John A. Girotto, M.D., M.M.A.

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John A. Girotto, M.D., is the director of the Golisano Children's Hospital Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Center and is jointly appointed in the departments of pediatrics and plastic surgery. While Dr. Girotto specializes in pediatric cleft lip/palate and craniofacial surgery, his passion is for ensuring that patients have the highest quality of team care possible. As director, he is the vital link among multiple services – dentistry, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, orthodontics, psychology, genetics - and has helped to define a holistic patient-centered program.

His energetic pursuit of improving patients' lives has inspired him to establish relationships with mothers and fathers even before their new child is born. Dr. Girotto has reached out to the obstetricians of the community, becoming involved with children with craniofacial anomalies at the time of in-utero ultrasound diagnosis.

Dr. Girotto began his training at Washington University in St. Louis where he was one of only five selected "scholars in medicine." He then completed the 8 year integrated general and plastic surgery residency program at the Johns Hopkins University Hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland, followed by a clinical faculty appointment and fellowship in craniofacial surgery at The Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Girotto is committed to research and science. During the past years, he has authored or co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed studies in publications such as Annals of Plastic Surgery, Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, and Journal of Otolaryngology. He is an active member of the American Cleft Palate - Craniofacial Association, and a candidate fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and The Plastic Surgery Research Council. He also has a special interest in abnormal bone growth and new strategies for bone distraction (the process of lengthening the bones).

Dr. Girotto is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Current Appointments

• Associate Professor - Department of Surgery (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Neurosurgery (SMD)
• Associate Professor - Department of Pediatrics (SMD)