Israeli Surgeon Flies to Ecuador for Complex Tumor Removal

Professor Ron Elisher from Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem traveled to Ecuador to assist in a complex surgery to remove an aggressive tumor that had spread from a patient's nasal cavity and sinuses through the base of her skull into her brain. Elisher, head of the Department of Head, Face, Neck Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery and head of the ENT department at Hadassah, was called upon to help the local medical team while he was in South America for a professional conference.

The case began when a patient in Guayaquil, Ecuador, was diagnosed with a large brain abscess. After undergoing emergency drainage surgery at another hospital, suspicious tissue was discovered. A biopsy revealed an inverted papilloma, a benign but aggressive tumor originating in the nasal cavity and sinuses that had breached the skull base into the brain.

Dr. Andres Sancho, an Ecuadorian ENT doctor who had previously trained under Elisher at Hadassah and completed further specialization in rhinology and endoscopic surgery, contacted Elisher for assistance. Sancho's wife, Dr. Leah Morchon, also trained in neurosurgery at Hadassah, and the couple returned to Ecuador as specialists. Elisher stated he was in Ecuador representing the Israel Medical Association at a conference for Latin American medical associations when Dr. Sancho reached out just before his departure.

After initial treatment, the patient's condition temporarily improved, but the team determined a combined neurosurgical and rhinology approach was necessary. The surgery was planned as a hybrid procedure, using an endoscopic approach through the nasal cavity and sinuses alongside an open neurosurgical approach through the skull. Elisher agreed to participate, recognizing the critical need for the combined expertise to save the patient's life.

Elisher joined the local team, which included Dr. Sancho, Dr. Morchon, and senior neurosurgeon Dr. Alberto Valerzo, who had also previously trained at Hadassah. Elisher noted that all four surgeons involved in the operation had completed their training at Hadassah. The surgery, which involved careful planning and execution, including sealing the skull base and separating the brain from the nasal and sinus cavities after tumor removal, was successful. The patient's condition significantly improved following the operation.

Elisher highlighted the importance of training foreign doctors in Israel, stating that these physicians bring excellent medical knowledge back to their home countries and serve as ambassadors for Israel. He emphasized that foreign trainees do not take away from Israeli doctors' training opportunities and are required to return to their home countries after their specialization. Elisher added that sharing knowledge and experience with doctors from other nations aligns with Hadassah's vision as an international medical center.