Having the life of a skilled plastic surgeon is amazing. It ensures fast cars, fame, money and women. This is true if you’re the dashing Dr. Christian Troy from the dark satire “Nip/Tuck.” He is one half of McNamara/Troy, the plastic surgery practice he owns with best friend Sean McNamara. They are two successful plastic surgeons from Miami who live a glamorous lifestyle and have recently relocated to Los Angeles to enhance their careers.
About Dr. Troy
Christian Troy is vain, wealthy, and loves to splash his money around. He drives a $200,000 Ferrari 360 Spider, owns a speedboat, wears $1,000 Gucci suits, and has a pretty nice Beverly Hills bachelor pad. He spends money frivolously on women, dining and drinking out on the town with McNamara. The cost of partying in Los Angeles can easily cost $200 a night at some of the top restaurants and bars, if not more.
The Practice
The median annual salary for a plastic surgeon is about $250,000, according to PayScale.com. That is almost his whole salary just to pay for his Ferrari. While Troy and McNamara do run their own company, the cost of rent for their business in Beverly Hills can start around $1,500 a month, and they would still have to pay their employees. The median medical secretary salary is $30,000 a year, and Liz, their head anesthesiologist, would cost them at least $183,000 per year.
The real Dr. Troy
If Troy’s salary was the median for his work, he would definitely have to use his credit cards to make ends meet. Working in LA however, with the higher cost of living and the endless clientel, he probably does fairly well. Since image is important, his wallet would be full of excellent credit credit cards—probably even a Platinum Amex waiting to be upgraded to a Black Centurian Card.
This doesn’t take the cost of their medical supplies and legal fees into consideration. McNamara and Troy have made plenty of mistakes over the years, and probably would have been sued for malpractice in reality.
While the number of cosmetic surgery procedures have increased over the years, both surgeons would have to clock in long hours to pay for their fast paced lifestyles. Troy must have a great credit score to finance his car and be able to lease his office building and apartment.
While McNamara feels a bit of financial pressure on the show, Troy is carefree and often charges dinner, his bar tab and his designer addiction to his credit card. In short, Troy’s finances are about as real as the surgery he performs.
