NATURAL BY DESIGN
Story by Ann E. Butenas
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Chris Surek has opened a new office in Overland Park, pairing his boutique surgical practice with a full-service medical spa under one roof.
Long before Dr. Chris Surek became a nationally recognized name in facelift surgery, he grew up alongside a friend born with a cleft lip. That friendship planted a seed. When he decided to become a surgeon, he set his sights on plastic surgery with one goal in mind: restoring smiles for children born with a cleft lip and palate.
“I always thought it would be such a rewarding job to be able to restore a smile for a kid with a cleft lip,” Dr. Surek said.
As his training progressed, he realized those positions were limited in the United States, thankfully because cleft lip is not especially common here. So, he widened his lens and fell in love with aesthetic surgery.
“The same detail and artistry that I saw in cleft lip and palate repair, I saw in face and body aesthetic surgery,” Dr. Surek emphasized.
Rooted in Kansas City
Dr. Surek grew up in Denver, but Kansas City has been home for 20 years, and he has no plans to leave. He earned his medical degree from Kansas City University and completed six years of plastic surgery residency training at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He then headed to Cleveland Clinic, ranked the No. 2 hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, for a sub-specialty fellowship in aesthetic/cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body before coming to the metro to open his own practice.
That was eight years ago. Today, Dr. Surek is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Surek Plastic Surgery recently moved to 121st and Metcalf in Overland Park, where he took over the practice of longtime plastic surgeon Dr. John Quinn.
Two Passions, One Practice
Dr. Surek performs a wide range of procedures, from full facial rejuvenation to an array of body contouring operations, he only focuses on the surgeries that he loves with the goal of delivering the best results he can. His top three procedures are facelift and eyelid surgery; breast augmentation and breast lift; and tummy tuck and 360 liposuction. Combine breast and tummy procedures, and you get what is commonly called the “mommy makeover.”
That second area of focus is personal.
“As men, we can’t really relate to what happens to a woman’s body as she goes through pregnancy,” Dr. Surek reflected. “I take a lot of joy in the ability to restore and even enhance the way their body looked prior to pregnancy. Watching my wife go through it, from a spouse’s perspective, is what inspired me to do what I do today for moms.”
His other passion is facial rejuvenation, and it’s where he has built an impressive academic reputation. Dr. Surek speaks and lectures on facelift and eyelid surgery all over the world. He has received two national awards for his research in facial cosmetic surgery. He has co-authored 10 textbook chapters and two facial cosmetic textbooks, the most recent of which ranks among the top sellers in aesthetic plastic surgery. He also recently completed a three-year term as chairman of a Facial & Rhinoplasty Symposium (TAS), a premier national meeting focusing on facelift, rhinoplasty and all additional surgical & non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures.
Many patients cross over between his two specialties.
“I end up doing a lot of facelifts on previous body patients of mine and body cases on previous facial patients,” he noted.
“The same detail and artistry that I saw in cleft lip and palate repair, I saw in face and body aesthetic surgery”
Looking as Good as You Feel
Dr. Surek describes the facelift as an operation of expression.
“I simply want people to look as good as they feel,” he said. “Father Time happens to all of us, but the good news is that no matter the race or gender, the pattern of aging is the same, which makes it predictable to correct.”
While most of his patients are women, Dr. Surek said more men are seeking plastic surgery in his practice, too.
When he evaluates a patient, he looks beyond the number on their driver’s license.
“I look at their chronological age, but more importantly their anatomical age,” he explained. “If I see anatomy that I can restore, enhance, or contour, then they are a good candidate.”
Dr. Surek often treats the eyes along with the neck and jawline for a more balanced, refreshed result. The word “refreshed” 
comes up a lot with him. He is firm that his patients should never look “done.”
“I don’t want my patients to look altered. I want them to look restored or refreshed from where they were 10 or 15 years ago,” he noted. “If you’re 70, don’t expect to look 25, but do expect to look restored and refreshed.”
It is a standard he takes personally.
“As soon as I operate on someone, they are a direct reflection of my practice,” he emphasized.
Everything Under One Roof
Moving his practice brought a new partnership with SkinSpirit, a national medical spa company that opened a clinic in the same building. Patients now have access to lasers, neurotoxins, soft tissue fillers, HydraFacials, chemical peels, skincare products, and much more, just steps away from their surgeon’s office.
“Between SkinSpirit and Surek Plastic Surgery, I can offer a full array of surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic treatments for my patients all under one roof,” he said.
The practice itself remains intentionally boutique. Every patient starts with an in-office consultation. Those who book surgery meet with Dr. Surek’s team for a detailed pre-op appointment. All procedures are performed on an outpatient basis at Kansas City Ambulatory Surgery Center, an accredited private surgery center. Dr. Surek said “One of my favorite parts of my practice is that I am fortunate to have such an incredible staff, we have an excellent culture here”
For Those on the Fence
For anyone hesitant to take the step, Dr. Surek offered some reassurance.
“Elective surgery is very safe in today’s world,” he indicated. “Pre-surgical anxiety is normal, but the majority of my patients tell me after surgery that they are glad they did it and wish they had done it sooner.”
He also urged patients to do their homework, choose a board-certified plastic surgeon, and be wary of trendy treatments.
“There might be a lot of shiny new pennies on the market, but I want to make sure it’s backed by quality science,” he cautioned. That approach recently earned him a spot on the television docuseries All Access with Andy Garcia.
Below is a QR code if interested in watching Dr. Surek’s recent docuseries.
At the end of the day, Dr. Surek said it comes down to people.
“My staff and I treat patients like our own family,” he said. “We care deeply about their concerns as well as their outcomes.”
His patients notice that, too. One described him as “a doctor who has the heart of a teacher and takes the time to thoroughly explain everything.”
For another patient, Dr. Surek’s honesty stood out.
“If there is something he doesn’t think is necessary, he will be honest instead of just going with it and taking your money,” she wrote. “My results are natural, and I couldn’t be happier.”
