Dr. Cirocco began his career in academic surgery in New York City (SUNY- Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn) involved in the early use of transrectal ultrasound to preoperatively stage rectal cancer for the purpose of inititating preoperative neaoadjuvant radiotherapy as a means of downstaging rectal cancer, thus increasing the odds of avoiding a permanent colostomy, improving survival and decreasing local recurrence. He returned  to the Midwest (Kansas City, Detroit, Columbus) to implement these cutting-edge strategies and published long-term results in the American Journal of Surgery (AJS) (whether the elderly tolerate neoadjuvant therapy and effect on outcomes -March issue AJS 2018, and comparison to tertiary care centers- March issue AJS 2019). After raising family in Kansas City, he was recruited to initiate a colorectal surgery (CRS) residency training program in the CRS Division of the Ohio State University (OSU) Department of Surgery in 2013. The OSU CRS Residency Training program received initial ACGME-accreditation in 2016 and subsequently granted full 10-year ACGME-accreditation (2018-2028).

In 2019, he was recruited to create a CRS Service at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center (Phoenix) followed by an  opportunity to join the Ochsner Clinic Department of CRS and enhance the Ochsner-MD Anderson Cancer Center in New Orleans' "Northshore" (Covington, LA). Dr. Cirocco is involved in regional and national surgical societies, including past President of 4 surgical organizations: Midwest Surgical Association (MSA), Kansas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Ohio Valley Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (OVSCRS), and Southwest Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (SWSCRS). He is MSA Representative to the ACS Board of Governors (BOG), and former Chair of the BOG Surgical Care Delivery Workgroup and the ACS Committee on Young Surgeons (renamed the Young Fellows Association).

Dr. Cirocco is past Member-at-Large of the Executive Council of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS).  He was named ASCRS "Unsung Hero" for 2020. He has been an Editorial Board member of the ASCRS' official journal, DISEASES OF THE COLON & RECTUM (DCR) for 20 years. He is Section Editor of the "History" section. He was twice the recipient of the ASCRS' Victor W. Fazio Award for Editorial Excellence- he was the 1st recipient of the award in 2007 and repeated in 2022. He has been named DCR "Star Reviewer" 7 years running, from 2017-2023. Dr. Cirocco is also a Senior Examiner of the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ABCRS) and past Associate Member of the ABCRS Written Examination Committee, from 2010-2020.