Surgeons and Staff

Find more information on our Surgeons and staff including their experience and accomplishments.


We cannot succeed without the excellent contribution from the members of our multi-disciplinary team. We work very closely with the Breast Surgical Oncology Group at University Health Network. Our close collaboration allows for timely access to immediate breast reconstruction (at the same time as the mastectomy).

Our breast team is composed of the Breast Surgical Oncology Group led by Dr. David McCready. In addition, Dr.’s Leong, Escallon, Easson, Reedjik and Cil perform the latest techniques of nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomy and sentinel node mapping. Their offices are located adjacent to our Breast Reconstruction Clinic at Princess Margaret Hospital, and coordinated timely consultations can be arranged. In addition, our interdisciplinary team includes one clinical nurse specialist at each of our UHN clinics (Princess Margaret Hospital and Toronto General Hospital), floor nurses, physiotherapists specializing in post-breast surgery rehabilitation, and other health care workers.

This team approach provides coordinated treatment and comprehensive care. Our Clinical Nurse Specialists, Sarah Rotstein RN, BSc, BScN, MN (Breast Surgery) and Agnes Wisniewski RN, BScN, MN (Breast Reconstruction) are Registered Nurses that have extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in breast and breast reconstructive surgery. They are the primary people who will provide guidance throughout your surgical journey from diagnosis to survivorship. They offer extensive pre and post-operative teaching and education, support and counseling, and troubleshoot any concerns that may arise to ensure positive patient experience and outcomes. In addition to being patient advocates, they are highly involved in program planning and program initiatives.

Furthermore, in addition to the complete array of surgical procedures offered by our program, research efforts to analyze our current surgical methods with the goal of providing the top level of care to our patients is a major focus of The UHN Breast Reconstruction Program.


dr-siba-haykal-website-photo600

Dr. Siba Haykal

MD., PhD., FRCS(C)

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Dr. Siba Haykal is a graduate of the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Residency Training Program at the University of Toronto and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2016. During her residency, Dr. Haykal was awarded multiple scholarships including the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery Women in Microsurgery Travel Scholarship.

Dr. Haykal pursued a reconstructive microsurgery fellowship in oncological breast, head and neck and trauma reconstruction at the Albany Medical Centre in Albany, New York. She joined the staff there as an attending and Assistant Professor before accepting a position at the University Health Network. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto with a clinical interest in oncological reconstruction of breast, head and neck and extremity.
During her residency, Dr. Haykal obtained a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) in the field of Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine and Immunology.

She is currently a Surgeon-Investigator at the University Health Network. Her research focuses on Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation.

Dr. Haykal has numerous publications in high impact journals and has been the recipient of multiple grants and research awards including a Vanier Scholarship, Young Alumni Award of Excellence from the University of Ottawa, Hugh G Thomson Humanitarian award, Gallie-Bateman First Prize as well as CIHR funding.

Dr. Haykal’s publications https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Haykal+Siba%2C

dr-stefan-hofer

Dr. Stefan O.P. Hofer

M.D., Ph.D., FRCS(C)

Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery

Dr. Stefan Hofer is the chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at University Health Network. He also holds the Wharton Chair for Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Hofer obtained his medical degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1992. He completed a PhD in the Department of Surgery at the University of Amsterdam. He trained at the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands and received board certification in Plastic Surgery in 2000. He was awarded a Dutch Cancer Society clinical fellowship, for a one-year Microsurgery Reconstruction Fellowship at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia.

Between 2001 and 2007 he was a Plastic and Reconstructive staff surgeon at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where he was the Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Oncology. In October 2007 he was recruited into his current position at University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Hofer is internationally recognized for his outstanding contributions in the areas of clinical service, education, and research. He has over 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers and close to 200 national and international invited presentations. He has received numerous peer-reviewed grants for scientific research, as well as many kind donations to the hospital by grateful patients and their families to support his research program to improve outcomes for his patients and develop new techniques to improve patient care.

Dr. Hofer finds balance for his busy professional life through family, long-distance running, triathlon and travel.

