Director: Prof. Dani Bitran

Tel: 02-6555902

Location: Floor 10

For a comprehensive article for patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery - click here


“We are not treating problems, we are treating people”  Head of Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jesselson Heart Center

Despite the increased number of new non-invasive cardiac techniques, some cardiac problems must still be addressed by surgery. Other Israeli medical centers often refer their most difficult cases to the Jesselson Heart Center’s Hyman and Ruth Matloff Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. This department has achieved remarkable results in coronary bypass surgery, despite a patient mix with greater than average risk factors. Following the appointment of a senior thoracic surgeon, the department is putting new emphasis on lung surgery and has quickly become the primary destination for this type of surgery in Jerusalem. The Department includes operating theaters and their teams, a post-operative intensive care unit, and surgical recovery units.

Letters from grateful patients praise both the skill and the compassionate proficiency of the doctors and staff.

The Cardiothoracic surgeons have been trained in the world’s foremost medical facilities and are assisted by experienced anesthetists, nurses, technicians, dieticians and social workers.

Every staff member is carefully chosen for his or her professional excellence, integrity and ability to contribute selflessly to a comprehensive heart care team.

They know that it’s not just the patient who is in surgery. In a sense, the patient’s family is there, too. Confident staff members prepare the patient and his family for the entire surgical process and see them through its every phase. They know that in post-surgical recovery, little things make a big difference, and part of their job is to be encouraging when no one else can smile.

“I encourage every patient to actively visualize their own recovery, no matter what the situation may indicate to me, because I’m convinced that a positive attitude actually improves the prognosis. People who opt for heart surgery are people who revere life. I chose this work because I share that reverence” Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Jesselson Heart Center


“The better the doctor’s communication with the family and the patient, the better the prognosis. I don’t believe this….. I know it” Cardiologist, Jesselson Heart Center

An important part of the staff’s work is keeping the flow of communication to patient and family members clear and calm. Preventing unnecessary tension is not just a matter of human consideration, it is essential to the patient’s well-being.

Current medical research has established that patients who are free of stress and pain heal more quickly. Besides the medical imperative for a restful environment, the Center provides the most advanced techniques for pain control, in keeping with modern theory. No recovering patient is expected to experience pain.

Beyond medical excellence is an illusive quality that Jesselson Heart Center patients describe, simply, as “heart”. The cheerful, family-like atmosphere in every department also facilitates recovery. The staff helps patients to focus on the goal: getting back on their feet as soon as possible.

The post-operative recovery unit in the Hyman and Ruth Matloff Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery has its own uniqueness and character. Doctors appreciate that patients actually benefit from being with others who are going through similar experiences. And when it’s time to leave the hospital, patients and their families are invited to contact the Center for information or guidance whenever they need it.

"Lifelong friends are made here”  Head Nurse, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jesselson Heart Center