Prof. Benjamin Davidson

Prof. Benjamin Davidson is a Professor of Thoracic Surgery and Head of the Thoracic Surgery Division at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) — Israel's largest public hospital and a major tertiary referral centre for thoracic oncology. With over 30 years of specialist experience, Prof. Davidson has established himself as one of Israel's foremost thoracic surgeons, with particular expertise in minimally invasive lung cancer resection and complex mediastinal surgery. His division is one of the highest-volume thoracic surgery programmes in Israel, managing the full spectrum of thoracic malignancies in collaboration with thoracic oncologists, radiation oncologists, and pulmonologists. Prof. Davidson is committed to personalised surgical oncology — determining for each patient whether surgery offers a curative or life-prolonging benefit and selecting the least invasive approach that achieves adequate oncological resection margins.

Prof. Davidson completed his medical degree (MD) and specialist surgical training in Israel, followed by thoracic surgery specialty training at leading Israeli academic centres. He pursued advanced fellowship training in minimally invasive thoracic surgery — video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) — at internationally recognised centres in Europe and North America. He holds Israeli specialist board certification in thoracic surgery and was appointed to the academic rank of Professor at Tel Aviv University's School of Medicine, which is affiliated with Ichilov Hospital. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS).

Prof. Davidson's surgical expertise spans the full range of thoracic surgery for both malignant and benign conditions. He is particularly experienced in VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) and robotic-assisted approaches for lung resection — lobectomy and segmentectomy — which offer faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, and equivalent oncological outcomes compared to open thoracotomy. He manages complex cases including sleeve resections, pneumonectomy for central tumours, and reoperative thoracic surgery. His mediastinal surgery work includes thymectomy for thymoma and myasthenia gravis, and resection of anterior, middle, and posterior mediastinal tumours. He is experienced in pleural disease including management of malignant pleural effusion and mesothelioma.

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center accepts international patients from Europe, North America, and the diaspora community worldwide. Prof. Davidson's thoracic surgery service provides consultation and surgical treatment for international patients with lung cancer or thoracic tumours. Israel's medical system operates to European and US standards, with English widely spoken in the medical community. Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport is a major hub connecting Israel to Europe, the Americas, and Asia. International patient coordination at Ichilov assists with appointment scheduling, translation, and accommodation. Second-opinion consultation based on imaging and pathology sent in advance can be arranged.

Prof. Davidson has published extensively in peer-reviewed thoracic surgery journals including the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, and the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. He has received recognition from the Israeli Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery for contributions to Israeli thoracic surgery including development of the minimally invasive programme at Ichilov. He has presented his research at the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) annual meeting and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Annual Meeting. He is involved in multicentre Israeli lung cancer surgical outcome registries and contributes to national lung cancer treatment guidelines.