'Dr. 90210': New Face of Plastic Surgery

He has his fans, but do plastic surgery shows go too far?

ByABC News via logo
April 29, 2007, 9:12 AM

April 29, 2007 — -- Plastic surgery used to be a secretive process, but thanks to the rise of reality shows on the subject, such as "Dr. 90210," which follows Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Rey, people are now accustomed to seeing everyday people get all kinds of cosmetic surgery procedures.

With his flashy suits and big grin, it's hard not to notice Rey. In just three years, he has become one of the most famous plastic surgeons in the United States thanks to "Dr. 90210."

With a viewership of more than 40 million, viewers seem to be charmed by his unorthodox style, his martial arts moves and his struggle to balance work and family life.

Rey said he has learned a lot from the show.

"I realized that I'm far from perfect, you know?" he said. "I work so hard that sometimes I neglect the most important [things] in my life, you know, which [are] my kids and my poor wife."

When "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" visited, Rey was late getting home after a long day at the office. His two-year-old son Robbie fell asleep and his wife Hayley and daughter Sydney ate dinner without him.

"Sometimes you have to step outside yourself and watch yourself like I get to do on television and say, 'Okay, that's got to change and this got to change,'" Rey said. "My wife and I have grown much closer together this year."

Today, Rey has a booming practice. The office walls are covered with press clippings and his lobby is filled with patients, some who have waited more than a year to get an appointment.

Even his receptionists are former patients.

Forty-six-year-old Vanessa Lindsay is a fan, as well as a client.

"There was just something about him that was just different, and I just liked his bedside manner," Lindsay said. "I liked his demeanor. There was just -- I don't know. I just knew."

Lindsay recently underwent a new trend in plastic surgery -- multiple cosmetic procedures in one day. She asked Rey to perform a breast lift, liposuction and a tummy tuck.