Dr. Lisa S. Wiechmann, MD

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Get to know Surgical Oncologist Dr. Lisa S. Wiechmann, who serves patients in New York City, New York.

Rated one of New York Magazine’s Best Doctors, Dr. Wiechmann is a remarkable and respected surgical oncologist. Her interests include triple negative breast cancer (ER, PR, and HER2 negative), the genetic and familial predisposition to breast cancer, and disparities in cancer treatment and outcomes.

At present, she is a part of the team of professionals at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/Herbert Irving Pavilion, ColumbiaDoctors Midtown, and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery) – all of which are located in New York City, New York.

The doctor works closely with a multi-disciplinary team including radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons and other breast cancer support staff. Her goal is to make the patient and family experience as simple, thorough, and streamlined as possible. She approaches each patient in a personal, kind, and compassionate way and believes in shared decision-making and teamwork. 

Alongside her clinical role, Dr. Wiechmann serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. It is a clinical, research, and educational enterprise located on a campus in northern Manhattan.

A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, she is board-certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery, which 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. 

Born and raised in Florence, Italy, Dr. Wiechmann received her medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Florence, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Upon relocating to the United States, she completed her residency in general surgery at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, followed by a research fellowship in the prestigious laboratory of Dr. Kent Osborne and Dr. Rachel Schiff at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center of the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. 

At Baylor, her research focused on the preclinical development of therapies targeting the HER2 receptor. Following its completion, she was the recipient of the Breast Cancer Alliance Award that funded her clinical fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This, in turn, led to her participation in the prestigious ASCO/AACR (American Society for Clinical Oncology/American Association for Cancer Research) course, Methods in Clinical Cancer Research.

Many patient–driven awards have recognized Dr. Wiechmann for her dedication to the field, her research and oncology publications, as well as her ability to offer exceptional personalized cancer care. These include: the “Faces of Respect” Award at Montefiore Medical Center (2011-2013), the Greenwich Hospital Quality Award (2015), Inclusion in Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors (2016-current), Inclusion in Exceptional Woman In Medicine (2017-current), and listed in the “Guide to America’s Top Surgeons”, among others. She has also been repeatedly recognized with honors by Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and the Society of Surgical Oncology.

Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery applied to oncology. It focuses on the surgical management of tumors, especially cancerous tumors. A surgical oncologist removes the tumor and nearby tissue during surgery. He or she also performs certain types of biopsies to help diagnose cancer.

On a more personal note, Dr. Wiechmann speaks English, Spanish, and Italian fluently and can conduct consultations in any of those languages.

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