Dr. Andrew Jacono Rebuilds Faces of Domestic Violence Survivors

Bruises fade, but some injuries from abuse leave marks that never go away on their own. For survivors whose faces were damaged by violence, Dr. Andrew Jacono offers a path to repair at no cost.

The New York facial plastic surgeon has performed facial reconstructions for more than 100 domestic violence survivors. He does this through FACE TO FACE, a project of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery that provides pro bono surgical care. He serves as the program’s senior advisor.

What Disfigurement Costs Survivors

Facial scars from abuse do more than alter appearance. They act as a permanent visual reminder of trauma. They can make it harder to get hired. They can also stall the emotional recovery that survivors need in order to rebuild their lives. Reconstructive surgery gives patients a chance to remove those physical traces.

Dr. Andrew Jacono’s work in this area reached a wide audience in 2011 with Facing Trauma, a reality documentary on Discovery Fit & Health that later ran on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The show followed his surgeries on abuse survivors and others with traumatic injuries, capturing both the medical complexity of each case and each patient’s personal recovery.

Years of Advocacy

His involvement goes beyond the operating room. For nine years he chaired ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES, an annual benefit for survivors. The Center for the Women of New York gave him its “Good Guy” Award in 2006. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy also recognized him in the Congressional Record for advancing women’s welfare through surgery and charity.

He has even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi, and Mount Elbrus to raise money for survivors and for children who need surgery.

That last group forms the other half of his humanitarian work. Overseas, he has treated more than 750 children with facial deformities. At home, his focus stays on people who survived violence and want to stop seeing it every time they look in a mirror. Refer to this article for related information.

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