Alessandro G. Cusano
Craniofacial & Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon
BSc, MD, DDS, FACS
Dr. Cusano is a Craniofacial and Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon with a wealth of knowledge and experience in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery of the face, as well as aesthetic surgery of the breast and body.
Dr. Cusano has a rather unique and impressive pedigree. He is both a Plastic Surgeon and a Maxillofacial Surgeon. He is fellowship-trained in three different disciplines, including Craniofacial Plastic Surgery from the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital.
As a testament to his professional accomplishments and exemplary dedication to surgical excellence, Dr. Cusano has been recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), a Fellow of The American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) and he is a Founding Fellow of The American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons (AACMFS).
For a large part of his career, Dr. Cusano has focused his efforts on multidisciplinary collaboration in academic institutions and large hospital centers in pursuit of optimized outcomes in the most complex of surgeries. His education, knowledge and experience in matters of the head, neck and face are unmatched. Having practiced as a Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon, a Maxillofacial / Head & Neck Surgeon and a Reconstructive Microsurgeon, he has been sought after to provide a wide range of services to address a complex group of clinical problems. These have included:
- facial reanimation surgery for patients suffering from facial paralysis
- orthognathic / corrective jaw surgery
- reconstruction of post-oncologic defects with microvascular free-tissue transfer
- surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
- transoral robotic surgery (TORS)
- reconstructive surgery for extensive traumatic defects of the head, neck and face
- surgical management of head and neck cancer
- surgical correction of cleft and craniofacial anomalies
Dr. Cusano has held full-time, staff appointments at a number of prominent institutions. Upon completion of his Craniofacial Surgery fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Cusano was highly recruited as a Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon by the Division of Plastic Surgery at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Here he served as a key member of the Cleft & Craniofacial Team focusing his efforts on the surgical correction of congenital and acquired craniofacial anomalies in both the pediatric and adult patient.
As a Maxillofacial / Head & Neck Oncologic Surgeon, Dr. Cusano has held full-time staff appointments at The University of Arizona Cancer Center and The Roger Maris Cancer Center at Sanford Health. Here he focused on the surgical management of head and neck cancer including cancers of the oral cavity and upper aerodigestive tract, tumors of the craniofacial skeleton, and skin cancers of the head, neck and face. Having the added specialization as a Reconstructive Microsurgeon, Dr. Cusano was in the unique position of also being able to provide state-of-the art microvascular reconstructive services for those patients with extensive post-oncologic defects.
While at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Dr. Cusano served as a key member of the Skull Base Team at The Barrow Neurological Institute. At The Roger Maris Cancer Center, he served as Surgeon Leader of The Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee on Head & Neck Cancer. Dr. Cusano has also held full-time Faculty Positions at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and The University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center as Instructor of Plastic Surgery.
For the past several years, Dr. Cusano has been shifting his focus to place increasingly more emphasis on aesthetic plastic surgery. With the passion and pursuit of excellence for which he is known, Dr. Cusano brings a level of artistry and technical excellence to aesthetic surgical procedures of the face, breast and body. Having worked as an Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon in the Los Angeles and Phoenix areas, Dr. Cusano has recognized his desire to culminate decades of work in academic surgery with aesthetic plastic surgery in a aesthetic private practice of his own.
Training
Dr. Cusano was born and raised in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. His undergraduate work was completed at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. Here he was one of only 18 students accepted into the rigorous Honors Physiology program, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Honors Physiology.
Dr. Cusano then went on to complete both Medical School and Dental School. He completed Dental School at The University of Western Ontario’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry; and Medical School at The Wayne State University School of Medicine.
While hailing from Vancouver, Dr. Cusano has a strong tie to the Golden State having completed much of his post-graduate training in California. He completed his pre-requisite General Surgery training at The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), his Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and his Plastic Surgery Residency at The University of California Davis Medical Center (UCDMC).
With a commitment to excellence and a deep desire for knowledge, Dr. Cusano completed additional fellowship training after each of his residencies. This included fellowships in Head & Neck Oncologic Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery at The University of Florida College of Medicine; and in Craniofacial Plastic Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
To stay abreast of the current trends, techniques and innovation; Dr. Cusano regularly attends medical and surgical conferences both domestically and internationally, as invited speaker and as a participant. Dr. Cusano has published a number of articles and textbook chapters on various aspects of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Cusano has travelled the world visiting with some of the leading experts in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, including trips to the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Belgium. Perhaps most memorable is his time spent in Japan with Professor Satoru Nagata, the world’s leading expert on auricular (microtia) reconstruction.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cusano has been fortunate to participate in mission trips to impoverished areas to provide medical and surgical care to those in need. For a number of years, he also volunteered his time to providing Oral Head & Neck Cancer screenings during annual Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week.
Outside of the Practice
Dr. Cusano is married to his lovely wife Andrea, who after 20 years as vice-president of a commercial lending firm, has taken a hiatus to raise their 2 beautiful daughters, Elena, 7, and Giuliana, 5. Elena and Giuliana are both vivacious little girls active in Gymnastics, Tennis and Dance. The family adores spending time together, particularly around meal time, cooking in the kitchen and with “late-night dance-parties”.
Raised in Vancouver, Dr. Cusano and his wife Andrea are both avid skiers, frequenting Whistler Blackcomb during their youth. It is their mission for their daughters to follow in their footsteps. The family regularly returns to Vancouver to visit family. When doing so, they never miss the opportunity to hit the slopes.
