What is the NFFR?

For 60 years, the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction (NFFR) has supported the medical and psychosocial treatment of those with facial deformities by serving as the funding arm of the renowned Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (IRPS) at NYU Langone Medical Center. This team of world-class specialists provides state-of-the-art treatment for 2,000 patients each year, with the number treated continuing to rise. Nearly 70% of these patients are Medicaid recipients or uninsured, and 95% are in care that spans an entire childhood. NFFR’s ongoing support and the donated services of the Institute’s doctors ensure that children and adults with facial anomalies have access to the finest personalized and coordinated team care, regardless of the severity or type of condition, length of treatment, or ability to pay.

History and Achievements:

Having witnessed the devastating impact of facial wounds on soldiers in World War II, the late plastic surgeon John Marquis Converse founded the NFFR in 1951 to support emotional and medical care for patients with facial disfigurement. A multidisciplinary craniofacial team was assembled in the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, and later relocated to NYU Langone Medical Center to take advantage of the research and educational resources of an academic medical setting. NFFR’s support has allowed this unit to grow into the internationally recognized Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery.

Revolutionizing the practice of reconstructive plastic surgery, the Institute:

• Has a  multidisciplinary team of doctors specializing in plastic surgery, microsurgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, orthodontics, prosthodontics, ophthalmology, and genetics;
• Has five specialists from psychology, social work, and nursing, who provide a full menu of clinical psychological and social care free of charge for patients and their families;
• Provides diagnoses and treatment for all craniofacial malformations;
• Provides a safety net for Medicaid recipients, the uninsured, and others unable to pay out-of-pocket costs;
• Pioneered jaw distraction and pre-surgical molding for cleft lip & palate repair, both of which transformed these treatments;
• Created a Virtual  Surgery  teaching tool with interactive animations, video footage, narration, and testing capabilities enabling  surgeons to learn procedures on a computer before operating on a child’s face;
• Expanded its participation in national health education to make optimal treatment accessible to all and developed the standards of care for children with premature closure of the skull bones (craniosynostosis);
• Conducts  groundbreaking research on bone formation, wound healing, tissue engineering, stem cells, and transplantation;
• Maintains the largest plastic surgery education program in the world, equipped with its own state-of-the-art Plastic Surgery Education Center.