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Maybe, but many women chosen for the show did seem to be on fragile emotional ground-and some experts worry that subjecting them to a competition based on their new looks only made them more vulnerable. "It's an emotionally high-pressure situation," says Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Peter Fodor, M.D., president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. With contestants undergoing as many as 20 procedures, "and doing it on national television, and as part of a contest - that adds unnecessary emotional trauma," he says. "Aesthetic surgery by itself can be a demanding experience - you have to get used to your new appearance. [Being judged] can add up to a less than satisfactory emotional outcome."

Others are more blunt. "They're doing a television show without consideration for the human beings involved," says one TV executive at a rival network. "Look at what they do: At the end of the show, [contestants have] gotten all this surgery, but they're still not quite good enough. How can that be healthy?"

The Swan's team of surgeons, counselors, cosmetic dentist and a trainer insist they gave the women all the support they needed. "If anything, I think everybody went through it emotionally with them," says trainer Greg Comeaux. "Half the time I would go home crying for them because they're away from their families. And then I would stop because I would think, 'They're stronger than I am.' They were brave human beings."

The Swan's 'Dream Team' While the Swans got thinner, what got fatter? The appointment book of most of the show's docs and experts. "My personal-training business has quadrupled," says Greg Comeaux. "I'm getting book offers. I'm getting calls from everywhere." Dr. Terry J. Dubrow agrees. Pre-Swan, he says, "If you wanted to come see me for your face or your breast, I didn't have any open appointments for three months; now I don't have any for six months." Not to mention the fame factor. "It is interesting," he admits, "when the patients come in and I say, 'Hi, I'm Dr. Terry Dubrow.' They go, 'Yeah, I know.'" Still, as fellow surgeon Dr. Randal Haworth observes, "I've only got two hands, so it doesn't mean I can put more money in the bank." Though Haworth's waiting list has increased to nine months, "if I do a face-lift, I can only do one full facial rejuvenation in a day," he says. "I know some people who do four to five to six because they take shortcuts. Not all surgery is the same." But Swan team member Lynn Ianni, a therapist, has yet to see her business benefit: "It's had very little effect on my practice. It hasn't increased my patient load." Maybe business will pick up with Swan 2.

There's no question that the contestants are thrilled with their results. "Since I came back, everything has been so much better," says Dawn Goad, 33, a homemaker. "Now I smile all the time." Even Christina Tyree, 27, an office administrator, who announced that she thought her husband should leave her because he deserved someone more attractive, conjured up some self-esteem. "I feel really pretty. I can actually look at myself in the mirror and like what I see," she says. "And my husband is thrilled. He never made me feel ugly; I did that to myself."

The women say the much criticized pageant actually boosted their confidence: "When I went out there in my bikini, this was a way for me to say, 'Hey if I can get in front of all you in a little itsy-bitsy bikini, I can do anything,'" says top Swan Rachel Love-Fraser (see box). "It was a lot of fun."

Still, some observers say that because contestants were under extreme stress, their high may not last. Just what was it like behind the scenes? Although voiceovers emphasized that contestants received extensive "life coaching" (from producer Galán) and counseling sessions from Lynn Ianni, Ianni didn't begin working with the women until after their major procedures were completed. Many of the women admit the isolation left them anxious and in tears. "There were little blowups," concedes Kristy Garza, 22, a homemaker. "Everyone was emotional and missing their families and going through this huge experience. There were moments of not wanting to be on the stupid TV show anymore." "Yeah, it was tough, but it's also hard being on Survivor," Galán responds. "That's too bad! On our show, you don't walk away with nothing; you walk away with $250,000 worth of services from day one. And that's the price you pay."

The show also sometimes glossed over the seriousness of the surgeries. Although they appear to be done in one day, in actuality, facial and body surgeries were performed in separate sessions about three weeks apart. "If a patient had major face work and major body work, we split them into two stages," says Dr. Terry J. Dubrow, who, with Dr. Randal Haworth, was on The Swan's cosmetic-surgery dream team. "We are board certified plastic surgeons. We're not going to do something stupid, particularly when it's on national television, you know what I mean? Safety was absolutely a No.1 factor."

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