Some of Dr. Andrew Jacono’s patients are celebrities treated in a Manhattan operating room. Others are children in South America whose cleft lips he repairs for free. Dr. Andrew Jacono a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon has built a career in which elite cosmetic work and charity surgery sit side by side.

He sees no conflict between the two. He believes technical excellence in cosmetic surgery carries an obligation to serve people who cannot afford care. The same hands that treat wealthy clients also serve patients with no access to specialized reconstruction.

The Charity Side of the Ledger

His humanitarian work follows two streams. The first involves domestic violence survivors. Through FACE TO FACE, a pro bono project of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, he has reconstructed the faces of more than 100 survivors and serves as senior advisor.

The second involves children overseas. Dr. Andrew Jacono has treated more than 750 young patients in developing regions, partnering with Healing the Children, the HUGS (Help Us Give Smiles) Foundation, and THAI Children. His missions, usually two per year, have included stops in Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam. He treats cleft lip and palate, microtia, facial tumors, and burn scars.

Roles That Connect Both Worlds

He also holds academic and hospital posts. Dr. Andrew Jacono is Fellowship Director for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, holds an appointment at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and leads the facial plastic and reconstructive surgery section at North Shore University Hospital. Those roles let him encourage younger doctors to make service part of their careers.

To fund the work, he has climbed Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi, and Elbrus. To publicize it, he appeared in the 2011 documentary series Facing Trauma.

The arrangement suggests a model in which a private practice and donated skill reinforce each other. For Dr. Andrew Jacono, success is measured partly in surgical results and partly in the number of lives rebuilt. Read this article for additional information.

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