Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS
Breast Surgeon
My Role at MSKWe post reviews for MSK healthcare providers who have at least 30 patient experience surveys completed. If you do not see reviews for a provider, it may be because they do not yet have enough survey responses, or the provider may not be part of the group of healthcare providers included in the survey.
Only outpatient providers are included in the survey. Healthcare providers who only work in the hospital or in urgent care are not included in the survey. Pathologists or researchers who do not provide direct care to patients do not have reviews.
About Me
- Associate Attending Surgeon
I am a board-certified surgical oncologist whose clinical practice and research endeavors are devoted to caring for people with breast cancer. I specialize in both early- and late-stage procedures, working closely with a multidisciplinary team every step of the way to make certain my patients receive appropriate treatment recommendations. I have been doing this work for 15 years.
I see patients at MSK Monmouth in Middletown, New Jersey, and operate there as well as at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in Manhattan.
Read more
I perform approximately 350 to 400 procedures each year. I have expertise in oncoplastic procedures to ensure positive cosmetic outcomes and have done research on how best to accomplish this. Regardless of disease stage and treatment plan, I stay involved in my patients’ care throughout treatment — up to and after the time of surgery.
As a physician, it is my job to educate patients about their diagnosis and to help them understand treatment options and recommendations. To that end, I have an exploratory/developmental grant (R21) from the National Institutes of Health to create a resource to educate patients about their surgical options, provide medical facts, debunk myths, and offer coping strategies. By arming them with this information, I hope to help remove some of the fear of the unknown.
I understand the psychological impact a breast cancer diagnosis can bring. It affects not only the patient but also everyone around that individual. When treating a patient, I take into consideration treatment recommendations from an oncologic perspective. But more than that, I view the whole person to understand the emotional impact of this disease.
I truly believe it is a privilege to do what I do, and an honor to be a part of my patients’ lives.
My passion for educating and advocating for people with cancer extends beyond my work at MSK. In addition to serving as the Education Liaison for the American College of Surgeons’ Cancer Programs, I am an active member of the Executive Committee for the Commission on Cancer (CoC). CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for people with cancer by setting standards to promote cancer prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive quality care. As Chair of the Education Committee, I am involved in national quality-improvement projects focused on helping hospitals across the country get people back to their cancer screenings post-COVID-19, and improving outreach and education around smoking cessation among people with cancer. I am also on a committee working to improve equity in cancer treatment using CoC standards.
A breast surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on breasts.
My Specialties
- Breast Cancer
- High Risk Breast Cancer Screening
Education
- MD, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn
Residencies
- General Surgery - Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Awards and Honors
- Pillar of Excellence Award, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (2013)
Fellowships
- Breast Surgical Oncology - Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital
Board Certifications
- Surgery
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.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.
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.
If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.
Make an Appointment
Contact and Location
Dr. Kirstein sees patients at one location.
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.
Clinical Trials
- Clinical Trials Investigated by Dr. Kirstein
- A Study Assessing Bupivacaine for Pain Control After Mastectomy
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 trialsResearch and Publications
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Kirstein’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 PubMedPatient Reviews
Your trust is our main concern
We strive to keep reviews trustworthy, honest and fair. Learn more about our patient experience reviews.
Disclosures
Doctors and faculty members 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.
MSK requires doctors and faculty members 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.
Laurie J. Kirstein discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
No disclosures meeting criteria for time period
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, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). 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].