Interview with Dr. Alan M. Engler

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1.WHAT FASCINATES YOU MOST ABOUT BEING AN AESTHETIC SURGEON?
I like to be able to take the human tissues, from a purely
technical standpoint, and to change them and mold them in a way that both the
patient and I find aesthetic, attractive, proportional. It’s really a joy to be able to do that. We saw a patient yesterday who had had a tummy tuck five days ago. She came in, we opened up the dressing, she looked down at her stomach and she burst into tears, in front of the nurse and me. She went out. and an hour later she had a big bouquet of flowers sent over to the office. That’s very rewarding, to be able to do that technically — and something I enjoy — that
affects the quality of life for these people. I view it as a privilege to be
able to do what I do.

2. WHAT IS YOUR
SPECIALISATION?

I actually do a wide range of aesthetic procedures of
the face and the body. But since my book, ‘Body Sculpture”, came
out in 1998 and generated a lot of interest, I focus on surgery of the body,
including breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks.

3. DO YOU CONSIDER
YOURSELF AN ARTIST?


I think I do consider myself that, and I think any patient
having this surgery would care very much that their surgeon, their plastic
surgeon is artistic. There are many plastic surgeons who do actual artwork
and display it in their offices — sculptures and paintings or things
like that — and I think that’s completely consistent with what
we do all day long.

4. WHAT IS YOUR
IDEAL OF BEAUTY? HOW WOULD YOU SEE THIS IN ART?


If you go through societal forms of beauty, you can see
that it depends on where you are and what time period it is. In our own society,
Raphaelian beauties were voluptuous and then a few hundred years later, Twiggy
was considered beautiful. Beauty is actually a relative term, and it comes
in many different shapes and sizes, and even hues.

5. WHAT LIVING MAN OR WOMAN FOR YOU IS THE MOST BEAUTI FUL?

I would probably list the following three women as the
most beautiful right now: Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, and the model Paulina
Porizkova, who I think has just an exquisite face. Of course, these are all
a little bit younger— you could also go with Catherine Deneuve for a
slightly older group. And among men, I would probably put Sean Connery in all
his stages; George Clooney and Brad Pitt most people probably have them on
their list.