Dr. Nella Shapiro, MD

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Get to know Breast Surgeon Dr. Nella Shapiro, who serves patients in the Bronx, New York.

Dr. Shapiro is a well-known and respected breast surgeon who has treated multiple generations of patients in the Bronx and surrounding boroughs of New York City. She currently serves as the Director of Breast Surgery at the Eastchester Center for Breast Care, a division of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS).

NYCBS is proud to offer compassionate care in twenty-five offices (and counting!) in its effort to conquer cancer close to home. As Long Island’s premier network of community oncology treatment centers, the providers strive to deliver the most advanced cancer treatment in a manner that is both affordable and convenient for patients.

Taking her role as a patient advocate seriously, Dr. Shapiro and her team take extra measures to ensure that patients receive care conveniently and effectively. Under her leadership, the Eastchester Center for Breast Care offers lumpectomies and mastectomies as well as DIEP flap breast reconstruction. 

A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, she is board-certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery (ABS). The ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge.

When she was just 12 years old, Dr. Shapiro knew she wanted to be a physician. During a family outing, her grandmother began experiencing pain in her gums. After the family returned home, a local physician arrived for a house call and quickly determined that her grandmother was having a heart attack.

“I asked him how he knew that she was having a heart attack even though she only had pain in her gums. I was with my parents, these smart grown-ups, and they didn’t know — but he knew. That’s when I decided I needed to become a doctor, so I could know those things for my family” recalled Dr. Shapiro.

Seeing her plan through, she graduated with her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She then went on to perform her internship and residency at Montefiore Medical Center in 1976, where she was the first woman to complete the general surgery residency. 

With a unique focus on breast cancer, Dr. Shapiro is affiliated with Montefiore Medical Center. Prior to her current endeavours, she was an Assistant Clinical Professor in the combined departments of surgery at the Jack D. Weiler Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine & the Associate Director of Surgery at the Jack D. Weiler Hospital. 

She brought laparoscopic cholecystectomy to Jack D. Weiler Hospital as its Associate Director of Surgery. After learning how to remove gallbladders laparoscopically — a technique that gained popularity in the early 1990s — she and her medical partner taught the procedure to the other surgeons at the hospital.

Breast surgery is a form of surgery performed on the breast. The typical duties of a breast surgeon include preparing patients for surgery, performing operations to remove tumors, and ensuring effective post-surgery care for patients.

In recognition of her work, Dr. Shapiro has been the recipient of several awards and honors, including On-Time Doctor Award (2018), Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), and Patients’ Choice Award (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

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