Around two years have passed since Sheba’s Department of Surgical Oncology started utilizing the advanced laparoscopic cancer treatment known as PIPAC (pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy). After examining the 150 PIPAC procedures that were completed at Sheba with excellent results, the International Society for the Study of Pleura and Peritoneum has now decided to designate Sheba’s Department of Surgical Oncology as an International PIPAC Teaching Center.
PIPAC is a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure performed under general anesthesia. The procedure entails the use of a video camera and the CapnoPen, a customized nebulizer device, to administer aerosolized chemotherapy within the abdominal cavity, where the laws of physics allow a high tissue concentration of chemotherapy in the cancer cells, but without the usual side effects and toxicity of injected chemotherapy. The primary benefit of PIPAC is that a smaller dosage of cytotoxic agents is required because the aerosolized delivery penetrates deeper into the tumor tissue.
Dr. Almog Ben-Yaacov and Dr. Mohammad Adileh were the leading physicians in Sheba’s PIPAC project. According to Dr. Adileh: “Sheba being recognized as an International PIPAC Teaching Center is a clear indication of our commitment to surgical excellence. We intend to keep working hard to lead the department to even greater heights.”
