A peer-reviewed medical study led by an Israeli doctor who was killed while treating patients during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack has been published in a leading international journal, completing work he began before his death and highlighting both scientific findings and personal loss.
Dr. Daniel Levi, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, was murdered while on duty at the clinic in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas assault. The study he initiated — examining whether surgery for obstructive sleep apnea is safe in infants and toddlers — was published this month in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology, listing Levi as a lead author.
The paper, first published Jan. 14, assesses surgical outcomes in children under the age of 2, a group traditionally considered at higher risk for complications. Levi and colleague Dr. Daniel Yafit contributed equally to the research, according to the authors.
Levi, his wife Lihi and their two children moved to Kibbutz Be’eri in 2022, after he began his residency at Soroka, part of Clalit Health Services. On the morning of Oct. 7, as gunmen infiltrated the community, Levi was called from his home to the kibbutz dental clinic, which had become a makeshift treatment center for the wounded. He treated patients there for hours before he was killed by a grenade explosion shortly before 2 p.m.
Before his death, Levi had completed nearly all of the study’s data collection. Colleagues at Soroka later finished the analysis and manuscript, committing to publish the research with his name as lead author and dedicating it to his memory.
“For us, this was about more than commemoration,” said Dr. Oren Ziv, a senior physician in Soroka’s ENT department and one of the study’s authors. “It was about ensuring Daniel’s work reached the medical community.”
The retrospective study analyzed 419 pediatric patients who underwent surgery for obstructive sleep apnea, dividing them into three age groups: infants under 1 year, toddlers aged 1 to 2, and children over 2 years old. Procedures included adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy and combined surgeries.
Researchers found that infants and toddlers generally experienced longer hospital stays and higher rates of precautionary pediatric intensive care unit admissions, particularly among infants. However, after adjusting for the type of surgery performed, no significant differences were found in rates of serious complications such as bleeding, dehydration, fever or emergency room visits.
Notably, the study reported no cases of postoperative bleeding or dehydration among infants, a finding the authors attributed to more conservative surgical approaches and closer postoperative monitoring.
The analysis did find higher rates of repeat surgery over a 10-year follow-up period among children under 2, reflecting the likelihood of tissue regrowth and the need for continued monitoring. After statistical adjustment, those differences were no longer significant.
The authors concluded that surgery for obstructive sleep apnea in children aged 2 and under is generally safe when performed with appropriate techniques and follow-up, while emphasizing the need to inform parents about longer hospital stays and the possibility of future procedures.
The publication process was not straightforward. According to Ziv, several journals declined to consider the paper after the authors included a dedication noting that Levi was killed while treating patients during the Oct. 7 attack. The team refused to remove the acknowledgment.
The paper was ultimately accepted and published with the dedication intact: “In memory of our beloved Dr. Daniel Levi, who was brutally murdered on 7/10/23 while treating patients in the infirmary of Kibbutz Be’eri.”
Levi’s widow said the timing of the publication — days before what would have been his 37th birthday — carried emotional weight.
“It’s an enormous source of pride,” Lihi Levi said. “But it also sharpens the sense of everything he didn’t get to finish.”
Colleagues described Levi as dedicated and meticulous, with a strong commitment to both his patients and research.
“Beyond everything else,” Ziv said, “this study ensures that Daniel’s work, his name and his impact will remain part of medicine.”