The new unit, which brings advanced techniques and technologies to brain and spinal cord surgery for children, was set up by veteran specialist and Hadassah newcomer, Dr. Yaakov Zauberman.
The Department of Neurosurgery at Hadassah is expanding. Dr. Yaakov Zauberman, an experienced specialist in neurosurgery, tumors, and complex surgeries, has joined the department and established an innovative unit for pediatric brain and spinal cord surgery.
Dr. Zauberman, 54, previously served as Deputy Director of the Department of Neurosurgery and as Acting Director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit at Sheba Tel Hashomer. Trained at the Technion Medical School, he specialized in neuro-oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), affiliated with Harvard University in Boston, and then in Pediatric Neurosurgery at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
The Department of Neurosurgery at Hadassah, led by Prof. Zvi Israel, was the first of its kind in Israel and is considered the country’s leader. It performs some 1,800 planned or urgent surgical operations annually, covering all the various sub-fields of neurosurgery. It is particularly renowned for its advanced surgical techniques, including robotics and other groundbreaking treatments.
Dr. Zauberman’s addition to the department will enable advanced professional treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. These include trauma-related head injuries, brain tumors, epilepsy surgeries, craniosynostosis, congenital malformations of the central nervous system, hydrocephalus, baclofen pump therapy (for spasticity) and more.
Dr. Zauberman, stressed the importance of the new center to patients throughout the country. “Establishing the new Pediatric Neurosurgery Center at Hadassah gives young patients from all over Israel access to advanced and professional treatment,” he says.
What’s more, he says, “I have a great team of brain and spinal cord medicine experts, nursing staff, and essential support professionals. They’re among the best in the field.” That, he adds, gives the parents’ the peace of mind that comes from knowing “their children are in the best hands.”
“Hadassah is my home,” Dr. Zauberman adds. “My father ran the ophthalmology department here for 20 years, so my connection to this great institution is emotional and professional.
“I am delighted to join the ranks of an organization that seeks to advance and deepen research, treatment, and innovative technologies and sees the patient as the center of its practice and being,” adds Dr. Zauberman. “That’s exactly what I connect to.”