ABOUT
Dr Tai Friesem is a globally recognized expert in the field of spinal surgery and holds the Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Soroka University Hospital.
Covering all areas of the spine, Dr Friesem performs both open and minimally invasive surgeries, including treatment with diagnostic injections.
Some of the surgeries Dr Friesem performs include:
- Complex spinal deformities surgery
- Minimally invasive discectomy
- Surgery for spinal stenosis
- Spinal fusion
- Surgery for spinal tumours
- Total disc replacement
- Augmentation of vertebral bodies – kyphoplasty
- Treatment of spinal trauma
- Pain treatments
Prior to attending medical school at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Dr Friesem completed his army service as an officer in the IDF Artillery Corps, ultimately reaching the rank of major.
Dr Friesem undertook his residency in Orthopaedic surgery in Kaplan Hospital, Rehovot followed by a fellowship in the Study of Complex Spinal Surgeries at the Centre for Spinal Studies and Surgery at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, England in 1994 and 1995. During this time, Dr Friesem was responsible for drafting and implementing a proposal for the introduction of minimally invasive spinal surgery to the unit in Nottingham.
Dr Friesem studied endoscopic and minimally invasive surgery in leading centres in Hamburg-Saar, Germany, Dallas Texas, Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Minneapolis Minnesota in the USA.
On his return to Israel in 1996, Dr Friesem began working as a senior surgeon in the National Spinal Unit for the Clalit Health Fund, in Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba, before being invited to join the Spinal Unit in Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem in 2000.
In 2002, Dr Friesem moved to the UK, where he was both head of the Spinal Unit and clinical lead for Orthopaedic surgery at the University Hospital of North Tees.
Dr Friesem has been an invited guest speaker, lecturer and instructor for anterior approaches to the spine, endoscopic approaches and dynamic stabilisation of the spine at international conferences and courses in places such as the USA, the UK, Israel, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, India, China and Korea.
His involvement in the research and development of various spinal implants and surgical techniques which resulted in numerous patents and publications.
In 2019, Dr Friesem returned to Israel to take up the post of Chair of Orthopaedic surgery at Soroka University Hospital in Be’er Sheva.