Edgar Contreras (surgeon)

Edgar Contreras (born May 15, 1961) is a Dominican doctor and plastic surgeon, and aspiring politician.

Edgar Contreras Rosario was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to dentist Juan Francisco Contreras Puente and Valentina Rosario. He has two brothers: Frank and Juan.

Contreras completed his primary education at the Colegio San José Obrero of the Ensanche Ozama, in Santo Domingo. He attended high school at the Liceo Experimental of the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU). During his school years, he showed interest in sports and artistic activities, being part of the basketball team at Liceo.

Afterwards, Contreras began his studies in medicine, also at the Universidad Pedro Henríquez Ureña, and completed his career at the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) in Santo Domingo, where he obtained his title of Doctor in Medicine.

In 2012, Contreras received his Master's degree in Human and Sustainable Development from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).

Contreras began his private practice in medicine accompanying his brother, plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Contreras, for two years. He also worked at the Service of General Surgery of the Instituto Nacional de Diabetes, Endocrinología y Nutrición (INDEN) under the direction of Dr. Miguel Guerrero.

After that, Contreras moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he completed specialized studies in plastic surgery at the Service of Plastic Surgery at the La Lagoa Hospital. He then accompanied Dr. Marcelo Daher for three years at the Clínica Centro Plástica, in Rio de Janeiro. Contreras also attended classes certified by the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery.

Contreras also studied oncologic plastic surgery at the Service of Plastic Surgery of the Cancer National Institute in Río de Janeiro. He also specialized in the treatment of burns of the Brazilian Armed Forces. Contreras completed a fellowship in Plastic Surgery for patients with cleft lip at the Hospital Nuestra Señora de Loreto, and also took courses in Periorbital Plastic Surgery at the Periorbital Plastic Surgery Society of São Paulo. He was also an instructor for a year and a half for Professor Azulay's Dermatology Surgery at La Santa Casa de la Misericordia Hospital.

In 1998, Contreras completed a course in Colombia on the application of Laser in plastic surgery with Dr. Hernando Harker, becoming a member of the Colombian Society of Medicine and Laser Surgery. Later, during that same year, he founded the Dominican Society of Medicine and Laser Surgery.

Upon returning to the Dominican Republic, Contreras started to work as a plastic surgeon at the Centro Médico Bellas Artes. He also served as the official plastic surgeon for the Miss Dominican Republic pageant from 1996 to 1999.

In 2005, Contreras founded the Clínica de Cirugía Estética Plástica Contreras, which offered plastic surgery services for 9 years. In 2013 and 2014, his clinic was recognized by the Latin American Quality Institute as an Enterprise of Excellence. Aside of its medical work, the clinic has been involved in social endeavors in the community.

In 2015, Contreras integrated other doctors and specialists to his clinic and changed its name to Be Center. The center offers services of plastic surgery, bariatric surgery, dermatology, pelvic floor surgery, cosmetogynecology and nutrition.

Contreras currently serves as president of the Administration Council of Be Center. He is also an active member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery and the Dominican Academy of Plastic Surgery.

In 2012, Contreras started the Pirámides Populares Foundation, with the purpose of promoting the development of empoverished communities. He also started the project Liderazgo Juvenil to promote the empowerment and development of youth in the Dominican Republic. Contreras is also a founding partner of Eco-Club, which promotes ecotourism and preservation of the environment.

Contreras started a foundation under the name of Dr. Edgar Contreras Foundation. According to the doctor, its main goal is the "community development". On September 2015, the foundation signed an agreement with the National Federation for Small and Medium Enterprises to further the inclusion of communities in the national economy. Aside of this, the foundation has been involved in other charity works.

Contreras entered politics with the presidency of Hipólito Mejía in 2000. During this time, he served as an Assistant to Roberto Rodríguez, Director of the National Institute of Water Supply and Sewerage (INAPA). Since then, he remained as an active member of the Dominican Revolutionary Party. In 2014, Contreras joined the Modern Revolutionary Party.

In 2015, Contreras announced he would run for Senator for the Santo Domingo Province.

Contreras was married to dermatologist Yudith Minaya Polanco from 1992 to 1999. They had two children together: Camila and Edgar Francisco. In 2000, Contreras married to Merfry Then, industrial designer, model, and former participant of Miss Dominican Republic 1999. With Then, he had two more children: Daniela María and Edgar Gabriel.

Contreras is Catholic. He attends the Parroquia San José de Calasanz in Arroyo Hondo.

In 1998, a Puerto Rican woman died from post-surgery complications 15 days after Contreras performed a lipoinjection in her legs. The next year, Dominican journalist Isabel Vargas also died after having a liposuction at Contreras clinic. Both cases prompted an investigation of the clinic's practice, as well as a criminal case against Contreras. In 2002, a judge revoked the suspension on Contreras, allowing him to practice medicine during his judicial process. In 2004, former consul María de los Angeles Morel died from complications of a liposuction performed by Contreras. In 2006, he was acquitted of the death of Morel, while in 2010 he was also acquitted of the death of Vargas.

The latest case occurred in 2015 when a Dominican woman also died from complications after undergoing a lipsculpture surgery performed by Contreras. During the investigation, many patients came forward to defend his practice. In 2015, a group of 20 patients of Contreras organized a press conference to voice their support for him, after his clinic was closed by the Public Health Ministry. Although the family of the woman claimed they would sue the clinic, an autopsy performed by the National Institute of Forensic Pathology revealed that there was no malpractice. As a result, the Minister of Public Health reinstated Contreras to perform surgery again.