The Division of Hematology provides comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for malignant and benign blood disorders, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, anemia, and coagulation disorders. The Division includes specialized outpatient clinics, inpatient and day care units, a bone marrow transplant unit, and laboratories, and is actively involved in clinical research and medical education.
The Division of Hematology at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) provides expert diagnosis and treatment for patients with a wide range of blood disorders, including malignant hematological diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, as well as benign blood disorders such as various types of anemia and hypercoagulability.
The Division of Hematology comprises several specialized units and an inpatient ward. It operates according to a modern, multidisciplinary approach based on close collaboration between diagnosing physicians and the medical teams responsible for patient care. Recognizing patients' freedom to choose where they receive treatment, the Division operates multidisciplinary follow-up clinics and holds joint consultations involving all professionals responsible for diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up, guidance, and patient support.
As part of the Hematology Day Care Unit, a dedicated emergency service is available to patients treated within the Division who require immediate medical attention for urgent medical conditions.
The Division of Hematology at Ichilov continuously implements improvements aimed at placing patients at the center of care and making its services more accessible.
One of these improvements is reducing the waiting time between a patient's initial referral and their first appointment with a hematologist.
Medical Treatment Units
The inpatient department of the Division of Hematology treats patients requiring bone marrow transplantation, as well as patients receiving intensive chemotherapy, such as those with acute leukemia and aggressive lymphoma. The department also admits patients who develop complications following chemotherapy, including fever and infections resulting from reduced blood cell counts and impaired immune function.
The department's multidisciplinary team includes physicians, qualified and experienced nursing staff, a bone marrow transplant coordinator, a dietitian, a social worker, a medical psychologist, a guided imagery instructor, a music therapist, administrative staff, and support personnel. Senior infectious disease consultants are available at all times.
The Hemato-Oncology Department has 34 specially designed isolation rooms divided between two inpatient units: the Hemato-Oncology Inpatient Unit and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
The spacious isolation rooms are equipped for the comfort of patients and their families and are designed to accommodate extended hospital stays. In addition to the patient's bed, each room includes an armchair, table, storage cabinets, a spacious private bathroom, an additional bed for a companion, cable television, a DVD player, a laptop with internet access, a refrigerator, and other amenities. Double-occupancy rooms are also equipped to a high standard.
The department has an advanced treadmill for patients who wish to maintain physical activity during hospitalization. Patients requiring extended hospital stays are also offered a variety of supportive therapies alongside their medical treatment, including music therapy and individual guidance in guided imagery and relaxation techniques.
The Hematology Day Care Unit provides a variety of treatments without the need for inpatient hospitalization, allowing patients to maintain their daily routines as much as possible.
The Unit offers a comprehensive range of services for hematology patients, including chemotherapy that does not require hospitalization, preparation for chemotherapy, treatment of urgent hematological conditions through a dedicated hematology emergency service, and supportive care such as pain management, administration of fluids, blood products, antibiotics, iron, immunoglobulins, and other medications.
These services aim to help patients and their families cope with the disease and the side effects of treatment. The Day Care team accompanies patients and their families throughout every stage of care, from diagnosis to completion of treatment.
The Hematology Day Care Unit brings together a multidisciplinary team of physicians and nurses specializing in hematology, psychologists, social workers, and professionals providing specialized services for hematology patients, including sexual health counseling, nutritional counseling, and additional supportive care.
The Division's team is committed to providing the highest standards of professional, up-to-date medical and nursing care in a respectful, compassionate, and supportive environment. We believe that combining uncompromising professional expertise with a holistic approach to the needs of patients, their families, and other significant people in their lives contributes to optimal treatment outcomes.
Hematology Laboratory, Coagulation Laboratory, and Cell Characterization Laboratory
The Hematology Laboratory operates within the Division of Hematology and is part of the Medical Center's Laboratory Division.
The laboratory consists of several main units: the Blood Count Unit, the Coagulation Testing Unit, and the Cell Characterization Unit. Additional areas of activity include hemoglobin analysis, protein characterization, and molecular testing.
The laboratory performs a wide range of tests using the most advanced methods while maintaining strict internal and external quality assurance standards.
