Fixing the Scars

The patients’ physical wounds may have been different--two had disfiguring facial scars, while another’s nose was bent like a broken arrow--but their emotional scars were strikingly similar: They all suffered low self-esteem as a result of domestic abuse.

The women--shy, unsure of the step they were about to take--showed up individually at Dr. Paul Nassif’s office over the span of a year to take a bold step in their healing process. They came to rid themselves of the physical reminders of the violence they had finally escaped.

“When these women look in the mirror and see their nose pushed over to the side, they relive the trauma,” said Nassif, 37, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. “ I love to see them look in the mirror when the surgery is done. We’re both ecstatic.”

Nassif, a Sherman Oaks resident, is one of 260 doctors nationwide who participate in the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery program called Face-to-Face: The National Domestic Violence Project.

The program matches domestic violence victims with plastic surgeons who repair the patients’ damaged facial features at no charge. Since 1994, the physicians’ group, working in conjunction with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), has performed surgery on more than 1,000 women.

“This is a gift these doctors give battered women,” said Rita Smith, executive director of the coalition. “If the memory of the physical violence is removed from their visual field, it helps them forget about it. Then the healing process can begin.”

Nassif decided to offer his surgical services to the group after hearing about the Face-to--Face program at an academy meeting 18 months ago.

“I chose a specialty in plastic and reconstructive surgery because it’s very rewarding to watch someone with broken bones or bad scars return to normal,” said Nassif, who also performs free surgeries at the Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Center. “The mental abuse just tears them down. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

More than 5 million women a year are affected by domestic violence, with more than 1 million of them requiring medical attention, according to recent National Domestic Violence Project statistics. About 75% of those injured women are battered on the face and head area.

A battered woman seeking cosmetic surgery must first contact a Face-to-Face Project volunteer, who sets her up with a domestic violence counselor at a shelter in her area.

After the counselor verifies that the victim’s injuries are the result of domestic physical abuse and confirms that she has been out of the violent situation for at least one year, she is then referred to a participating academy surgeon for a free consultation and surgery.

While many women jump at the chance to restore their natural facial features, Nassif has found that other victims don’t follow through after the consultation.

The NCADV’s Smith explained that some victims fear that those who battered them will disfigure them again when they see that the scars have disappeared. Nassif said he will continue to help restore his patients’ self-confidence.

“The physical piece has a positive ripple effect,” he said. “The goal is to make the women feel better about themselves.”

The 24-hour toll-free number for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is (800) 842-4546.

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