"We do not give up on any person": The surgery that saved the life of 101-year-old Yitzhak at the Kaplan Medical Center

Yitzhak Aloni, 101 years and 8 months old, from Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael, is known in his surroundings as an independent, clear-headed, and inspiringly healthy man. However, in recent months, a severe distress began to develop in secret. Swallowing difficulties that kept worsening led to entire days where he could not put anything into his mouth. Out of a strong desire not to become a burden on his family members, Yitzhak chose to keep the distress a secret. But his condition kept deteriorating, the weight loss became extreme, and within a few short weeks his weight dropped to only 48 kilograms.

"I helped him get dressed, and when I took off his shirt, I was very frightened," recalls his daughter Naora, herself a great-grandmother. "His appearance reminded me of Holocaust survivors who had just come out of the camps, and I understood that he was in real danger."

The family began a race against time and turned to various experts, but the answer they received was discouraging: due to his advanced age, the doctors claimed that the risk was too high. The family refused to give up and finally arrived at the Kaplan Medical Center of the Clalit Group, to Dr. Yael Shapira Galitz, director of the swallowing disorders service and deputy director of the ENT department. Dr. Shapira Galitz, a graduate of a sub-specialization in laryngology at the New York University (NYU) Medical Center, is considered one of the leading researchers and experts in Israel in the field of swallowing disorders.

After a quick diagnosis, Dr. Shapira Galitz identified that the source of the problem was a hernia (Zenker's diverticulum) in the upper part of the esophagus, a phenomenon where the esophageal sphincter contracts with force, ejects the food back, and creates an immediate life-threatening danger of choking, pneumonia, and advanced malnutrition.

"Old age in itself is not a contraindication for surgery. Every patient deserves a chance for their quality of life," determined Dr. Shapira Galitz.

The main challenge in the surgery concerned the complexity of the anesthesia: in elderly patients, there is an extremely high physiological sensitivity to anesthetic agents, alongside a slowing in the rate of carbon dioxide clearance. This situation requires continuous monitoring and extremely careful dosage adjustment. After several days of hospitalization and controlled feeding, Yitzhak entered the operating room. The surgical procedure was performed with great success, thanks to close cooperation between the ENT team, thoracic surgery, and the anesthesia team under the management of Dr. Amir Said and Dr. Irina Feibishenko.

The results were immediate. Already on the day of the surgery, Yitzhak ate a dessert and asked for more. Last week, the family returned to Kaplan to thank the dedicated team, reporting happily that Yitzhak had returned to himself and even gained five kilograms in weight.