AboutAlan M. Engler, MD, FACS Expertise Dr. Engler has answered over 2700 plastic surgery questions for Allexperts. His expertise is in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts etc.
Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction."
Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (SEARCH FOR "DR. ENGLER"). His website is www.bodysculpture.com.
Experience Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Education/Credentials Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (undergraduate) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (medical school). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
Question Hi Dr. Engler,,,,I believe I've seen you on the extreme makeover shows... I have a long history but will try to make it a shortened version....I'm a nurse who has had a multitude of health problems most all resolved now thanks to wt loss of 130 #....I haven't worked in nearly 12 yrs as I got disseminated histoplasmosis that took a good while to get correct diagnosis..I was living and working as a nurse at IU medical center, Riley Angler Hospital in the OR.....many others came down with it also....I had open lung surgery to remove a segment as they needed a decent sized biopsy....I had a yrs worth of amphotericin B after failing oral therapy....went back to work and it came back again so another long yr of more of that bad drug...and much trouble with sepsis and spent most of my time in the hosp as a patient....then I developed asthma like problems and a restrictive/reactive airway and was put on steroids very high doses at times....they further destroyed my health....massive wt gain over 120 lbs and my health declined ....so was put on long term disability as I had moved to be close to family and had my treatments at Plymouth,IN. I developed hypertension, hyperchol., metabolic syndrome, asthma, sleep apnea, was on continual oxygen, had limited mobility as the treatment gave me connective tissue type disorder and arthritic component and lupus like autoimmune issues...so more steroids and more wt gain.....well, I had a friend who worked for a bariatric surgeon and she talked to him about me and he called and got me in to see him in Indianapolis....I was booked for surgery within 5 weeks following all the protocol....the surgery went so well.....then 3 weeks post that surgery I was in a near fatal auto accident along with my mother and spent a few weeks in the hospital with multiple fractures, surgeries, therapies in Nov 07....just had my last hopefully ortho repair of my shoulder this past Oct. needless to say I have no money for plastic surgery....I was wondering how people are found to be on the extreme makeover show as I would love to be considered so I can return to my beloved career....I'm 52 and to young to do nothing....I hate asking this question but I just don't know where to turn.....I really need the tummy work and legs, and of course breast lifts and don't care if they're small but just so I don't have to roll them up into a bra....my self esteem is greatly affected and it affects other aspects of my private life as well and I get fungus like rashes under folds especially grown area and on abdominal scars from prior surgeries and they have gotten infected in times past...my highest wt was 271....I had lost wt prior to my gastric bypass when the surgery day arrived I believe I was around 153....the surgery went very well and I'm very compliant and work out 6 days a week and will always do so...I do not want to be disabled like I was again....I am on minimal meds only vitamins of many types, and verapamil which I take for a minor svt disorder I've had since I was 23.....I'm on half the dose now and occasional pain meds when I've had the ortho surgeries from the car accident....I need someone help and have no relatives to speak of only my mother who's 75 and unable to assist to pay and needless to say my savings have been used up with all my medical care as I have medicare but no supplement yet do to no one would insure me...I will be insured soon I've been told when they release my left arm to be more functional as I have no biceps strength....I had multiple humoral fractures, shoulder, elbow, pelvis, ribs, chest, torn groin muscles to name a few and a minor head injury.....do you know of anyone who could help me on some of this plastic surgery in particular tummy, breast , legs and some liposuction....I'd be ever so grateful for whatever I could get. I want to be able to wear clothing and look and feel nice and not for vanity sake ....medicare should help pay for this as part of a package and I'm working on lobbying for this as it's my new cause. Everyone who has this surgery and multiple wt loss should be able to get this especially if they can keep it off and change their life style which I definitely have and have become a long distance runner which is hard with giggly thighs....I wear garments to hold my giggles in to some degree.....but I love running and plan on running my first mini marathon in June....my barbituric surgeon is proud of me and I must say I for the first time in a long time am proud of myself. Sorry this has been so long I do get carried away and tried to get all the important pieces in ....I wish I could self pay all of this and have called local offices but to no avail for plastic surgery of any help. Thanks for taking my question . Melody Feddeler...
Answer Hi Melody,
I do not have any special pull for those shows but I wanted to say two things:
First, you have a lot of medical issues going on and, even under the best of circumstances, I think it's very unlikely that you would be a candidate for such extensive procedures. However, each case is different, and I cannot say for sure.
Secondly, though, your best bet is to contact a medical center near you and see if there is something that can be done via the plastic surgery clinic. That often turns out to be the best way to get something like this done where finances are an issue.
Aside from that, though, I dont' have any major suggestions, for which I apologize,
