Dr. Ivo Pitanquy, who made Brazil a top destination for celebrities wanting to improve their looks, has died at 93. He died just a day after briefly carrying the torch for the Olympics opening.
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Pitanguy died at his home in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday afternoon of a heart attack, hospital spokeswoman Patricia Sallum said.
His death comes one day after carrying the Olympic torch ahead of the opening ceremony of this year's Rio Games. Pitanguy, who suffered from a number of health problems, carried the flame while seated in a wheelchair.
The surgeon made Brazil one of the most popular destinations worldwide for beauty surgery, with one of his signature techniques earning the nickname of "Brazilian butt-lift."
Wealthy, but generous
Pitanguy always kept the list of his patients secret, but it is thought to contain the names of many of Hollywood's top stars and leading US personalities. Many of the patients stayed on his private island of Angra dos Reis, from where he sometimes commuted to work by helicopter.
Brazil’s beauty craze: Going under the knife
Get a grip on Brazil’s beauty craze and check out these #dropdeadgorgeous pictures garnished with some striking facts on global plastic surgery madness.
Image: DW/Robert Richter
Brazil - the country with most plastic surgeries
23-year-old Isis from our #dropdeadgorgeous episode lives in Brazil - the world’s leading country in plastic surgeries. 1.49 million surgeries were performed here in 2013, according to the latest figures - accounting for 12.9 percent of worldwide cosmetic operations. The most popular surgeries were liposuctions, breast augmentations, breast lifts and tummy tucks.
Image: DW/R. Richter
Increasing wealth, raising breasts
The underlying reason for the increase in the number of surgeries is a rise in disposable income: more people could afford such operations. Due to increasing market demand, surgeons offer treatments at lower prices, meaning they are no longer exclusively available to the upper class. About half of all procedures are paid for with credit arrangements that spread the cost over a year or 18 months.
Image: DW/R. Richter
Not only specialists at work
Besides 5,500 certified plastic surgeons, Brazil has another 12,000 doctors performing surgeries without training - perhaps one reason why surgeries fail. Although she would not say who had conducted her operation, Brazilian model Andressa Urach had such an experience. She was implanted with a silicone gel at a dose 200 times higher than that allowed by the Brazilian government.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/N. Antoine
Majority of young women unhappy with their bodies
Not everyone is as happy with their bodies as these folks - in fact among women over 18, at least 80% are unhappy with their looks. This may be one reason why negative experiences don’t prevent people putting themselves under the knife. Internationally, the number of plastic surgeries has almost doubled since 2011, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).
Image: DW/R. Richter
11.9 million non-surgical interventions in 2013
What would women not do to look that #dropdeadgorgeous? Not all go for a surgical option to get closer to physical perfection: there were even slightly more non-surgical procedures done globally in 2013. The three most popular non-surgical treatments were Botulinum Toxin, known as Botox, and resorbable fillers - both of which get rid of wrinkles - as well as laser hair removal.
Image: DW/R. Richter
11.6 million surgical interventions in 2013
The most performed surgical procedures were breast augmentations, liposuctions and eyelid surgeries. As you might have guessed: most plastic surgeries are performed on women. But men also change their bodies artificially: they account for a 12 percent share of all surgeries.
Image: DW/R. Richter
Eyes and ears: Men under the knife
Have a guess: which is the top type of plastic surgery to be performed on men? Hint: It’s not penis enlargement (ranks 13 on the list). The most popular one instead is nose surgery, followed by gynecomastia (surgical correction of overdeveloped breasts in men), eyelid surgery, liposuction and ear surgery.
Image: DW/Caroline Schmitt
Iran and Italy stand out in type of surgeries performed
In almost all countries investigated by the ISAPS, including US, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Germany and Spain, either liposuction or breast augmentation were the most popular surgeries performed in 2013. Only Italy and Iran stood out: in Italy lipostructure is most famous, whereas the most conducted surgeries in Iran were nose jobs.
Image: DW/Robert Richter
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He was the author of hundreds of publications about cosmetic surgery, and also trained dozens of young plastic surgeons.
Despite enjoying fabulous wealth and considerable fame, Pitanguy also often performed surgery for free on accident victims who could not otherwise afford his services. Several hospitals have followed his example and offer plastic surgeries to the poor at reduced rates or even free of charge.
He voiced the opinion that beauty treatments not only helped improve a person's outside, but also had psychological benefits in boosting self-esteem.
