Beyond Beauty: How Dr. Peter Koltz Is Redefining What It Means to Pursue Better

When people hear the words plastic surgery, they often think about appearance. They think about procedures designed to change how someone looks. But for Dr. Peter Koltz, the work has never been simply about aesthetics. It has always been about something much larger: helping people become healthier, more confident, and better equipped to live the lives they want.

“Look better, feel better, and do better.”

That phrase has become more than a slogan for Dr. Koltz and his practice, PEKO MD. It represents a philosophy that guides every decision he makes, from reconstructive surgery and medical aesthetics to wellness programs and community initiatives.

For Dr. Koltz, improving someone’s appearance is only one part of the journey. The ultimate goal is helping people overcome the things that may be holding them back so they can move forward with confidence. “The goal here is that you look better eventually,” he explains. “You’ll start feeling better, and then eventually the goal is to help you do better. Don’t undergo this treatment if you’re not going to go do better.”

That mindset is what separates PEKO MD from a traditional approach to elective medicine. It is a practice built around understanding the person behind the procedure.

Creating a Different Kind of Practice

Dr. Koltz’s path back to Toledo was intentional. After completing his training in New York and Philadelphia, he returned home with a desire to provide specialized care in a community where he saw a need. While Philadelphia offered access to many surgeons performing similar procedures, Toledo was missing something important.

“When I moved to Toledo there was no one doing what I do, which is microvascular reconstructive surgery, taking tissue from one part of your body and moving it somewhere else,” he says. He recognized that patients were often traveling to larger cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, or Chicago to receive certain types of care. Returning home allowed him to bring those skills back to the community where he grew up.

Dr. Koltz joined ProMedica, continuing his work in reconstructive surgery, while also creating PEKO MD in 2020 to provide elective procedures and services outside of the traditional hospital structure. The separation allowed him to do what he believed was best for patients: provide reconstructive care through a large healthcare organization while building a practice that could be more flexible and responsive on the elective and wellness side.

“pekoMD started when I left Saint Luke’s and came over to ProMedica,” he says. “It was kind of like a divide in my life where I’m going to go do reconstructive surgery, which is what I did through my training, and then carve out everything I do for elective reasons.” That freedom created an opportunity to build a more comprehensive approach to patient care.

Turning Aesthetic Medicine Into Community Impact

One of the most unique examples of Dr. Koltz’s philosophy is pekoLift.

The initiative was created from a simple question: How can aesthetic medicine also create meaningful change beyond the individual patient?

Dr. Koltz understood that some people hesitate to pursue aesthetic treatments because they feel those services are only about themselves. His solution was to create a model where patients could receive treatments they wanted while also helping organizations in need. Through PEKO Lift, money generated from selected treatments goes back to nonprofit organizations chosen as partners.

“The consumer can get what they want, I can get what I want as a provider, and we can give back,” he explains. “The patient gets what they want, and nonprofit organizations get what they need, which is resources.” The goal is not self-serving. The practice does not keep those funds. “We’re not keeping the money,” Dr. Koltz says. “It goes right back out to the partnering organization, so everyone wins.”

For him, the initiative removes a barrier. A patient who may have felt uncomfortable investing in themselves now knows that their decision can also benefit someone else. It transforms confidence into community impact.

Evidence Over Trends

In an industry where trends can change quickly, Dr. Koltz believes medical decisions must always be grounded in science. His approach is based on evidence-based medicine, whether he is performing reconstructive surgery, a surgical cosmetic procedure, or a non-surgical treatment. “In the elective, med spa type of world, there’s a lot of nonsense that happens that’s not based on science, not based on evidence,” he says. His commitment is to use proven methods and tailor treatments to each individual patient.

That includes understanding differences in skin types, especially when treating patients with more melanin in their skin. Certain treatments, including laser and heat-based procedures, must be carefully adjusted because different skin types respond differently. “The type of skin color that someone has matters because you use different technologies,” Dr. Koltz explains. “Things have to be tailored to people’s different melanin production.”

For him, providing excellent care means understanding the whole person, not applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Wellness Beyond Weight Loss

As conversations around weight management and medications such as GLP-1 treatments continue to grow, Dr. Koltz emphasizes that health should always come before appearance. This philosophy led to the development of Peak Wellness, a branch of PEKO MD focused on wellness services, including hormone optimization, weight management, recovery, and overall health. Dr. Koltz is clear that the goal is not simply losing weight.

“The goal is not to lose weight. The goal is to be healthy.” That means evaluating patients holistically and ensuring they receive guidance from experts. He partnered with specialists in wellness and metabolic health because he believes patients deserve comprehensive care. “We’re not just a pill dispensary or a shot dispensary,” he says. “The goal for us is to make sure that the whole patient is treated.”

That same philosophy applies to preparing patients for surgery. If someone needs to lose weight before a procedure, Dr. Koltz believes they should not simply be told to lose weight and sent away. The question becomes: Who will help them get there? Who will guide them? Who will provide the education and support necessary to make lasting changes? That is where his team approach comes in.

The Power of Team

Although Dr. Koltz is the surgeon, he is quick to credit the team around him as the foundation of PEKO MD’s success. “The one thing I’m most proud of is our team of people here,” he says. Because much of his time is spent in the operating room, he has intentionally built a team that provides patients with ongoing support before and after procedures.

“I always tell patients, I want you to want to see my team more than you see me.” That level of connection is important because patients need reassurance, education, and guidance throughout their journey. For Dr. Koltz, healthcare is not simply about performing a procedure. It is about building relationships.

A Pursuit of Better

Dr. Koltz’s vision extends beyond the walls of PEKO MD. The practice has grown organically as other physicians have recognized what he is building and asked to bring the model to their communities. With expansion into additional locations, his focus remains consistent: provide thoughtful, comprehensive care that helps people move forward.

At its core, his message is simple. Everyone has the opportunity to pursue better. Better health. Better confidence. Better quality of life.

“Status quo is not okay,” Dr. Koltz says. “I don’t want that for my providers, and I don’t want that for my patients. I want people to expect the best.” For Dr. Peter Koltz, medicine is not about changing people into someone else. It is about helping them become more confidently who they were meant to be.