Dr. Hofer’s publications https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Hofer+SO%2C

dr-oneil-colour-edit

Dr. Anne O’Neill

MBBCh., MedSci., FRCS(Plast), MSc., PhD

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Dr. Anne O’Neill joined the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at University Health Network as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in 2013. Dr. O’Neill received her medical degree from the National University of Ireland graduating with honours in 1999. She commenced her surgical training in 2000 and was awarded an Associate Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2002. She subsequently commenced sub-specialization in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and was awarded her Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in this discipline in 2011. She completed a clinical fellowship in microsurgery and breast reconstruction at University of Toronto in 2012. Her clinical interest is in oncological reconstruction including breast, sarcoma and pelvic reconstruction with a particular focus on microvascular surgery.

She completed a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and was awarded a PhD from the National University of Ireland for her work on the application of novel photochemical technologies in microsurgery. She was also awarded a Masters degree in Medical Sciences from the National University of Ireland and a Masters of Science degree in translational medicine from the University of Edinburgh. She has presented and received awards for her work both nationally and internationally and has published almost 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Her current clinical research interests include the development and validation of risk prediction models to improve the safety and efficacy of complex cancer reconstruction.

Dr. O’Neill’s publications https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=O’Neill+Anne+C%2C

dr-toni-zhong

Dr. Toni Zhong

M.D., M.H.S., FRCS(C)

Director for the UHN Breast Reconstruction Program

Dr. Zhong is the Director for the UHN Breast Reconstruction Program, and the inaugural Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstruction at UHN. She was recruited from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City in 2008. Between 2008-2010, she also obtained her Masters of Health Sciences from the Harvard School of Public Health. Her research aims to improve women’s access to optimized technique of breast reconstruction through clinical trials and health services research. In 2012, she was awarded the prestigious Career Development Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncologists. She holds a five-year Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) grant and leads a national team to examine barriers to breast reconstruction surgery across Canada. She was appointed as the Provincial Lead in the development of clinical guidelines to set new provincial standards for breast cancer reconstruction in Ontario. Dr. Zhong currently has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and holds 10 active national level research grants.

Dr. Zhong is one of the founding members of WomenforWomen, a non-profit international humanitarian organization and annually leads international surgical teams overseas. She is a co-founder of the UHN Helps Fund, a humanitarian fund to support patients from developing countries to receive surgeries at UHN. She was awarded the Dean’s Alumni Award of Excellence from University Of Western Ontario in 2018.

Dr Zhong’s publications https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Zhong+Toni%2C

dr-david-mccready

Dr. David McCready

MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS

Head of the Breast Centre

Dr. McCready is a Surgical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre with both clinical and research interests in breast cancer. He is Lead of the Breast Cancer Site Group, Head of the Breast Centre, and Medical Director of the PMH Operating Room and holds the Gattuso Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology. His academic and research interests include clinical trials regarding optimal breast cancer treatment, health services research regarding optimal diagnosis and treatment and sentinel lymph node biopsy.

dr-wey-leong

Dr. Wey Liang Leong

MD, MSc, ARLAT, FRCSC

Surgical Oncologist

Dr. Leong is a Surgical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre with both clinical and research interests in breast cancer. His academic and research interests include the genetic epidemiology of breast cancer and novel techniques and technologies in the diagnosis of breast cancer and melanoma.

dr-jamie-escallon

Dr. Jamie Escallon

MD, FRCSC, FACS

Surgical Oncologist

Dr. Escallon is a Surgical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Coordinator of Breast Surgery and Breast Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai Hospital. His clinical interest is surgical oncology of breast cancer. He participates in several clinical trials related to breast cancer and has an interest in surgical education.

dr-michael-reedjik

Dr. Michael Reedijk

MD, PhD, FRCSC

Surgical-Scientist

Dr. Michael Reedijk is an Associate Professor and Surgical-Scientist in the Departments of Surgery and Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. He obtained both his PhD in Medical Genetics and his medical training at the University of Toronto. Dr. Reedijk is the Head of Research, Department of Surgical Oncology at the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital. His clinical practice is devoted to the surgical treatment of melanoma and malignancies of the breast. His research lab, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is within The Campbell Family Institute for Cancer Research/Ontario Cancer Institute at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. The lab focuses on oncogenic developmental signaling pathways, tumor immunology and immunotherapy.

