The department is the only neurosurgery service in Jerusalem, and receives referrals from all over Israel and abroad for special areas of expertise. Over 700 elective and emergency operations are performed each year.

The department has 27 in-patient beds, including a dedicated neurosurgical intensive care unit with 6 beds staffed by specially trained nursing personnel.
In recent years emphasis has been placed on super-specialization and a multidisciplinary approach. This has resulted in several areas of expertise.

Skull Base Surgery

A well established team approach comprising neurosurgeons, ENT surgeons and plastic surgeons have combined to provide optimal therapy for patients with tumors and vascular lesions of the skull base. The team is renowned for its experience in this difficult and challenging field and for the excellent results of surgery.

Of particular interest are meningiomas of the skull base, acoustic neurinomas, pituitary adenomas and aneurysms of the anterior and posterior cerebral circulation.

Neurosurgical Oncology

Close cooperation with colleagues in neuro-oncolgy, neuroradiology, neuropathology and radiation oncology make this the most comprehensive and advanced service for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with brain tumors available in Israel today. Recognized as a centre of excellence, the service is equipped with cutting edge technology, including intraoperative computerized navigation, intraoperative cortical mapping and intraoperative MRI.

The department is active in several experimental clinical studies for the treatment of malignant gliomas. Hadassah is the only centre outside of the USA to offer advanced delivery of chemotherapy across the blood-brain barrier. Facilities for molecular diagnosis and stereotactic radiosurgery will be available within the coming months.

Neurotrauma

Hadassah is a renowned level one trauma centre and the only centre for neurotrauma between Beersheba in the south and Tel-Aviv in the centre of the country. Vast experience has been acquired with all aspects of the surgical, intensive care management and rehabilitation of patients with craniocerebral trauma. The department also has a long tradition of clinical research in the field of neuroprotective drugs.

Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery

This specialty is concerned with surgery to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from movement disorders, chronic and neuropathic pain syndromes, spasticity, peripheral nerve disorders and epilepsy.

State of the art equipment and collaboration with allied experts in each of these fields has enabled the department to provide a comprehensive service in this rapidly growing discipline.
Of special interest are the surgical therapy of essential tremor and Parkinson's disease by way of deep brain stimulation or radiofrequency ablation.

The department is experienced in all aspects of spinal surgery including degenerative spinal diseases, spinal and spinal cord tumors.

Endovascular Neurosurgery

This exciting new field has recently been developed at Hadassah with the recruiting of Prof. José Cohen to the faculty. Prof. Cohen is a renowned expert in these procedures, including embolization of cerebral aneurysms, ateriovenous malformations and fistulae, thrombolysis for acute stroke and carotid and cerebral arterial stenting.