Inside the TV Series That Followed Dr. Jacono’s Surgeries

Before most viewers had heard the name, a television series introduced them to the work of a facial plastic surgeon determined to serve patients far outside his typical clientele. Facing Trauma premiered on Discovery Fit & Health in 2011 and later moved to the Oprah Winfrey Network, following Dr. Andrew Jacono as he performed reconstructive surgery for survivors of domestic violence and other traumatic injuries.

Each episode paired operating room footage with the personal stories of patients whose faces bore the physical evidence of abuse or accident. The show did not shy away from the medical complexity involved in rebuilding damaged facial structures, but it gave equal weight to what came after the bandages came off: the psychological process of survivors reclaiming an identity that trauma had disrupted for years.

A Rare Spotlight on an Overlooked Issue

Facial disfigurement resulting from domestic violence occupies a specific and often invisible category of harm. It can affect a survivor’s ability to find employment, sustain relationships, and simply move through public life without becoming a target of stares or unwanted questions. Facing Trauma gave audiences a window into how reconstructive surgery addresses that layer of trauma, not just the physical injury but the social consequences that follow it well after recovery.

Dr. Andrew Jacono’s appearance on the series coincided with his ongoing role as senior advisor to the FACE TO FACE project, through which he has performed pro bono reconstructions for more than 100 domestic violence survivors. The television exposure amplified a mission that had already been running quietly for years, introducing his surgical and humanitarian work to audiences who might never have encountered it otherwise. That combination of visibility and sustained pro bono commitment set a pattern Dr. Andrew Jacono has continued to follow throughout the rest of his career, long after the cameras stopped rolling. Viewers who first learned of his work through the series often reference the show years later, a sign of how far the broadcast reached beyond its original audience and how durable that early exposure has proven to be. Read this article for additional information.

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Before most viewers had heard the name, a television series introduced them to the work of a facial plastic surgeon determined to serve patients far outside his typical clientele. Facing Trauma premiered on Discovery Fit & Health in 2011 and later moved to the Oprah Winfrey Network, following Dr. Andrew Jacono as he performed reconstructive…