Geoffrey E. Hespe

Geoffrey E. Hespe, MD

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Breast cancers and conditions
  • Head and neck cancers
  • Skin cancer and conditions

My Specialties

  • Breast reconstruction
  • DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery
  • Head and neck reconstruction
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Get to Know Me

I am a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with special training in complex reconstruction following treatment for breast cancer, head and neck cancer, cancers of the chest and extremities, as well as skin cancers.

I see patients at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and perform procedures at Memorial Hospital and the Josie Robertson Surgery Center in New York City.

With my extensive training in plastic surgery and reconstructive microsurgery, I am experienced in a wide range of approaches to restore both a patient’s appearance and functional outcome following treatment for cancer.

Every patient has unique goals for their reconstruction. My approach is to listen carefully and provide education about all the available options. We then work together to make decisions and create a personalized treatment plan than aligns with the patient’s expectations.

My fellowship in microsurgery allows me to reconstruct defects from head to toe using a patient’s own tissue. This approach is called autologous reconstruction. Microsurgery involves transferring tissue, which can include skin, fat, or muscle, to a new location on the body and then reconnecting blood vessels under a microscope.  

In certain instances, I use perforator flaps, such as the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap commonly used in breast reconstruction. This is a technique which can help reduce some of the negative effects associated with autologous reconstruction.

Beyond clinical care, I am committed to improving results for patients through translational research. The challenges my patients face after cancer treatment inspire me to better understand these complicated processes at a basic level so that I can develop ways to help them.

My research focuses on understanding the biology of lymphatic vessel development and repair following injury. This helps better understand lymphedema, a condition that effects many cancer patients, with the goal of developing new treatment options.

Outside of the hospital I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, running, and playing golf.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, which is a doctor with special training in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. These procedures make your body work better or look better.

  • Assistant Attending Surgeon
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Breast cancers and conditions
  • Head and neck cancers
  • Skin cancer and conditions
  • Lymphedema

My Specialties

  • Breast reconstruction
  • DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery
  • Head and neck reconstruction
  • Mohs reconstructive surgery
  • Lymphedema surgery
  • Microsurgical breast reconstruction
This list shows some key areas of focus, but it may not cover all expertise. When making an appointment, you will be matched with the best healthcare provider for your needs.
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Residencies

  • Plastic Surgery, University of Michigan

Fellowships

  • Reconstructive Microsurgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Learn more about the insurance plans that participate with MSK.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

Health plans can change at any time. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your plan covers. Make sure it covers the MSK location where you’ll get care.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Service doctors

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Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

  1. Hespe GE, Sugg KB, Stein EB Ellsworth WA, Kung TA, Momoh AO. Contralateral autologous augmentation in DIEP flap reconstruction: Employing CT angiography and volumetric analysis for pre-operative planning. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2024 May 14. (PMID: 38742873)
  2. Hespe GE & Brown DL. Management of neuropathic pain with neurectomy combined with dermal sensory regenerative peripheral nerve interface (DS-RPNI). Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 2024 Jan 19; 38(1): 48-52. (PMID: 38495065)
  3. Hespe GE, Matusko N, Hamill JB, Kozlow JH, Pusic AL, Wilkins EG. Outcomes of breast reconstruction in patients with stage IV breast cancer. JPRAS. 2023 Apr 19;83:51-56. (PMID: 37270995)
  4. Hespe GE, Ly CL, Kataru RP, Mehrara BJ. Baseline lymphatic dysfunction amplifies the negative effects of lymphatic injury. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2019 Jan; 143(1): 77e-87e. (PMID: 30589786)
  5. Hespe GE, Kataru RP, Savetsky IL, García Nores GD, Torrisi JS, Nitti MD, Gardenier JC, Zhou, J, Yu, JZ, Jones, LW, Mehrara BJ. Exercising training improves obesity-related lymphatic dysfunction. Journal of Physiology. 2016 Aug 1; 594(15): 4267-4282. (PMID: 26931178)
Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Hespe’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Geoffrey E. Hespe discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Wolters Kluwer
    Intellectual Property Rights

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2025 through disclosure submission in spring 2026). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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