The connection between a Park Avenue surgical practice and a field clinic in Ecuador might seem remote, but for Dr. Andrew Jacono, they are part of the same professional identity. A dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in New York, Dr. Jacono has structured his career around the belief that surgical expertise carries humanitarian obligations alongside commercial ones.
His thinking was shaped early. During medical school, Dr. Jacono witnessed how reconstructive surgery for a cleft lip and palate transformed the social circumstances of a young girl who had been isolated and bullied. That observation developed into a career philosophy: the surgeon who can restore a face has a responsibility to do so for those who would otherwise go without.
A Record of Service at Home
In the United States, Dr. Andrew Jacono channels his humanitarian work through the FACE TO FACE project, a program of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery where he holds the role of senior advisor. He has performed facial reconstructions for more than 100 survivors of domestic violence on a fully pro bono basis.
Facing Trauma, the 2011 documentary series that followed Dr. Jacono through this work, aired on Discovery Fit & Health and later the Oprah Winfrey Network. The show gave mainstream audiences a window into the medical and psychological complexity of treating faces that bear the marks of sustained abuse.
For his contributions, the Center for the Women of New York honored Dr. Jacono with a “Good Guy” Award in 2006. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy commended him formally in the Congressional Record. He also chaired the ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES benefit for nine years.
Reaching Children Without Options
Dr. Andrew Jacono’s international mission record now covers more than 750 pediatric surgeries across Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries. Working twice a year with Healing the Children, the HUGS Foundation, and THAI Children, he addresses cleft deformities, microtia, tumors, and burn scarring in children who would otherwise never access specialized care.
Mountain climbs up Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi, and Elbrus have funded these efforts. His teaching roles at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, and through the Fellowship program of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery ensure the next generation of surgeons learns to view service as integral to their profession, not optional. Refer to this article to learn more.
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