Facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons are highly skilled and trained specialists in plastic surgery in the head, face, and neck. Their skill set is diverse and comprehensive in both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery founded the Face to Face program in order to allow these specialists to give back to their communities both locally and internationally. There are three ways in which the face to face program and the surgeons give back to communities: the domestic violence initiative, the international assistance reconstructive effort, and the faces of honor program to help wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. The surgeon’s partner with their hospitals and surgery centers who donate their time, staff, facilities, and equipment to help those in need who would otherwise never be able to afford these surgeries.
The domestic violence initiative partners facial plastic surgeons with their local domestic violence advocacy programs to provide pro bono surgery to victims of domestic violence. After a comprehensive screening process by the face to face program, victims of domestic violence are sent to facial plastic surgeons for reconstructive surgery at no cost to the patient. In addition to donating their surgical skills, many facial plastic surgeons are involved in fundraising for the local domestic violence coalitions and shelters that provide such essential and necessary services for the victims including protection of the victims and their children.
The international reconstructive effort is aimed at helping children in underdeveloped countryies who are in need of reconstructive surgery and either don’t have access to medical care or can’t afford the surgeries. The vast majority of these surgeries are congenital craniofacial anomalies such as cleft lips and palates and microtia (malformed ears), as well as deformities from traumas and burns. The surgeons incur the cost of funding the trips bringing all of the equipment and personnel to set up fully functioning clinic, operating rooms, and recovery areas for the children and their families. Often these trips are a week long and go all over the world wherever there is a need.
The newest initiative of the Face to Face program is the Faces of Honor program. This program was designed to help soldiers who have facial deformities as a result of being wounded in combat. Similarly to the domestic violence victims, these soldiers receive pro bono surgeries from facial plastic surgeons who donate their time and skills to correct the veteran’s deformity.
Facial plastic surgeons are dedicated to their craft and enjoy giving back to their local communities as well as around the world to those in need. Facial plastic surgeons also perform many cosmetic surgeries including: facelift surgery, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, midface lifts, brow lifts, hair restoration surgery, otoplasty, scar revision, and laser skin surgery. Facial plastic surgeons provide a comprehensive skill set for reconstructive surgery in the head and neck. The face to face program allows them opportunities to give back to society through a collaborative organized effort.
