Dr. Andrew Jacono’s Two-Track Approach to Pro Bono Surgery

Some surgeons donate an afternoon here and there. Dr. Andrew Jacono has built two entire programs of free care into a career that also includes a Park Avenue practice serving celebrities.

The New York surgeon, who holds dual board certification in facial plastic surgery, believes that top-level cosmetic skill comes with an obligation. People who cannot afford reconstruction deserve access to the same expertise. That belief has shaped his volunteer work for years.

Track One: Survivors of Abuse

The first track focuses on adults scarred by domestic violence. Through FACE TO FACE, a project run by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Andrew Jacono has performed facial reconstructions for more than 100 survivors. He serves the project as senior advisor.

Such scars carry consequences beyond appearance. They act as a constant reminder of the abuse, can complicate a job search, and may keep a survivor stuck in the past. Repairing them opens a path forward.

For nine years, he also chaired ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES, a yearly benefit raising support for survivors. The Center for the Women of New York recognized his efforts with a “Good Guy” Award in 2006.

Track Two: Children Overseas

The second track sends him abroad, usually twice a year. Partnering with Healing the Children, the HUGS (Help Us Give Smiles) Foundation, and THAI Children, he has operated on more than 750 children in countries that include Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Young patients come to these missions with cleft lip and palate, microtia, facial tumors, and burn scars. Some cannot eat or breathe normally. Many face exclusion from school and community life because of how they look.

Both tracks trace back to a single moment from his medical school years, when he saw a girl teased about her cleft lip find acceptance after surgery. Dr. Andrew Jacono has spent his career since then expanding the number of people who get that same second chance, whether they live in Manhattan or a village thousands of miles away. Refer to this article for more information.

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