MISSION ARMENIA - Dr. Andre Panossian'S JOURNEY WITH US

As volunteer surgeon with Mending Kids for nearly 10 years, Dr. Andre Panossian is an award-winning, Harvard-trained board certified plastic surgeon with a 12-year practice in Los Angeles and Pasadena, CA. A first-generation American-Armenian whose drive for participating in and leading international medical missions has remained constant since his early residency at USC and 7-year tenure at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. Panossian initiated the very first Mending Kids mission to Armenia in 2015 -- a solo, independent effort made of grace and grit. Four years later, his annual Armenia mission continues to grow, as it now offers reconstructive and/or plastic surgery to treat conditions for underserved pediatric and adult patients in or near Yerevan, Armenia every year. 

Our Armenia mission continues to expand with recent inclusion of teaching, education and contribution of the latest medical instruments and resources from Dr. Panossian's team to surgeons in Armenia. Equipment donations have included everything from surgical power equipment such as drills and saws to magnification loupes for in-country surgeons. In addition, Dr. Panossian incorporates focused lectures to Yerevan’s residents and medical students on complex reconstructive problems such as facial paralysis reconstruction using his innovative reanimation technique, vascular anomalies treatment, neurofibromatosis surgery, congenital hand anomalies and pediatric plastic surgery. Each mission includes over 20 physicians from the region to attend pre-op clinics, formal lectures and bedside teaching.  These occasions are rare for Armenian doctors but a welcome opportunity to learn and test fundamental reconstructive principles, so that they can continue treat the large population of children in the region. Dr. Panossian also communicates with his Armenian patients, their families and doctors throughout the year via telemedicine. 

Dr. Andre Panossian specializes in rhinoplasty, facial paralysis and cosmetic & reconstructive surgery of the face, breast and body. Dr. Panossian is additionally renown for being one of the top surgeons in the United States who treats and removes tumors on patients who live with Neurofibromatosis. A surgeon who rotates his work between pediatric and adult cases, Dr. Panossian has been featured as one of LA Business Journal's "Top Doctors," was named a go-to plastic surgeon for "Rhinoplasty in Los Angeles" by Maxim Magazine and was also featured on CBS Nightly News in 2015 for his part in a groundbreaking, twin-separating surgery in Haiti. Some of his most unique facial paralysis surgeries have been featured on CBS' "The Doctors," ABC's "Good Morning America," ABC-7 and KTLA-5 News (Los Angeles) and The Los Angeles Times. Dr. Panossian is married to television and media parenting personality Jill Simonian of TheFABMom.com and dad to two daughters. Visit Dr.Panossian.com for more information and connect with Dr. P on Instagram and Facebook @drpanossian.