A Little Work: The Truth Behind Plastic Surgery's Park Avenue Façade

Plastic surgery is a field we all think we know well from reality shows like Extreme Makeover and Dr. 90210. But do we really? Only this doctor can tell you what it's all about. His truths will shock you, his rules will inform you, and his revelations could save you.

A well-established, dynamic plastic surgeon at the top of his game, Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc lets you into his private practice, where the stakes are rising every day, and answers the burning questions. What should you know about a doctor's training? Do you know the difference between a tummy tuck and liposuction, and who is more suited for which? Have you ever imagined what mistakes a doctor has made and whether they can be corrected? He reveals the lies patients tell him and the lengths to which celebrities go to maintain anonymity in the waiting room. He shatters the myths surrounding post-operative recovery. And much, much more.

Dr. Lorenc not only supplies the answers but analyzes what increasingly drives people in our youth- and beauty-obsessed culture--women and men alike--to request his services. With nuance and knowledge, he scrutinizes every detail of this fascinating yet imperfect science. This is the book for anyone who is thinking--even just a little--about getting plastic surgery.

Z. Paul Lorenc, M.D., F.A.C.S., received a degree in general surgery from New York University School of Medicine in 1984 and completed his fellowship in aesthetic plastic surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in 1988. In private practice on New York's Park Avenue for sixteen years, Dr. Lorenc enjoys surgical privileges at the city's finest hospitals and is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at NYU School of Medicine.

Trish Hall is an editor at The New York Times. She has written for many national publications, including the Times, The Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart Living, and Gourmet. She lives in New York with her husband and daughter.