MARYJO’S STORY
Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS, last year increased his visibility on the national stage by landing a guest spot on The Oprah Winfrey show. He had been invited to appear for a segment about his patient, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, who garnered headlines in 1991 as the victim of a face-shattering gunshot wound.Mary Jo became Dr.Azizzadeh’s patient following an Oprah appearance of her own 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 being incapable of smiling. Dr.Azizzadeh became aware of her situation and felt confident he’d be able to help her.
Mary Jo accepted on the strength of his expertise in the filed of facial reanimation and a complex reconstructive procedure was planned.
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, Mary Jo was brought back to the show to discuss the reanimation wonders performed by Dr.Azizzadeh and his team. Asked by Oprah how she felt about her new looks and newly functional face, a radiant Mary Jo smiled broadly and said, “ I love the results”. Judging by the applause, so did the audience.
