Meet Breast Cancer Surgeon Virgilio Sacchini

Virgilio Sacchini, MD

Breast Surgeon

Titles

Attending Surgeon

Clinical Expertise

Breast Cancer

Share

New Patient Appointments

Scheduling a visit is easy. Click below or call us to get started.

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., (Eastern time)
Accepted Insurance Providers

Dr. Sacchini accepts the following list of insurance providers. Select your insurance provider to see more details.

Aetna

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (City of NY retirees only, starting 9/1/23)

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield New York

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO PPO, POS

Blue Cross Health Plus

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Carrum Health

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): Supplemental

Cigna

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem Essential

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO

Empire Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO, DSN

Empire Essential

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Fidelis

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

First Health

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Healthfirst

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO

Horizon Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Magnacare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): Supplemental

MVP

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

Payor Type: Other
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): TBD

Oscar

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO/EPO

Oxford

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Qualcare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO

UMR

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS

United Healthcare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO

Contact and Location

Locations map
Find a Convenient Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering has locations throughout New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester. These locations offer many services, including screening, chemotherapy, and medical testing.

See all locations

About Me

Education

MD, Universita degli Studi di Milano (Italy)

Residencies

Universita degli Studi di Milano (Italy)

Fellowships

Instituto Nazionale Tumori (Milan, Italy)

Board Certifications

General Surgery (Europe)

I am an experienced surgeon dedicated to caring for people with breast cancer. I perform about 330 operations each year, including surgeries to treat breast cancer and benign breast diseases. My goal is to achieve the best possible cancer outcomes and cosmetic results for my patients, including reducing the risk of complications and relapse after surgery.

I perform all types of breast surgery, such as breast conservation (lumpectomy), mastectomy, and prophylactic surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer, as well as procedures to manage cancer that has spread to axillary lymph nodes. I am especially skilled in nipple-sparing mastectomy for people with breast cancer and prophylactic surgery for people at high risk for the disease, such as those who carry certain genetic mutations.

Read more

People newly diagnosed with breast cancer are often devastated by this news and are afraid of what lies ahead. They may be scared by the thought of surgery and treatment, or of dying from their disease. My goal is to help them feel confident that they are in good hands and that we will take care of them, because they are more than just a medical record number.

I reassure my patients that this disease is treatable and they can continue to have a good quality of life. Each person at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) receives a customized care plan that includes state-of-the-art therapies tailored to meet their physical and psychological needs, not just the cancer itself.

Breast cancers are not all the same, and each one may respond to a different therapeutic approach. With better operations like nipple-sparing mastectomy, plastic surgery techniques, and conservative surgery, we have been able to improve cosmetic results and quality of life for people with breast cancer.

Early in my career, I became very committed to working to decrease the incidence of cancer and improve its curability. Breast cancer is a fascinating model disease to study, especially as new methods and techniques have been developed to treat it.

Today, cancer care often uses multiple approaches, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. These can often be combined to determine the best care plan for each person, without risking undertreatment or overtreatment, and reducing complications and side effects as much as possible.

At MSK, I am an active researcher involved in several clinical trials, including studies to investigate chemoprevention of breast cancer, prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy for women at high risk of breast cancer, and intraoperative radiation therapy for people with early-stage disease. Additionally, I have published more than 160 research papers and book chapters about breast cancer.

Prior to joining MSK, I served as Deputy Director of the Breast Department at the European Institute of Oncology, a leading institution for the study and treatment of breast cancer. I was a co-investigator of clinical trials in Milan to evaluate lumpectomy and sentinel-node mapping in people with breast cancer. I was also a clinical coordinator of the Italian Breast Cancer Prevention Study with Tamoxifen and a clinical investigator in breast cancer trials for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).

As a pioneer of nipple sparing mastectomy, I have had one of the largest experiences with this technique in the United States. My scientific activity in the last 15 years has focused on showing its safety in certain people with breast cancer, including those at high-risk for the disease. I have written several papers focusing on refinements of nipple-sparing mastectomy and its impact on oncologic and cosmetic outcomes. Additionally, I have authored more than 160 research papers and book chapters about breast cancer and its diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)

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 Breast Service doctors

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

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Sacchini’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

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.

Virgilio Sacchini discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Best Doctors
    Provision of Services
  • Plastic Surgery Group AG
    Provision of Services
  • Universita' degli Studi di Milano
    Provision of Services

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 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, 2021 through disclosure submission in spring 2022). 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].


View all disclosures