The laboratory provides the tests required for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of hospitalized patients at the Medical Center, as well as external patients and healthcare providers.
Routine tests include complete blood counts, reticulocyte counts, peripheral blood smears, body fluid analysis (including cerebrospinal fluid – CSF), and coagulation tests, including PT, PTT, fibrinogen, D-dimer, and thrombin time.
In addition to routine testing, the Hematology Laboratory performs a variety of specialized tests. These are generally highly complex procedures requiring specific expertise and, in some cases, specialized equipment.
The Hematology Units and Clinics of the Division of Hematology provide diagnostic evaluation, consultation, and treatment for patients referred from community health clinics and hospital departments for various hematological disorders.
New patients are referred to the clinic by their family physician for consultation or diagnosis, or by a hospital department following hospitalization.
During the initial appointment, patients undergo a detailed medical interview and physical examination. Various diagnostic tests are performed as needed, including routine and specialized blood tests, bone marrow examination (aspiration or biopsy), and imaging studies.
Once a diagnosis has been established, patients and their families receive detailed explanations, guidance, and counseling regarding the disease, available treatments, and ways of coping with the condition. This support is provided by an experienced team that includes the treating physician, a nurse, and a social worker. Special attention is given to answering questions and providing clarification.
The clinic is staffed by senior specialist physicians with expertise in hematological diseases. Each patient is accompanied by a designated treating physician throughout the course of the disease and treatment.
Treatment at the clinics follows current medical guidelines and protocols. Patients requiring chemotherapy are referred to the Hematology Day Care Unit or the inpatient department. Patients requiring blood transfusions, Aredia (pamidronate), intravenous iron, or immunoglobulin infusions are referred to the Day Care Unit.
An advanced hematology laboratory is located adjacent to the clinic, providing on-site blood counts and blood smear examinations, bone marrow testing including microscopic examination, characterization of different types of leukemia using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), molecular testing to identify mutations associated with leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) and to monitor treatment response, as well as serum protein analysis using advanced methods for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with multiple myeloma.
Apheresis is a procedure in which blood is separated into its components through centrifugation. Blood drawn from a vein is processed in a machine that separates the required component, such as stem cells, plasma, platelets, or other cells, into a collection bag.
The procedure is performed within the Division of Hematology using a specialized apheresis machine and a sterile, closed, single-use kit. A catheter is inserted into a vein, and the required blood component is collected in a separate bag, while the remaining blood components and plasma are returned to the patient or donor.
The Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplant Unit treats patients with a variety of hematological diseases, including acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma, who require bone marrow transplantation, as well as patients with certain malignant tumors, such as sarcoma.
The Unit performs allogeneic bone marrow transplants from matched donors, including family members and unrelated donors, haploidentical transplants, and autologous (self-donor) transplants.
The Unit employs innovative transplantation approaches, including non-myeloablative transplantation and mini-transplants, as well as treatment strategies combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy using donor cells and biological agents.
The Unit includes:
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Multidisciplinary Consultation Clinic: Part of the Division of Hematology, where patients and donors undergo evaluation and preparation before transplantation.
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Inpatient Department: Patients stay in comfortable private rooms during transplantation and throughout the engraftment and recovery period.
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Outpatient Clinic and Day Care Unit: Providing follow-up care and treatment after transplantation.
The Unit has a dedicated Cell Processing Laboratory, responsible for preparing stem cells for transplantation or preservation and cryopreservation, separating cells into subpopulations for haploidentical transplantation, and preparing immune cells for immunological treatments (immunotherapy).
The laboratory also performs DNA testing to assess engraftment and enable early detection of graft rejection or disease recurrence. The cell storage facilities, which use liquid nitrogen for cryopreservation, are equipped with some of the most advanced electronic monitoring systems in Israel.
New patients are referred to the clinic by their hematologist. Patients arrive at different stages of their disease, and an individualized treatment plan is developed based on the nature of the disease, the urgency of transplantation, and each patient's specific needs.
The treatment plan includes an introductory meeting with the Head of the Department, during which patients and their families receive a detailed explanation of the transplantation process and the preparations required before the procedure.