery is the gold standard to help achieve complete healing from lung tumors. The amount of lung tissue that must be removed and the specific type of resection will be determined by our skilled surgeons, depending on where the tumor is, its size, any previous chest surgeries, and the patient’s body. Surgical resections are performed as a limited resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy. Whenever possible, we try to use minimally invasive techniques, including video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and VATS lobectomy, along with robotic surgery.
Esophageal cancer treatment
Our surgeons will decide on the most suitable type of surgery depending on the size and location of the tumor. Most of the time, the complex, intricate procedure must involve at least two cavities, such as the chest and the abdomen.
Types of esophageal procedures that we perform include:
- Left thoracoabdominal incision
- Ivor Lewis esophagectomy
- Transhiatal esophagectomy (Orringer approach)
- Three-hole esophagectomy (modified McKeown technique)
Surgery for Achalasia
We conduct surgeries using various techniques, including thoracotomy, thoracoscopy, and laparoscopy.
Surgery for Zenker’s diverticulum
Our surgeons are skilled at performing the minimally invasive endoscopic diverticulotomy (Dohlman procedure), which divides the septum so food can drain from the pouch to the esophagus.
Thymoma surgery
We perform surgical resections to remove the tumor.
Meet the Department Manager
Alon Ben-Nun, MD, PhD
Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery
Prof. Ben-Nun specializes in treating patients with chest trauma and improving their overall quality of care. He has conducted extensive clinical research in this field and published many articles and monographs in the medical specialties of thoracic surgery, esophagus, lung, and trachea. He has been the recipient of several prestigious awards in the fields of health education and care, including the Laureate of President of Israel for outstanding medical activities. Prof. Ben-Nun received his MD and PhD from the Medical School at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Prof. Alon Ben-Nun
Meet Our Doctors
David Simansky, MD
Deputy Director, Department of Thoracic Surgery
Dr. Simansky specializes in cardiac surgery. He graduated from the Hebrew University Medical School and completed advanced training in esophageal surgery in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Marina Perelman, MD
Director, Department of Pathology
Dr. Perelman, a member of the Department of Thoracic Surgery staff, specializes in pulmonary pathology and is a world-renowned expert in the field. She received her medical degree in Russia and completed specialized training in pathology and anatomy from the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1995.
Sheba’s Holistic Approach
The treatment of chest, lung, and esophageal diseases calls upon a multidisciplinary approach involving full cooperation between various medical specialties. At Sheba, we are passionate about combining our diverse expertise to ensure that every patient benefits from the best integrative care possible. As our Department of Thoracic Surgery team designs the optimal surgical treatment for your condition, we consider the health of your whole body and overall well-being. In addition to physicians, we have a supportive team of therapists to serve your physical and emotional needs – conveniently all under one roof.
