Celebrating Dr. Joseph McCarthy, an Icon in Surgery

This week the American College of Surgeons honored Dr. Joseph G. McCarthy in its Icons in Surgery series at Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, DC. The series recognizes the lives and accomplishments of surgeons whose work has shaped the field. The night before, I was fortunate to be invited to a dinner celebrating him and the honor.

Dr. McCarthy was my chairman at NYU when I trained in plastic surgery. For more than 30 years he led plastic surgery at NYU as director of the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. His work helped define modern craniofacial surgery, most notably the development of distraction osteogenesis: gradually lengthening bone in the face and jaw rather than relying on bone grafts.

His influence also carries through the many surgeons he trained, who now care for patients across the country. I am grateful to be one of them.

Congratulations, Dr. McCarthy, on a well-deserved honor.