Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
Prof. Zvi Cohen is Director of the Neurosurgery Department and the Neuro-Oncology Unit at Sheba Medical Center. He is a neurosurgeon and neuro-oncology expert. He was included in Forbes Israel’s Best Doctors 2025. He leads clinical research on drug therapies for malignant brain tumors. He also founded Sheba’s brain tumor tissue bank.
He is board-certified in neurosurgery. He trained at Tel Aviv University. He completed fellowships in neuroradiology at Beth Israel and in neurosurgical oncology at MD Anderson. His practice covers complex brain, pituitary, spine, and spinal cord tumors. He has expertise in stereotactic biopsies, image-guided resections, intraoperative MRI, navigation systems, and radiosurgery. He is a member of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the Israeli Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Spinal cyst treatments in Israel include conservative observation and advanced robotic-assisted microsurgery. Specialized centers utilize Mazor robotic guidance and Israeli-developed Zilock implants for high precision. Options focus on nerve decompression and spinal stabilization. These procedures aim to restore mobility and relieve chronic neurological deficits.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgery centers like Sourasky Medical Center manage extremely high patient volumes. Sourasky alone performs over 34,000 operations annually across its departments. This high frequency allows surgeons to refine techniques for complex cysts. They often use proprietary local innovations like Zygofix before they reach global markets.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize that early diagnostic consultations with Israeli neurosurgeons are vital. Many note that the focus on rapid surgical access helps prevent permanent nerve damage.
Recovery after minimally invasive spinal cyst surgery in Israel usually requires a 1 to 2 day hospital stay. Most patients resume light walking within 48 hours. Full recovery for complex procedures typically takes 6 weeks to 6 months. Israeli centers emphasize early mobility to improve long-term outcomes.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli neurosurgeons like Dr. Zvi Lidar and Professor Shimon Rochkind focus on high-volume expertise. Dr. Lidar has performed thousands of minimally invasive spinal procedures alone. This concentrated experience allows for smaller incisions. Smaller incisions typically lead to faster discharge compared to traditional open surgeries.
Patient Consensus: Patients note it is important to strictly follow the no bending, lifting, or twisting rule. Many emphasize that having a physical therapy plan ready for the second week helps mobility return faster.
Spinal cyst surgery in Israel highlights homegrown robotic navigation and minimally invasive neuroendoscopy. Israeli specialists utilize proprietary technologies like the Mazor robot to achieve nearly 100% accuracy. These methods ensure faster recovery and smaller incisions compared to traditional open surgeries in many other regions.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While many countries offer minimally invasive spine surgery, Israeli centers like Sourasky Medical Center integrate intraoperative MRI and navigation systems as a standard baseline. This combination is rare in mid-range clinics globally. Our data shows clinics like Assuta Medical Center provide patients the unique flexibility to choose their specific surgeon. This is a significant advantage for complex cases where specific expertise in TOPS™ systems or laser neurotechnologies is required.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the importance of seeking multiple MRI reviews before surgery to confirm a minimally invasive approach is possible. Many note that international protocols often allow for much faster mobilization compared to the rigid 6-week recovery timelines seen elsewhere.
Recognised Israeli experts for spinal-cyst treatment include Dr. Zvi Lidar and Professor Shimon Rochkind at Sourasky Medical Center. Dr. Eli Ashkenazi at Assuta Medical Center and Dr. Ilya Pekarsky also lead this field. These neurosurgeons specialise in minimally invasive techniques and complex spinal microsurgery.
Bookimed Expert Insight: While many search for general neurosurgeons, Bookimed data shows a trend toward choosing directors of specialized spinal departments. For example, Dr. Zvi Lidar at Sourasky leads an entire dedicated spinal unit and has published 50+ research papers. This high clinical volume and academic focus often correlate with better mastery of rare cyst types.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the importance of getting several neurosurgical opinions on cyst size before deciding on surgery. Many note that tracking symptoms via MRI over time often helps determine if a procedure is truly necessary.