Ablation in Israel

Indications for the Procedure

The application area of a therapy method such as ablation in modern medicine is very broad. In clinics in Israel, it is used to treat the following pathologies:

• oncological diseases (skin cancer, liver, pancreas, kidney, lung, prostate, and other organs);
• benign tumors of the spine;
• fibroadenoma of the breast;
• hemangioma;
• thyroid nodules;
• atrial fibrillation;
• ventricular tachycardia;
• hypertension;
• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome;
• cardiomegaly;
• extrasystole;
• varicose veins;
• Barrett's esophagus;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD);
• uterine fibroids;
• endometriosis and many others.

At the same time, only the attending physician can determine whether this therapy method is suitable for a specific person. That is why, before assigning ablation to a patient, specialists at the Ichilov (Sourasky) clinic conduct a comprehensive express examination. It lasts only 3-4 days and includes all necessary tests aimed at clarifying the diagnosis and determining the exact localization and size of the pathological focus. After analyzing the diagnostic results, doctors assess the possibility of using ablation techniques and determine the optimal method for performing the procedure.

Modern Types of Ablation

The main goal of this procedure is to destroy pathologically altered tissues using high or low-temperature exposure. As a result, atypical cells undergo necrosis and begin to be rejected by the body, and the patient's condition improves almost immediately. As the experience of specialists at the Ichilov (Sourasky) Medical Center shows, at the initial stages of cancer progression and other diseases where ablation is most often used in clinics in Israel, it becomes a gentler alternative to surgery for most patients, allowing for complete recovery much faster and without any complications.

• Radiofrequency Ablation. One of the most common and effective ablation techniques, widely used in the treatment of arrhythmias, primary tumors, and metastases in the liver, Barrett's esophagus, varicose veins, and many other diseases. Pathologically altered tissues are destroyed using high-frequency alternating electric current, which heats atypical cells and causes them to die instantly. In addition to the quick result, the advantages of the procedure include its minimal invasiveness, bloodlessness, and painlessness. This is best illustrated by catheter ablation of the heart. A flexible catheter with a guide needle is inserted into the femoral or radial artery, which is gradually advanced through the vessels to the location of the arrhythmogenic focus. After that, the area of pathological impulse is cauterized with high-frequency current, and the heart rhythm is successfully normalized—all without opening the chest and causing any damage to surrounding tissues.
• Laser Ablation. A modern minimally invasive method for treating varicose veins, endometriosis, prostate adenoma, liver metastases, basal cell carcinoma, and benign skin tumors. Using the latest generation laser systems, doctors at the Ichilov (Sourasky) Medical Center achieve targeted destruction of atypical cells while preserving the integrity of nearby tissues and simultaneously coagulating blood vessels. As a result, the procedure is not accompanied by bleeding, and recovery takes just a few days. The tumor tissues destroyed by laser radiation are gradually rejected by the body and replaced with healthy cells.
• Microwave Ablation. Pathologically altered tissues are destroyed under the influence of high-energy microwaves, which cause a local temperature increase in atypical cells to about 100°C, resulting in their rapid death. The microwave ablation technology has been applied in the treatment of malignant tumors of the liver, kidneys, lungs (including metastatic), thyroid nodules, endometriosis foci, and some other pathologies.
• Cryoablation. Unlike the aforementioned methods that involve heating tumor tissues, cryoablation is based on cooling them to extremely low temperatures. Liquid nitrogen is most often used for this purpose. It is introduced into the neoplasm using a special cryoprobe through a small puncture in the body, instantly freezing atypical cells and turning them into crystals, resulting in their necrosis and death. This procedure is particularly popular in the treatment of skin tumors—due to its painlessness and non-traumatic nature, many patients prefer to undergo ablation in Israel instead of surgical excision of the neoplasm. The tumor tissues destroyed by liquid nitrogen form a crust that falls off after a few weeks, revealing healthy skin without leaving visible scars or pigmentation spots.
• Focused Ultrasound Ablation (FUS). Removal of uterine fibroids using focused ultrasound is one of the most innovative procedures performed by specialists at the Ichilov (Sourasky) clinic. Its advantages include absolute non-invasiveness (pathologically altered tissues are destroyed remotely under MRI control), painlessness, and high effectiveness. FUS ablation also does not lead to fertility impairment, so it is often prescribed to women of childbearing age.
• Chemical Ablation. A procedure that involves the destruction of atypical cells using various chemical substances. For example, liver tumor ablation with ethanol. 98% ethyl alcohol is injected into the neoplasm, which exerts a toxic effect on cancer cells and leads to their death. Chemical ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma can also be performed using acetic acid, which has a similar effect.

How Much Does Ablation Cost in Israel

• Anal Cancer
• Hyperthyroidism
• Ovarian Diseases
• Xanthogranuloma
• Lymph Nodes
• Somatostatinoma
• Spinal Canal Stenosis