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Leading Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeon (Cardiothoracic Surgery) in Israel
Position: Head of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Department
Hospital: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), Tel Aviv
Prof. Yanai Ben-Gal is in the Forbes list of the best Israeli doctors and Dun & Bradstreet Israel. He has published dozens of peer-reviewed papers and abstracts in the international cardiac surgery literature. Prof. Ben-Gal has won two national awards from the Israeli Association of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery and led a government-funded research project (VGS) with a Chief Scientist grant.
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Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG)
- CABG on cardiopulmonary bypass (on-pump) — conventional open-heart surgery
- Off-pump CABG — coronary bypass surgery without heart-lung machine
- Minimally invasive CABG — without sternotomy (sternal-sparing / mini-thoracotomy approach)
- Redo CABG — repeat coronary bypass surgery in previously operated patients
Valve Surgery
- Mitral valve repair — reconstructive surgery to restore native valve function (preference over replacement)
- Mitral valve replacement — when repair is not feasible
- Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery — without sternal splitting, via mini-thoracotomy
- Aortic valve replacement — biological and mechanical prostheses
- Tricuspid valve repair and replacement
- Multi-valve surgery — combined procedures for complex valvular disease
Aortic Surgery
- Ascending aorta replacement
- Aortic root surgery — Bentall procedure (combined aortic valve and root replacement)
- Aortic arch surgery
- Hybrid endovascular aortic procedures (combined open and catheter-based)
Minimally Invasive & Hybrid Cardiac Surgery
- All cardiac surgeries via minimally invasive approach without opening the sternum — using mini-thoracotomy incision
- TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) — hybrid approach, collaborative with cardiology
- Hybrid endovascular cardiac and aortic procedures
Arrhythmia Surgery
- MAZE procedure — surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF); can be combined with other cardiac surgery
Other Cardiac Surgery
- Ventricular septal myectomy — surgical treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM)
- Intracardiac tumor resection — including myxoma and other primary cardiac tumors
- Complex and combined chest surgeries
- Thoracic surgery – pulmonary, mediastinal
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Education of Prof. Ben Gal
Medical Degree
- MD — Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Israel (1992–1999)
Residency
- Residency in Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery — Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), Tel Aviv, Israel (2000–2007)
- Board specialty examination in cardiac and thoracic surgery completed with distinction
International Fellowship & Academic Position
- Advanced Fellowship in Complex and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery — Columbia University Medical Center , New York City, USA (2008–2010)
- One of the world’s leading cardiac surgery centers
- Training areas: minimally invasive cardiac surgery (without sternotomy), complex valve repair, CABG, aortic surgery, TAVI, hybrid endovascular procedures
- Surgery Instructor — Department of Surgery, Columbia University, New York, USA (2008–2010)
- Concurrent academic teaching role during fellowship
Professional Experience of Cardiosurgeon Yanai Ben-Gal
- 2000–2007: Resident in Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery — Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), Tel Aviv
- 2007–2008: Senior Physician (Attending), Department of Cardiac Surgery — Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
- 2008–2010: Advanced Fellowship & Surgery Instructor — Columbia University Medical Center, New York, USA
- 2010–2013: Director, Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Service — Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
- Established and led the dedicated Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Service at Ichilov
- Introduced and expanded sternal-sparing minimally invasive approaches for valve and CABG surgery in Israel
- 2013 – present: Head, Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery — Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov)
- Oversees all open-heart and thoracic surgeries at Ichilov — one of the busiest cardiac surgery programs in Israel
- Leads a multidisciplinary heart team including cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and cardiac intensivists
- Principal investigator in clinical and laboratory cardiac surgery research at Ichilov
Selected Research & Publications
Prof. Yanai Ben-Gal is an author of dozens of peer-reviewed papers and abstracts in the international cardiac surgery literature.
Main Research Areas
- Minimally invasive cardiac surgery — techniques, outcomes, and patient selection
- Mitral valve repair and replacement — long-term outcomes
- Aortic valve surgery and TAVI — hybrid approaches
- Off-pump and on-pump CABG — comparative outcomes
- Hybrid endovascular procedures for aortic disease
- Atrial fibrillation surgical treatment (MAZE) — results and durability
- Postoperative management and complications after open-heart surgery
- VGS (Vascular Graft Surgery) research — incubator biotech project (Chief Scientist grant)
Research Grants
- Grant and research loan from the Chief Scientist , Israeli Ministry of Trade and Industry — for the VGS incubator project, which he led as principal investigator
Academic Activity
- Invited speaker at national and international cardiac surgery conferences
- Participates in clinical and laboratory research at Ichilov in the field of cardiac surgery
- Former Surgery Instructor at Columbia University Department of Surgery, New York (2008–2010)
Professional Memberships
- American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) — Member
- Israeli Association for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery — Member
- New York State Society of Thoracic Surgeons (NYSTS) — Member
- Israeli Cardiology Association — Member
- Israeli Medical Association — Member
Languages
- Hebrew
- English
Awards & Recognition of Prof. Ben-Gal
- Outstanding Researcher Award — named after Ami Cohen, Israeli Association for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery
- Outstanding Resident Award — named after Hanoch Miloitsky, Israeli Association for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery
- Board Specialty Examination in Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery — completed with distinction
- Research Grant from the Chief Scientist, Israeli Ministry of Trade and Industry — for the VGS incubator project he initiated and led
- Ranked by Dun & Bradstreet Israel among the 194 leading surgeons, cardiologists, and ophthalmologists in Israel
- Appointed Head, Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Ichilov — 2013
- Surgery Instructor, Columbia University, New York — 2008–2010 (the only Israeli cardiac surgeon appointed to this role during that period)
Notable Clinical & Scientific Milestones
- Founded and directed the Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Service at Ichilov (2010–2013) — pioneering sternal-sparing approaches for valve and bypass surgery in Israel.
- Introduced advanced minimally invasive cardiac surgical techniques to Israel following training at Columbia University — enabling patients to undergo open-heart surgery without splitting the sternum.
- Led the VGS (Vascular Graft Surgery) incubator research project with government funding — a translational research initiative in cardiac and vascular surgery.
- Received two national awards from the Israeli Association for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery — for both research excellence (Ami Cohen Award) and outstanding residency performance (Miloitsky Award).
- Serves as the cardiac surgical expert at Ichilov for the complete range of adult cardiac surgery — from routine CABG and valve surgery to the most complex redo, combined, and hybrid procedures.
For patients seeking advanced cardiac and cardiothoracic care in Israel, Prof. Yanai Ben-Gal provides expert second opinions and personalized treatment strategies for complex coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders, aortic aneurysms, heart failure, and other cardiovascular conditions. As Director of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Prof. Ben-Gal specializes in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complex valve repair and replacement, coronary artery bypass surgery including off-pump techniques, aortic surgery, hybrid cardiac procedures, and transcatheter valve interventions – TAVI.
