When meeting a da Vinci surgeon in Israel, focus on their specific robotic console experience and training. Ask about their fellowship background at centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering. Inquire about their personal success with nerve-sparing techniques to preserve urinary and sexual function after prostatectomy.
- Surgical experience: Ask if they have performed 200+ lifetime robotic procedures for better outcomes.
- Nerve-sparing success: Discuss their specific rates for incontinence and erection recovery at one year.
- Procedural control: Confirm the primary surgeon handles the entire case rather than delegating steps.
- Emergency protocols: Ask how they specifically manage intraoperative complications like unexpected bleeding during robotic surgery.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Israeli robotic surgeons often possess specialized international training that exceeds local requirements. For example, Dr. Zohar Dotan and Dr. Yossefovitz Ofer completed fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. This exposure to high-volume US oncological centers provides them with unique expertise in complex, nerve-sparing robotic cases that patients should verify during consultations.
Patient Consensus: Patients emphasize the importance of seeing the surgeon's own audited data rather than general hospital statistics. They note that a surgeon's willingness to discuss past complications is a significant sign of transparency. Many travelers were surprised by how quickly they could stop using pads when a dedicated robotic team was involved.
