My oncologist recommended Yaakov Shechter as the only specialist in Ramat Gan to whom he refers melanoma patients. Dr. Shechter works at Sheba Medical Center with a whole team of professionals, which was crucial for me - I didn't have to go to different doctors. The surgery was easier than I expected and two years later the disease has receded. Dr. Schechter is always busy and sometimes you have to wait to get an appointment with him, but when he is with a patient, he is fully focused, answers all questions carefully, and I never felt rushed. Definitely recommend him to anyone diagnosed with melanoma.

17/10/2022

My husband has been treated by Prof. Shekhter for almost a year now. He first came to him in June 2016 with a diagnosis of “melanoma, stage 3, without BRAF-mutation” after surgery with Prof. Gutman (also a great professional!). Prof. Gutman made an impression of a person who is able to tell the patient any truth “head-on”, and this is good, as there are no suspicions that the doctor is reassuring the patient, only if he would bring money. He is a great professional of his work. We trust him completely and with such a disease as melanoma, we recommend to be treated by him.

To date, we continue to be treated according to the scheme recommended by the professor, and periodically consult with him. We believe in victory!

I have been a patient of Sheba Medical Center for over a year now, where I was diagnosed with melanoma. I am very happy with the results of the treatment! Professor Yakov Shechter and Dr. Roni Shapiro are in charge of my case, thank you very much! They selected the best course of treatment in a short period of time and were always sympathetic to all situations that arose in the process. Most importantly, they provide tremendous hope for recovery. Thank you so much for your support and their hard work!

The first clinic in Israel I went to was Sheba, my choice because it is home to the Ella Institute, which specializes in the research and treatment of melanoma, my diagnosis. I would like to share some of the points I encountered:

After filling out the standard form on the clinic's website, I received a phone response in as little as 30 minutes. The system for processing new applications is very fast and the invitation for visa application was sent promptly.

The examinations took place over several days: on the first day - blood test and PET, 2-3 days later - MRI. I advise you to check the schedule of examinations with the coordinator in advance to simplify the search for airplane tickets, especially during the season.

It is important to remember that Sheba is a government clinic. Despite the presence of a department for medical tourists and significant costs, patients from abroad stand in a general queue for appointments and examinations. The process of deciphering examinations takes 1-2 weeks, the same amount of time it takes to translate the conclusions into English. Appointments can take another 1-2 weeks if the coordinator tries to speed up the process. It took exactly one month between my first visit for PET and MRI and my second visit to the oncologist. And I can say that in the season (in my case it was July) it is not easy to find plane tickets in a week at an adequate price.

I did not manage to get an appointment with Prof. Schechter, probably because of the very long queue.

After being offered treatment options, it took me a while to think about and deal with the financial issues. When I returned a few weeks later to request a new invitation for a visa (as my condition had worsened and I could not delay), I was sent the document several times with errors in my passport details. This took several days, which was extremely exhausting given my condition. I was outraged that a member of the medical tourism department was so careless with the task.

As a result, my mother found intermediaries to approach Prof. Schechter directly.

Yes, the treatment through intermediaries is more expensive, but thanks to this I can plan trips in advance, find tickets, and contact the coordinator not only by email, but also via Viber, which is very convenient for sending photos of adverse reactions to medications. We can also discuss the schedule of examinations well in advance so that I can be booked at the right time, and it only takes 1-2 days to decipher the tests.