dr-tulin-cil-edit-1

Dr. Tulin Cil

MD, FRCPC, Med

Surgical Oncologist

Dr. Cil is a Surgical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Women’s College Hospital. Her clinical practice is devoted to the care of patients with breast disease and general surgery. Her academic and research interests include breast disease and general surgery, innovative teaching strategies and mechanisms of learning surgical skills.

team-1

Dr. Alexandra Easson

MD, MSc, FRCSC

Surgical Oncologist

Dr. Easson is a Surgical Oncologist at the Mount Sinai Hospital and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her clinical and research focus is on the management of breast, melanoma and gastrointestinal malignancy. She participates in multidisciplinary clinical groups that manage these diseases, and has a particular interest in surgical palliative care.

agnes-wisniewski

Agnes Wisniewski

RN, BScN, MN

Clinical Nurse Coordinator

Agnes Wisniewski RN, BScN, MN is a Clinical Nurse Coordinator for the Breast Reconstruction Program at the University Health Network since 2014. Having completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree in 2007 at Ryerson University, and looking to further her professional development, Agnes, subsequently, pursued and completed her Masters in Nursing at University of Toronto in 2011.Her work experience on the Otolaryngology/Plastics and Medical Surgical Intensive Care inpatient units, from 2007 to 2014, included duties and responsibilities of a front line staff nurse. With a strong focus on patient care, and advocacy Agnes honed her clinical skill set and knowledge base and became aware that she had a special interest in working with the breast cancer patient population and in, particular, the area of breast reconstruction.In her current role as a Clinical Nurse Coordinator for Breast Reconstruction, Agnes performs various tasks throughout the trajectory of care for this patient population. At the outset of the patient’s journey, to survivorship, Agnes is a primary resource and contact for patients. She offers support, troubleshoots any issues of concerns that may arise and provides extensive pre and post-operative teaching and counselling. In addition, her expertise in this area, has afforded her the opportunity to provide education through ongoing presentations and in-services to health care professionals with a focus on awareness in breast reconstruction developments.

sarah-rotstein

Sarah Rotstein

RN, BScN, BSC, MN

Clinical Nurse Coordinator

Sarah Rotstein is a graduate of the University of Toronto undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. Before attending the University of Toronto, she attained a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Theatre studies from Dalhousie University. Her clinical practice has focused on surgical oncology. Sarah has a passion for patient/family centered care, pain management, and education.As the surgical nurse coordinator within the breast group, Sarah works with all the breast surgeons, meeting patients prior to them undergoing breast cancer surgeries. She is a contact for women throughout their surgical journeys. As a nurse coordinator, Sarah takes on different roles, such as educator, navigator and provider of psychosocial support. Sarah also conducts the breast cancer surgery education class held at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Sarah works collaboratively with Agnes and the entire breast site to ensure patient care is optimized and women feel supported throughout the surgical process.

amanda-perrotta-pa-photo

Amanda Perrotta

BSc, BHSc(PA), CCPA

Physician Assistant

Amanda Perrotta is a 2018 graduate of Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Education Program at McMaster University. Following completion of her clinical training, Amanda was successful at obtaining her designation as a Canadian Certified Physician Assistant (CCPA).

Prior to this, Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science degree as well as an Honors Specialization in Kinesiology at Western University. With previous research experience and publications, Amanda is a life-long learner with an ongoing interest in innovation and clinical research; specifically, within surgical breast oncology and reconstruction.

As the inaugural Physician Assistant within University Health Network’s Breast Oncology Reconstruction Program, Amanda is devoted to delivering optimal comprehensive patient care. She functions as a physician-extender in the perioperative setting; assisting in surgeries, and providing both inpatient and outpatient care.