Israeli Doctors Perform Complex Facial Reconstruction After Removing Rare Cancerous Tumor
Roman, a 50-year-old man from Haifa, underwent one of Israel's most complex surgeries after a rare aggressive cancer spread from his nasal cavity to his skull, eye socket, facial bones, and brain membrane. Initially experiencing persistent tearing from his left eye earlier this year, Roman was first examined by an ophthalmologist and then an ENT specialist, who suspected sinus inflammation. A CT scan revealed concerning findings, leading to an MRI and urgent biopsy that confirmed the rare cancer diagnosis.
Despite chemotherapy attempts, the tumor advanced toward the brain, prompting doctors at Beilinson Medical Center to offer three options: continue ineffective treatments, undergo a high-risk extensive surgery, or forgo treatment. Roman and his wife Svetlana chose to fight. Dr. Esmat Najjar, head of the oncological and reconstructive head and neck surgery unit, described the tumor removal as "at the edge of surgical capability," involving excision of the forehead bone, eye socket, cheekbones, nasal bones, and part of the brain membrane.
The first surgery lasted about 12 hours with a multidisciplinary team including head and neck surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ophthalmologists, and neurosurgeons. Roman was hospitalized for two weeks with a large facial defect while awaiting pathology results to confirm complete tumor removal. Once confirmed, a second 10-hour surgery reconstructed his face using bone, muscle, and blood vessels harvested from his shoulder blade. The transplanted tissue was shaped to restore his forehead, eye socket, and cheekbones, with blood vessels connected to neck vessels to keep the tissue alive and resilient to upcoming radiation therapy.
Dr. Najjar explained the challenge of rebuilding a protective eye socket and facial structure to allow Roman to breathe, eat, speak, and live without hiding. Dr. Noga Korman, head of head and neck tumors at the Davidoff Cancer Center, noted the tumor’s rarity and lack of effective chemotherapy or radiation, making surgery the only viable option. Roman is now home, able to eat, drink, and breathe independently, and will soon undergo particle radiation abroad to eliminate microscopic tumor remnants. Svetlana emphasized, "I don’t care how he looks; the main thing is that he’s alive."
