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Jon Perlman ’69, a cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, performed over 40 extensive cosmetic surgeries on 27 different patients during the first run of the hit ABC show “Extreme Makeover.”
“I didn’t know how gratifying the experience would become,” he says. “The theme of taking someone and offering them a chance for a makeover — in conjunction with corrective dentistry and vision surgery, physical fitness, and diet changes — seemed to resonate with millions of viewers around the world. To realize that so many viewers were brought to tears as a result of the changes that often occurred in the lives of the participants was heart warming and gratifying.”
A biology graduate, Perlman says he agreed to participate in the show after confirming that safety and medical ethics were priorities. He continues in his Beverly Hills practice and volunteers as clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at UCLA Medical Center.