Mary Jo Buttafuoco took a gunshot to the head when she was thirty seven years old. The gunshot wound left her disfigured, with a loss of hearing in her right ear and the right side of her face paralyzed. This sad story made national headlines because of the other people involved.

Mary Jo became Dr.Azizzadeh’s patient at the Facial Paralysis Institute following her Oprah appearance in 2005. During that episode she discussed the facial paralysis and ear damage she suffered as a result of this attack, 14 years earlier. She felt very self-conscious about her looks and

The first step was a state-of-the-art facial reanimation procedure involving static facial suspension, face lift, and eye lift procedures. These surgeries restored balance to Mary Jo's face and gave her back her smile. Next was surgery to widen the ear canal which improved her hearing and prevent future infections. She was also undergoing physical therapy to strengthen her facial muscles.

Months later, Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS, last year increased his visibility on the national stage by landing a guest spot on The Oprah Winfrey show, when he had been invited to appear for a segment about his patient, Mary Jo Buttafuoco.