Dr. Kelly Johnson

Kelly Johnson, DO, is a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist dedicated to women’s health.

Dr. Johnson grew up in the Hudson Valley in Sugarloaf, NY, and now resides in Suffolk County. She loves living on Long Island and practicing medicine in her own community. She is proud to provide renowned comprehensive breast care and surgical expertise to her local community on Long Island.

Dr. Johnson’s career in medicine and surgery was sparked by her love of science, art, volunteerism, and the social aspects of working in a team towards a common goal. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies at the University of Scranton. Her love for travel developed during her undergraduate years when she had the opportunity to study abroad in Rwanda, England, and the indigenous villages of Mexico, where she learned about medicine and health systems in developing countries, gender equity, ecotourism, and development.

She received her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed her General Surgery Residency at Geisinger in Wilkes Barre, PA, where she was the academic chief resident. She is board-certified by the American College of Surgery. Following her residency, Dr. Johnson furthered her expertise, completing a Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)-approved Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center.

In addition to her love of surgery and women’s health, Dr. Johnson’s path to breast surgical oncology was fueled by personal experience. She watched as her grandmother fought and beat breast cancer twice but eventually succumbed to recurrent disease. This not only turned her path toward breast oncology, but further deepened her knowledge of the importance of support through all stages of cancer care and one’s own journey.

She believes the center of patient care is the partnership, trust, and relationship created between the patient and provider. The patient and provider must determine the best treatment plan together, providing an individualized, patient-centered approach to care, as each person is unique. There is no cookie-cutter model of care, and she has pursued further specialized training to provide her patients with options to create a plan and outcome they are satisfied with. She also believes in the importance of helping her patients create a support group that may include family, friends, and/or other cancer survivors in addition to their medical team to help them along their journey.

Dr. Johnson prides herself on being up-to-date with the most cutting-edge surgical techniques. She has trained in multiple localization techniques, including different types of needless localization, ultrasound guided localization, and needle localization. She regularly performs axillary reverse mapping when performing axillary surgery and SLYMPHA to decrease the risks and rate of lymphedema. She also works in conjunction with microsurgery-trained plastic surgeons who offer lympho-venous bypass surgery when indicated. She has been trained to use multiple lymphatic mapping methods, including blue dye, magtrace, technetium and SPY fluorescence imaging. She actively participated as a co-surgeon in a novel margin assessment clinical trial at Montefiore. She has extensive training in oncoplastic techniques, including hidden scars, flat closures, local tissue rearrangement to improve cosmetic outcomes, and skin and nipple-sparing mastectomies. She also works in conjunction with plastic surgeons to provide presentation options in the setting of a mastectomy to patients who are candidates. This surgical technique has been shown to increase sensation after mastectomy. She additionally recognizes the importance of each individual's choice in reconstruction options and works alongside her plastic surgery colleagues who can provide all reconstructive options to her patients. She received her certification in robotic general surgery during her residency and is excited about the prospects of robotic surgery in the field of breast surgery.

Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous publications and has presented at various regional and national meetings. Her research interests lie in lymphedema prevention and treatment, lobular carcinoma, de-escalation of care, underserved communities, and patient satisfaction outcomes. She also has special interests in oncoplastic surgery, genetic testing, and caring for high-risk patients.

Dr. Johnson takes great pride in her osteopathic education. As an osteopathic physician, she has completed over 200 hours of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine in addition to standard medical education. Osteopathic manipulative techniques are hands-on techniques used to treat bodily dysfunction caused by illness, injury, or surgery to restore functionality, improve movement and promote healing. She believes in living a healthy lifestyle to promote total body wellness and the connection of the body, mind, and spirit. This is imperative for cancer prevention, but also during cancer treatment and survivorship. She understands the importance of treating the whole being to create health, balance, and strength in order to fight disease. She has training in a multitude of manipulative techniques to improve range of motion, lymphatic drainage, and help restore overall well-being.

Dr. Johnson is a member of organizations, including The American Society of Breast Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, The American Society of Clinical Oncology, the New York Metropolitan Breast Cancer Group, Medical Society of the State of New York, and the Association of Women Surgeons.

Dr. Johnson resides in Smithtown with her husband, twin boys and two cats. She cherishes spending quality time with her family and friends and is very grateful for their love and support. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outside with her boys, running, hiking, going to the beach, cooking, reading, traveling and exploring the beauty of all that Long Island has to offer.