There is a version of facial plastic surgery that exists almost entirely as a luxury service. Dr. Andrew Jacono occupies a different space. While his New York practice serves a full range of patients, a significant portion of his professional energy flows toward reconstructive work that carries no fee, serving domestic violence survivors and children in developing countries who cannot access specialized care.

Dr. Jacono is dual board-certified in facial plastic surgery and head and neck surgery. His humanitarian philosophy traces directly to medical school, where a single experience, watching surgery transform the life of a girl with a cleft lip and palate, convinced him that surgical ability is also a form of social responsibility.

The FACE TO FACE Program for Violence Survivors

Dr. Andrew Jacono’s most sustained domestic humanitarian commitment is to the FACE TO FACE project of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, where he serves as senior advisor. He has personally performed facial reconstructions for more than 100 survivors of domestic violence, providing those surgeries without charge.

National attention came through the 2011 documentary series Facing Trauma, broadcast on Discovery Fit & Health and the Oprah Winfrey Network. The program followed Dr. Jacono through reconstructive procedures for abuse survivors and others dealing with traumatic facial injury, giving viewers an unfiltered look at the medical and psychological stakes involved.

Recognition from outside the medical community reinforced the significance of this work. The Center for the Women of New York presented Dr. Jacono with a “Good Guy” Award in 2006. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy acknowledged his contributions formally in the Congressional Record. His nine-year tenure as chair of ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES helped sustain funding and visibility for domestic violence survivors.

International Pediatric Care

Dr. Andrew Jacono has provided surgical care to more than 750 children in Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries during biannual missions with Healing the Children, the HUGS Foundation, and THAI Children. The procedures address cleft lip and palate, ear deformities, facial tumors, and burn scarring, each of which carries significant social consequences for children in communities where such differences invite exclusion.

To generate financial support for these missions, Dr. Jacono has completed climbs of Mount Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, and Mount Elbrus in Russia. His academic appointments at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and North Shore University Hospital, along with his fellowship directorship, multiply the reach of his humanitarian work by shaping how future generations of surgeons think about service. Refer to this article for more information.

Visit for more information about Dr. Andrew Jacono on https://www.youtube.com/c/drandrewjacono