Face-to-Face Project
Face-to-Face is a humanitarian and educational surgical exchange program conducted under the auspices of the Educational and Research Foundation for the American Academy of Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery. In this country and abroad, our surgeons assist those who suffer from facial deformities caused by birth or trauma. Most of our patients are children. Unlike other programs, Face-to-Face is committed to the educational exchange among facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons all over the world. Our surgeons believe that a more lasting impact is made on communities when Face-to-Face teams work together with local medical personnel to manage an individual’s care. Mutual respect grows as different surgical approaches are discussed and demonstrated. In addition to providing hands-on training, our volunteers discuss case analysis and share published information. This exchange of knowledge and techniques is encouraged and contributes to the long-term success of the program.
Face-to-Face is staffed by medical personnel, facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons, nurses, speech pathologists and anesthesiologists, who donate their time and expertise, frequently for two weeks at a time. Members of the Face-to-Face delegation have, for example, helped a two-year-old toddler in Russia abandoned by her parents at birth because of a congenital facial deformity. They have administered to a twelve-year-old boy in a war zone in Croatia where he sustained severe facial trauma after playing with a loaded rifle. And they have cared for women and children in this country where domestic violence has wreaked havoc on their lives both emotionally and physically. These are faces that you have seen on the news and sometimes in your own community. Our surgeons travel all over the world, but their mission is the same wherever they go: they treat one face at a time, one person at a time.
The Face-to-Face program helps individuals overcome physical limitations placed on them by circumstances beyond their control—deformities at birth, domestic violence and war. Our surgeons use their expertise to perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, head and neck region. This includes the following procedures: cleft lip and cleft palate repair; microtia reconstruction (the surgical creation of external ears for infants born without them); rebuilding of all forms of congenital facial and cranial deformities; reconstruction of facial soft tissue after war injuries, burns, domestic violence and cancer excisions; excision of childhood facial tumors and reconstruction.
These are examples of the work that our dedicated physicians perform on Face-to-Face trips. While the patients still have enormous hurdles to overcome, at least they are given a chance to deal with them without a physical disability.
Face-to-Face depends on people like you to make a difference. Although surgeons and other medical personnel give freely of their time and expertise, Face-to-Face still needs funds to cover ancillary expenses. We always appreciate donations of medical supplies and equipment, but when one of our international colleges is in urgent need of equipment we provide the funding for the purchase. We also need funds to offset costs for developing teaching symposia and producing educational materials. Because the Educational and Research Foundation for the American Academy of Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery is a non-profit organization, your contribution to Face-to-Face is tax deductible to the fullest extent provided by law. Your gift now can change the lives of thousands of men, women and children both here at home and abroad. Please mail your contributions today. On behalf of the Face-to-Face recipients, thank you.
The American Academy of Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) is the largest international association of facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons. Its members are certified by their specialty boards to perform surgery of the face, head, and neck. They are dedicated to the very highest standards of surgical excellence and patient welfare.