ENT – Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery Unit

Department Director: Prof. Itzhak Braverman – selected for the Forbes – 2020 “Best Doctors” list

Head Inpatient Nurse: Ms. Smadar Abargil

Head Clinic Nurse: Ms. Bella Rabinovich

Senior Physicians:

Prof. Raphael Feinmesser

Dr. Golda Greenblatt 

Dr. Muhammad Taha

Dr. Yitzhak Shochet

Dr. Ella Even-Tov

Dr. Lev Chvatinski 

Residents:

Dr. Tali Teitelbaum

Dr. Majd Hagug

Dr. Hada Braude Dagan

Dr. Noa Barik

Dr. Ahmad Abu-Moch

Dr. Mahmoud Darwish

Secretary:

Ms. Shiri Gruber

The ENT – Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery Unit at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center treats all diseases and issues related to the nose and sinuses, mouth and jaw, throat, ears and head and neck. The department is part of the national unit for treatment of OPMD – oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, in conjunction with Prof. Sergio Bluman of the Neurology Department at Hillel Yaffe.

The department specializes in the treatment of nose and sinus diseases, including treatment of sleep apnea, otolaryngologic tumors, ear diseases, throat and vocal cord diseases as well as pediatric ear-nose-throat diseases. The service is provided in urgent and elective cases for both children and adults.

Among the head and neck surgeries performed are thyroid and parathyroid surgeries for endocrine diseases and tumors, salivary gland surgeries, neck surgeries, removal of congenital cysts and throat and vocal cord surgeries. In terms of the nose and sinuses, the department performs surgery to correct deviated septum (septoplasty), turbinate reduction and sinus surgery – from simple endoscopic procedures to complex surgeries that use an advanced surgical navigation system.

The ear procedures performed include surgery for the middle ear and treatment of the ossicles, surgery on the mastoid as treatment for chronic inflammation of the ear and surgeries to improve hearing such as mastoidectomy, surgery on the ossicles (ossiculoplasty, stapedectomy) and more.

Additionally, the department routinely responds to the ever-growing need for tonsillectomy, adenoid surgery, tympanostomy (ear tubes) and a variety of other pediatric surgeries.

The following services are provided in the unit: 

• Nose and sinus surgery 
• Pediatric ear-nose-throat (ENT) medicine 
• Treatment of hoarseness and voice disorders 
• Thyroid and parathyroid surgeries 
• Clinic for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea 
• Hearing and Speech Institute 
• Otoneurology 
• Surgeries to remove various malignancies anywhere in the head and neck

The unit is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion.

The unit has experience in the field of endoscopic surgery (surgery without opening the surgical site) of the nose and sinuses (FESS). In these surgeries the natural drainage openings of the sinus are expanded to lead to proper and optimal functioning of the sinuses.

The unit’s physicians also treat acute and chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, allergic rhinitis, headaches due to sinuses, surgical correction of nasal distortion and treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the nose and sinuses.

DCR surgery is performed in the unit in conjunction with the Ophthalmology Department (endoscopic surgeries to treat blockage of the tear ducts).

All the surgeries in the unit are performed using the most advanced technologies available in Israel and worldwide.

If your child suffers from recurrent ear infections, fluid in their ears, snoring at night, sleep apnea, chronic rhinorrhea, chronic ear infections, recurrent tonsillitis – we can resolve these problems to your complete satisfaction.

We provide a diagnosis and treatment with advanced devices (fiber optics) for acute and chronic ear infections, fluid in the ears (otitis media with effusion), blockage of the upper airways that is also expressed as snoring. Additionally, we perform surgery to insert ear tubes, adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy and extensive ear surgeries, and provide service to all throat (larynx) or windpipe-related respiratory problems or neck lumps in children.

We assess hoarseness and voice disorders in conjunction with the Hearing and Speech Institute using advanced imaging technologies (stroboscopy and use of narrow band imaging – NBI). We perform microlaryngoscopy surgeries to treat problems related to the vocal cords, surgeries to remove malignant throat tumors, and speech rehabilitation in patients following laryngectomy. When a full laryngectomy is performed, the surgeon creates a surgical fistula (hole) between the airway and the esophagus and inserts a prosthesis for speech.

The clinic provides service to professional singers, from advanced diagnosis of hoarseness to microscopic surgeries to treat various vocal cord problems. The following are among the treatments provided: injection of Botox when the vocal cords contract and injection of fat in cases of vocal cord paralysis.

The unit operates a Thyroid Clinic that diagnoses and treats thyroid and parathyroid nodules. The treatments includes surgery, if necessary, and use of innovative and advanced technologies.

The clinic conducts investigation and assessment of patients who complain of snoring. As part of our investigation and prior to surgical treatment, a sleep endoscopy is performed. Among the various treatments provided, treatment using coblation is performed on appropriate areas in the pharyngeal cavity and, when necessary, patients are referred for conservative treatment, when appropriate.

At the Hearing and Speech Institute, we treat articulation disorders, speech delays, stuttering, speech disorders following a stroke and more. We perform hearing tests on children and adults and examine the cochlear nerve using a device that checks otoacoustic emissions and brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA test). Additionally, the institute treats swallowing problems and voice prostheses in patients who have undergone laryngectomy.

More about the service >>

In the ENT Department, we diagnose and treat dizziness and equilibrium issues. We treat middle and inner ear diseases, including diseases connected to the auditory ossicles such as otosclerosis, problems in the inner ear such as dizziness (vertigo), tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and more.

The department operates a clinic that combines examinations by a physician, speech pathologist and dietitian, all using advanced medical equipment.

Number of Beds:

13

Location:

The department is in Inpatient Building B, 4th floor, with the General Surgery B Department.

The ENT Clinic is in Inpatient Building A, on the 2nd floor.

Telephone Numbers:

Appointments: 04-7744252 (Sunday-Thursday)

Clinic Nurse: 04-7744275

Hearing and Speech Institute: 04-7744702

Fax: 04-7744479

Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) Department: 04-7744544

Head Nurse: 04-774199

Department Secretary: 04-7744664

Fax: 04-7744885

E-mail: shirig@hymc.gov.il

Hours when a senior physician/the department director is available for discussions:

A discussion with the department director will be scheduled in advance with the Unit Secretary, Ms. Shiri Gruber. Phone: 04-7744664 or in coordination with the Head Inpatient Nurse, Smadar Abargil, Tel: 050-6246799.

Visiting Hours

The visiting hours in the department are: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

We ask that you refrain from coming outside these hours to allow the medical staff to care for the patients without interruption and to allow the patients sufficient rest.

The department is involved in extensive research and scientific activity, with numerous publications in journals and participation in the authoring of books in various areas of ENT practice. The department is actively involved in the teaching of students from the Technion’s Faculty of Medicine.