The Conditions Dr. Andrew Jacono Treats on Overseas Missions

Cleft lip and palate is the condition that first drew Dr. Andrew Jacono toward humanitarian work. As a medical student, he saw a girl who had been teased and isolated on her school bus because of a cleft. After reconstructive surgery, her face and her standing with classmates both changed.

Today the New York surgeon has treated more than 750 children in developing regions, and cleft repair is only one part of that caseload.

Four Common Problems

Microtia is a deformity of the outer ear. Facial tumors can distort features. Burn scars can tighten skin and limit movement around the face. Cleft lip and palate can interfere with eating and breathing.

Each of these conditions can cause physical difficulty. Each also tends to bring stigma. In many communities, a visible facial difference can keep a child from attending school or taking part in daily community life. Repairing the deformity can open doors that were closed before.

How the Missions Work

Dr. Andrew Jacono leads trips with Healing the Children, the HUGS (Help Us Give Smiles) Foundation, and THAI Children, usually twice a year. Teams have worked in Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam, among other countries. The families served typically cannot pay for specialized surgery, and local access to it is often missing altogether.

Fellow surgeons usually travel with him, and family members sometimes come along too. Fundraising climbs up Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi, and Elbrus have helped pay the logistical costs.

His reconstructive skills also serve adults in the United States. Dr. Andrew Jacono has performed free facial reconstruction for more than 100 survivors of domestic violence through the FACE TO FACE project, where he is senior advisor.

Whether the patient is a child abroad or an abuse survivor in New York, the goal is similar. Dr. Andrew Jacono aims to correct a visible difference that is holding someone back, so that person can live more fully. Read this article for additional information.

See for more about Dr. Andrew Jacono on https://goodmenproject.com/everyday-life-2/dr-andrew-jacono-on-the-rising-demand-of-male-facelifts/