Ivo Pitanguy

From Freepedia

Ivo Pitanguy (b. 1926 in Belo Horizonte) is a Brazilian plastic surgeon. He studied at the Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati, where he worked with John Longacre. Soon after, Pitanguy went to France and England where he studied plastic surgery under early pioneers of the field.

In 1953 he began working at a Brazilian hospital performing plastic surgeries. On December 17, 1961, a burning circus tent fell on 2,500 spectators in Niterói, and Pitanguy worked tirelessly to treat burn victims. He later referred to that event as life changing, as it taught him that for many, physical appearance was of the same importance as living. Shortly after, he founded a private clinic and began training a team of specialists. Some of those he has operated on include Anita Ekberg, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Gina Lollobrigida, Natalia Makarova, Melina Mercouri, Marisa Berensen, and Niki Lauda.

He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.