A girl sat alone on the school bus, isolated by classmates who teased her for her cleft lip and palate. After reconstructive surgery transformed her face and social standing, a young medical student, Andrew Jacono, witnessed how surgical intervention could reshape lives. That observation became the foundation for humanitarian work spanning domestic violence recovery and international pediatric missions.
Dr. Andrew Jacono, a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in New York, has built a practice around a principle that extends far beyond Park Avenue operating rooms. Technical excellence in cosmetic surgery, he believes, carries an obligation to serve those who cannot afford care. His commitment has manifested in two distinct humanitarian streams: domestic work with survivors of violence and international missions treating children born with facial deformities.
Reconstructing Lives After Domestic Violence
The numbers tell part of the story. Dr. Andrew Jacono has performed facial reconstructions for more than 100 survivors of domestic violence through the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s FACE TO FACE project, where he serves as senior advisor. The program provides pro bono surgical care to individuals whose faces bear the scars of abuse.
His work gained national attention through the television series Facing Trauma, which aired in 2011 on Discovery Fit & Health and later on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The reality documentary followed Dr. Jacono as he performed reconstructive surgery for victims of domestic violence and other traumatic injuries. Each episode captured the medical complexity of repairing facial trauma alongside the psychological journey of survivors reclaiming their identities.
The show brought visibility to an often-overlooked intersection of medicine and social justice. Facial disfigurement from abuse doesn’t just affect appearance. It creates a permanent visual reminder of trauma, complicates employment prospects, and can prevent survivors from moving forward psychologically. Reconstructive surgery offers a pathway to erase those physical markers.
The Center for the Women of New York recognized this work in 2006 with a “Good Guy” Award for Dr. Jacono’s advocacy and pro bono contributions. U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy formally commended him in the Congressional Record for his contributions to women’s welfare through surgery and charity. For nine years, he chaired ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES, an annual benefit for survivors of domestic violence.
International Missions Transform Children’s Futures
Dr. Andrew Jacono’s international humanitarian work has provided surgical care to more than 750 children across developing regions. He leads surgical missions with organizations including Healing the Children, the HUGS (Help Us Give Smiles) Foundation, and THAI Children, typically conducting two trips annually.
The conditions he treats range from cleft lip and palate to microtia (ear deformities), facial tumors, and burn scars. These deformities often carry severe social stigma in the communities where affected children live. A cleft lip can prevent a child from attending school or participating in community life. The surgeries Dr. Jacono performs address both functional issues like eating and breathing difficulties and the social barriers these visible differences create.
His missions have taken him to Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries where specialized surgical care remains inaccessible for families without financial resources. He typically brings fellow surgeons and sometimes family members on these trips, reaching children who would otherwise live their entire lives with untreated facial deformities.
The commitment extends beyond operating room time. Dr. Jacono has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, and Mount Elbrus in Russia as part of fundraising campaigns to support victims of domestic violence and children needing surgery. These climbs generate both awareness and funding for the logistical costs of surgical missions.
Academic Leadership in Humanitarian Surgery
Dr. Jacono’s role as Fellowship Director for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery positions him to shape how the next generation of surgeons approaches humanitarian work. He trains fellows not just in surgical technique but in the broader ethical framework of using specialized skills to serve underserved populations.
His academic appointments at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and as Section Head of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at North Shore University Hospital provide platforms for teaching medical students and residents about integrating humanitarian service into surgical careers.
The convergence of technical mastery and humanitarian commitment reveals a career philosophy where surgical skill creates both opportunity and responsibility. When surgeons develop expertise in complex facial reconstruction, they acquire the ability to change lives that extend far beyond affluent patient bases. Dr. Andrew Jacono’s work demonstrates that measuring surgical success requires looking beyond technical outcomes to count the lives reconstructed, the trauma erased, and the futures made possible through donated skill and time.
As he continues to maintain his Park Avenue practice while leading international missions and serving domestic violence survivors, Dr. Jacono embodies a model where elite technical ability and humanitarian service reinforce rather than compete with each other. The same hands that perform procedures on celebrities also serve those without access to specialized reconstructive care.
