Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Fellowship-Trained Breast Surgeon Comprehensive Breast Center at Physicians Regional Healthcare System
By Randall Kenneth Jones
Breast Surgeon
Though the celebrated Comprehensive Breast Center at Physicians Regional-Collier Boulevard has been in operation for almost two years, there’s a new face leading the charge on women’s breast health.
Virginia-native Dr. Troy Shell has joined Physicians Regional Medical Group—a strategic affiliate of Physicians Regional Healthcare System—to helm the state-of-the-art Breast Center.
Dr. Shell was born and raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia, however; her relocation to Southwest Florida has, in a sense, been just like “coming home.” She and her family have been vacationing on Marco Island since she was eight years old.
“Marco has always been a peaceful place for me,” says Dr. Shell. “My favorite thing to do is walk Tigertail Beach.” Ironically, one of her favorite beach activities is collecting, of all things, shells. So yes, her seashore-themed surname serves her well.
Then there’s her atypical first name: Troy. “My mother really liked the name ‘Troy’ for a girl,” she explains. “Troy means strong and courageous so I’d like to think it suits me.” Of course, “strong” and “courageous” are words that appropriately describe so many of her patients.
Dr. Shell received her Doctor of Medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, followed by an internship at the University Of Virginia Department of Surgery in Charlottesville. For her residency, she returned to Eastern Virginia Medical School and their Department of Surgery.
She is also the only fellowship-trained breast surgeon in Collier County—an accreditation that can only be obtained by additional intensive focus on all aspects of breast-health surgical and medical procedures.
“Breast care can be so complicated,” she says. “I don’t think you really pick up on the nuances until you get through fellowship. I ultimately spent an entire year completing my fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta. During this time, I was focused exclusively on breast health.”
Though an off-duty Dr. Troy Shell is likely to be found outdoors, her most important work undoubtedly takes place indoors.
For example, if an OBYGN or a primary care physician orders a mammogram that produces a cause for concern, Dr. Shell will begin working with that patient and direct them through the entire continuum of recommended care. Essentially, Dr. Shell addresses suspected or diagnosed breast-health issues.
At the Physicians Regional’s Comprehensive Breast Center, Dr. Shell and her team focus on multi-disci-
plinary care such as imaging/ultrasound, clinical breast exams and surgery. They also work closely with their patients’ oncologists, gynecologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons and genetic counselors.
Though a physician’s hands are good at detecting abnormalities, an ultrasound gives exact measurements and allows for three-dimensional mapping of a surgical abnormality. In this situation, an ultrasound of the breast is like the stethoscope for the breast.
Because Dr. Shell is 100% devoted to breast care, she is on top of the latest research, technology, clinical trials, surgical and treatment options available.
The Comprehensive Breast Center at Physicians Regional also places a significant emphasis on emotional support—compassionate care is viewed with equal importance to actual physical treatment.
The Center provides the added comfort of an all-female staff—a group of medical professionals who
who are culturally sensitive to the way different cultures view their bodies and their breasts.
“As a child, I always thought I would be a plastic surgeon. However, during my residency, I found myself really enjoying my breast patients. I loved the relationship aspect of breast care. There’s a special element of: ‘I’m going to take care of you forever.’”
As for the choice of a medical career: “I just felt it was always my calling.” She then laughs and continues: “I was the little girl who loved blood and guts. At the time, my dad was so concerned. If we were cutting up a fish or a frog, I was all about it. At 12, I even shadowed a neonatologist for a few days just to understand what he did.”
As for the little girl who grew up and “came home” to Collier County, Dr. Shell smiles and shares: “I used to drive past the Collier Boulevard Hospital and tell my mom: ‘I’m going to work there! And now I do.”
The Comprehensive Breast Center is located in the Regional Medical Arts Building at Physicians Regional-Collier Boulevard, 8340 Collier Boulevard, Suite 202, Naples, FL 34114.
Patients should call 239-348-4396 for more information or to schedule an appointment.