He was educated at Prague Industrial-Technical Secondary School before studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Oxford University.

He became a member of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1981, working as a senior registrar in general surgery at London's Westminster Hospital before entering private practice in 1984.

Through the rest of the 1980s, Dr Stanek worked with several large cosmetic surgery clinics until the demands of his own practice led him to focus solely on private referrals.

[5] Stanek is known for his technique of fixing skin and muscle after eyelid surgery, which apparently cuts recovery time and reduces risk for those who heal slowly.

[6] In 2012, Stanek conducted a study with fellow surgeon Mike Berry into the French-made PIP breast implants.

[8]” At his London clinic, clients are also offered body contouring through the non-invasive cellulite reduction and skin-tightening system Exilis, which uses ultrasound with radio-frequency pulses to reduce subcutaneous fat.

[citation needed] As well as his work in broadcasting, he has contributed expert testimony to newspapers and magazines including the Evening Standard and The Observer among many others.

[12] In 2011, at London's Lazarides Gallery, the artist Jonathan Yeo exhibited paintings inspired by the work of Jan Stanek and fellow surgeon Mike Berry.