At yesterday’s Annual Cardiac Surgery Conference at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam), experts presented the latest data on cardiac emergencies—highlighting that men undergo surgery three times more often than women, the importance of early detection of life-threatening aortic conditions by community physicians, technological innovations, and the surprising parallel between decision-making on October 7, 2023 and in the operating room.
On May 7, Rambam held its 15th Annual Cardiac Surgery Conference, organized by the hospital’s Department of Cardiac Surgery—the largest such department in Northern Israel and one of the largest in the country. This year’s conference focused on cardiac emergencies: how heart patients face real and immediate risks to their lives and the vital connection between community healthcare and hospital-based treatment.
In his opening remarks, Professor Gil Bolotin, director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery, presented the department’s 2024 statistics. A total of 708 heart surgeries were performed, similar to 2023. Considering the evacuation of Northern Israel’s residents and the region’s ongoing exposure to rocket fire, these figures highlight the team’s availability and commitment to providing continuous care under challenging conditions.
The data also revealed that three times more operations were performed on men than women, and that the most commonly operated age group was 50–65, with 291 surgeries performed on them. In addition, 90 surgeries were performed on infants, children, and adolescents, showing a gradual increase. Most pediatric surgeries involved infants under the age of one with congenital heart defects. The data also showed that 47 patients, including 10 children, required ECMO (heart-lung) machine support during the year.
One of this year’s central topics was the work of the Aortic Clinic, led by Dr. Tom Friedman and Professor Benjamin Medalion, both senior surgeons in the Department. This specialized clinic—unique in Northern Israel—offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to treating aortic diseases, bringing together vascular and cardiac surgeons, geneticists, echocardiography experts and imaging specialists under one roof.
“This year’s increase in referrals is a result of the greater awareness of the clinic and the excellent outcomes and surgical techniques we offer our patients,” says Friedman. “The combination of extensive experience, attention to detail, and personalized surgical planning provides a unique, full-service care model that delivers proven results.”
The conference opened with a powerful personal testimony by Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon, who shared his story: rescuing his family from the massacre zone on October 7. Tibon captivated the audience with his reflections on decision-making under extreme pressure—a theme that resonates with cardiac surgeons’ high-stakes decisions in the operating room.
In its 15th year, the Rambam Cardiac Surgery Conference has become the central stage for collaboration among leading experts and family physicians from Israel’s medical centers. It offers a platform to share core clinical, academic, and research achievements, participate in panels with peers, and strengthen the interface between community care and hospital-based services.
“This year’s conference focused on heart patients who require timely transfer from community care to hospital care—some to specialized clinics like Rambam’s Aortic Clinic, and others for emergency intervention and urgent cardiac surgery,” says Bolotin. “Rambam’s Department of Cardiac Surgery is the largest in Northern Israel, and the third largest in the country. Together with our cardiology departments and other regional hospitals, we provide the highest standard of care to heart patients across the region.”
