Board-Certified · Expert Witness · IME · Available Nationwide
The most complex breast surgery cases demand an expert whose credentials, clinical depth, and courtroom clarity are genuinely beyond question.
Inquiries Welcome
About
Dr. Yana Puckett is a fellowship-trained, double board-certified breast surgical oncologist whose academic credentials are among the strongest you will find in the expert witness field. She holds four advanced degrees — in medicine, business administration, public health, and science — giving her the ability to evaluate cases across clinical, epidemiological, and healthcare systems dimensions that single-specialty experts simply cannot match.
She completed her Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, one of the nation's preeminent cancer centers, and her General Surgery Residency at Texas Tech University. She has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications and multiple scientific book chapters — a scholarly output that places her among the most academically credentialed breast surgery experts available for litigation support anywhere in the country.
Dr. Puckett is based in Orlando, Florida, holds active medical licenses in Florida, South Carolina, and Texas, and accepts engagements from both plaintiff and defense counsel nationwide. She is known for opinions that are objective, evidence-grounded, clearly written, and built to withstand rigorous opposing challenge.
Professional Affiliations
Advanced Training
Degrees Held
Why Attorneys Choose Dr. Puckett
Four advanced degrees. Double board certification. 120+ peer-reviewed publications. Fellowship training at a leading cancer center. Dr. Puckett's qualifications are essentially airtight under the scrutiny of any expert challenge — and opposing counsel knows it.
Dr. Puckett is an actively practicing breast surgical oncologist — not a retired physician recalling how things used to be done. Her opinions reflect current surgical standards, evolving national guidelines, and real operative decision-making as it happens today.
Years of teaching complex breast oncology to residents, fellows, and multidisciplinary teams means Dr. Puckett translates dense medical subject matter into clear, compelling testimony. Juries follow her. Judges respect her. Opposing counsel prepares carefully for her.
Dr. Puckett works for both plaintiff and defense counsel. This is not a liability — it is the mark of an expert whose opinions are driven by the evidence, not the engagement. That credibility is visible to the fact-finder from the moment she takes the stand.
Her MPH and research background allow her to address statistical risk, population-level data, and causation analysis that go beyond what a purely clinical expert can offer — particularly powerful in cases involving diagnostic failure patterns or systemic harm.
Expert witness engagements are won or lost on preparation and responsiveness. Dr. Puckett approaches every retention with the same precision and professionalism she brings to her clinical practice — clear communication, timely delivery, no surprises.
Areas of Expertise
Lumpectomy, mastectomy (skin-sparing, nipple-sparing, bilateral prophylactic), sentinel lymph node biopsy, axillary dissection, and oncoplastic reconstruction. Benign breast disease, high-risk screening, and BRCA pathway management.
Missed or delayed breast cancer diagnosis, failure to biopsy, misinterpretation of imaging or pathology, inadequate clinical follow-up, and diagnostic pathway failures that result in measurable harm or stage progression.
Intraoperative decision-making failures, inadequate margin assessment, inappropriate extent of surgery, postoperative complication management, re-excision failures, seroma, hematoma, and nerve injury analysis.
Comprehensive, evidence-based standard of care opinions grounded in peer-reviewed literature and landmark clinical trials — ACOSOG Z0011, AMAROS, SOUND, and current consensus guidelines from NCCN, ASBrS, and ASCO.
Unnecessary surgical intervention, failure to present reconstructive options, inappropriate systemic treatment sequencing, or deviation from evidence-based multidisciplinary oncology standards of care.
Expert review of breast imaging (mammography, ultrasound, MRI), biopsy technique and adequacy, pathology interpretation, localization failures, and interdisciplinary communication breakdowns in diagnostic pathways.
IMEs covering delayed diagnosis, surgical decision-making, postoperative complications, oncologic disability, and causation analysis in breast and skin malignancy cases. Impairment evaluation and medical record review for insurance carriers, IME companies, law firms, and case managers — for both plaintiff and defense.
Credentials
Board Certifications
American Board of Surgery — General Surgery
American Board of Surgery — Complex General Surgical Oncology
Active Medical Licenses
Florida · South Carolina · Texas
DEA Registration — Active
Scholarly Output
120+ peer-reviewed publications in surgical oncology & breast surgery
Author of multiple scientific book chapters
National and international conference presentations
Teaching & Academic Lecturing
Breast Cancer Surgery & Oncoplastic Techniques
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy & Axillary Management
Landmark Trial Application — ACOSOG Z0011, AMAROS, SOUND
Breast Imaging–Pathology Correlation
Surgical Complications — M&M Case Presentations
Breast Cancer Disparities & Public Health
Research Methodology & Scientific Writing
Services
Confidential preliminary review to assess the medical merits of a case, identify deviations from standard of care, and provide early strategic guidance before significant litigation investment is made.
Thorough, clearly written expert reports grounded in current peer-reviewed literature and clinical guidelines — articulating standard of care, breach, causation, and damages with precision sufficient to withstand opposing scrutiny.
Composed, authoritative deposition testimony delivered with the composure of an experienced clinical educator. Complex oncology principles communicated in defensible terms that hold up under the most rigorous cross-examination.
Polished trial testimony that combines clinical authority with genuine teaching ability. Dr. Puckett is effective before technically sophisticated expert panels and lay juries alike — credible, composed, and precise under pressure.
Dr. Puckett performs independent medical examinations for insurance carriers, IME companies, law firms, and case managers. Specializing in breast and skin malignancies, her IMEs address delayed diagnosis, surgical decision-making, postoperative complications, and oncologic disability assessments — delivered with clinical precision, objectivity, and timely turnaround. Listed in the SEAK Independent Medical Examiner Directory.
Comprehensive review of medical records, operative reports, imaging, and pathology without in-person examination — providing causation analysis, impairment evaluation, treatment necessity opinions, and disability assessments in breast and surgical oncology cases. Experienced serving both plaintiff and defense counsel with clear, evidence-based, and timely written opinions.
Contact
Dr. Puckett accepts expert witness engagements on behalf of both plaintiff and defense counsel in cases involving breast surgery, surgical oncology, and related medical malpractice matters throughout the United States.
Contact directly to discuss the details of your case, timelines, and availability. All initial consultations are treated as confidential.
Phone
803-398-1838Location
Orlando, Florida — Available NationwideDr. Puckett's commitment to working for both sides of litigation is a direct reflection of her approach to expert witness work: the medical record speaks for itself, and her job is to render an honest, evidence-based opinion — not to advocate. That integrity is her most valuable asset in any courtroom.