Israeli gastroenterologists rightfully rank among the best in the world: at the Top Ihilov clinic, the largest in the country, the most qualified specialists work. Thanks to accumulated experience and the use of modern techniques, they effectively relieve patients of gallbladder pathologies. Treatment is preceded by high-quality diagnostics, which allows for a thorough identification of the type and stage of the pathology, determining the most suitable therapy plan for the patient. At Top Ihilov, therapy plans are tailored individually, taking into account the clinical picture, the patient's age, and assessing the feasibility of various treatment methods. Minimally invasive and low-trauma methods are primarily used to eliminate gallstone disease or tumours.
Treatment Methods
The choice of method depends on the nature of the pathology. In most cases, patients arrive at the clinic with cholelithiasis (gallstones) and with neoplasms in this organ.
Conservative Treatment. Medications are prescribed to relieve pain and spasms, combat inflammatory processes in the gallbladder, and improve bile flow. In some cases, if the gallstones are small, it may be possible to dissolve them with medication, avoiding surgery. In the case of an oncological process, chemotherapy is used: cytostatic drugs disrupt the growth and development of cancer cells, leading to a reduction or destruction of the neoplasm. A revolutionary method for treating cancer successfully applied at the clinic is targeted therapy. Its principle of action is based on the drug's ability to selectively affect only cancer cells without damaging healthy cells in the body.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy is an alternative to surgical intervention for gallstone disease. This minimally invasive method destroys gallstones using directed sound waves. When the waves pass through the stones, cavitation occurs: the formation of small air bubbles in the stones that rapidly and forcefully collapse, causing the stones to break apart. The procedure does not require tissue incisions, and after it, the patient must take special medications that help expel stone fragments from the body.
Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholelitholysis. Another minimally invasive method for stone removal. The surgeon makes a puncture, through which a catheter is inserted, allowing medication capable of dissolving gallstones to be introduced into the gallbladder. The procedure is performed under constant monitoring.
Surgery. In cases of cholelithiasis, oncological diseases, and sometimes even cholecystitis, surgical intervention is required. Most often, surgeons choose the method of laparoscopic cholecystectomy – resection of the gallbladder using a minimally invasive approach. Instead of addressing the pathology through open surgery, the patient undergoes several small incisions, each less than 1 centimeter long. Special surgical equipment is inserted through these incisions, and the surgeon performs the operation without direct visual contact with the surgical area. They monitor the accuracy of their actions by referring to a monitor displaying images from the laparoscope's camera – an instrument placed inside the human body. The doctor separates the gallbladder from the cystic duct and arteries and removes it along with the stones or tumour. Laparoscopic surgery minimizes blood loss and large surgical wounds. Only small scars remain on the patient's body, and recovery time after surgery is just a few days. The high success rate of this type of surgery (around 95%) makes it the most preferred option for surgical treatment.
Radiotherapy. Used for treating patients with malignant neoplasms in the gallbladder. At the Top Ihilov clinic, the radiotherapy department is equipped with modern devices – linear accelerators. They irradiate the pathology area with maximum precision, almost without affecting healthy tissues. Contact radiotherapy – brachytherapy – may also be used. In this method, the radiation source is placed directly in or near the neoplasm tissue. This allows for the destruction of the neoplasm without significant toxic load on the patient's body.
Bladder Diagnostics in Israel
Diagnostics at the Top Ihilov clinic provides doctors with the opportunity to accurately determine the nature of the pathology and choose the most appropriate therapy option. Patients often express surprise that diagnostic procedures take very little time, and they do not have to wait in lines or spend many days. Within 72 hours of arriving in Israel, the patient already has a medical report on their illness and a detailed therapy plan.
First Day
After the patient arrives at Top Ihilov from the airport accompanied by a clinic case manager, they undergo an examination and consultation with a gastroenterologist and (if necessary) an oncologist.
Second Day
All necessary diagnostic studies are performed:
- Ultrasound of the gallbladder
- Laboratory blood tests
- CT or MRI
- Cholecystocholangiography
- Retrograde cholangiopancreatography (study of the bile ducts)
- Tissue biopsy (if cancer is suspected)
Third Day
The attending physician receives the analysis and research data and convenes a panel of doctors specializing in the treatment of gallbladder diseases. The specialists analyze the obtained data, clarify the diagnosis, and determine the therapy plan. At the Top Ihilov clinic, treatment is conducted in accordance with international protocols.
There is a special service provided for patients who cannot come to the clinic – a second opinion from a doctor. A high-level clinic doctor reviews the diagnostic data and the conclusions of the doctors treating the patient in their home country. They provide their expert opinion: whether the diagnosis is correct and whether the treatment strategy is appropriate. The doctor also develops a therapy plan for the patient, including new treatment methods. The consultation takes place via video mode, through Skype, allowing the patient to ask the doctor any questions they may have. Following the video consultation, the patient receives written recommendations from the Israeli specialist. The second opinion service can be ordered through the website by filling out a request. Subsequently, if the patient comes for treatment at Top Ihilov, the first in-person consultation will be provided free of charge.
Cost of Gallbladder Treatment in Israel
Many who seek medical assistance from abroad are pleasantly surprised by the cost of gallbladder treatment: in Israel, it is cheaper (by 30-50%) than treatment of the same quality and level in other developed countries of the Old and New Worlds. Before arriving at the clinic, the international department consultant informs the patient of the existing prices, but the exact cost can only be determined after the examination and the treatment plan is approved at the panel, specifying the necessary amount of medications, types of procedures, and surgery.
Advantages of Treatment at Top Ihilov
- One of the leading clinics in the country, staffed by highly qualified gastroenterologists and oncologists.
- Excellent technical base, enabling precise diagnostics and innovative treatment.
- Advanced therapy methods that are gentle and minimally invasive. Often, patients recommended for surgery in their home country have been able to recover using non-surgical methods.
- Comfort and excellent organization: each patient is assigned a case manager who assists in organizing treatment activities and prevents everyday problems.
- Moderate prices, which, combined with advanced methods, make treatment at the clinic attractive for citizens from various countries around the world.