The same surgeon who performs cosmetic procedures for clients on Park Avenue also spends part of his year operating on children in developing countries and survivors of domestic violence closer to home. Dr. Andrew Jacono, a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon, has built a career around the idea that elite technical skill comes with an obligation to serve people who cannot pay for it.

That obligation shows up in two distinct forms. Through the FACE TO FACE project, run by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Andrew Jacono has reconstructed the faces of more than 100 survivors of domestic violence, serving as the program’s senior advisor. His work with survivors was featured in Facing Trauma, a documentary series that aired on Discovery Fit & Health and later the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Two Careers Running in Parallel

Overseas, Dr. Andrew Jacono has performed surgery on more than 750 children born with cleft lips, cleft palates, microtia, facial tumors, and burn scars, traveling to Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam through organizations including Healing the Children and the HUGS Foundation. He typically makes two such trips each year.

Recognition for this combined body of work includes a 2006 Good Guy Award from the Center for the Women of New York and a formal commendation from U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy in the Congressional Record. He also chaired ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES for nine years, an annual benefit for domestic violence survivors.

An Approach Passed to Younger Surgeons

Dr. Jacono holds academic appointments at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and as Section Head of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at North Shore University Hospital, and serves as Fellowship Director for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In each role, he teaches that a thriving private practice and consistent charitable service can reinforce each other rather than compete for a surgeon’s time. Refer to this article for more information.

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