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• If you have one or two areas of your body that are out of proportion to the rest of your body?
  
  
• If you have tried diet and exercise and have areas that stubbornly refuse to budge regardless of your weight?
  
  
• If you have your mother's thighs or your father's hip rolls?

Consider liposuction.

Liposuction is one of the most popular and fastest growing procedures in plastic surgery here in Knoxville. It is the most popular plastic surgery procedure among men. There is good reason for this increase in popularity. Liposuction is safe, has a short recovery time and often can produce the best results for people who have exhausted other alternatives.

There have been some important improvements in the techniques of liposuction, and Dr. Reath has introduced them to the East Tennessee area. He uses ultra-sound assisted liposuction which is more effective and produces better results. *Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page to read an article written by Dr. Reath comparing all the latest liposuction techniques.

It is important for people to understand that liposuction is not a weight loss procedure. Dr. Reath performs liposuction on areas of the body that are out of proportion to the overall shape of the body. Usually the areas of concern are areas that have not been affected through weight loss or exercise. They are just always there! Typical areas include the outer thighs (saddlebags), inner thighs, hip rolls (love handles), abdomen, back and chest (particularly in men).

Here are a few of Dr. Reath's patients:

Before & After (Liposuction): This is a 31-year-old man who was concerned about Gynecomastia (male enlarged breasts) and fat in his abdomen and hip rolls. Despite an aggressive exercise regimen, these areas refused to budge. Dr. Reath performed liposuction on his chest and abdomen with these excellent results.

Before	After
Before	After
Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.

Before & After (Lipo-abdominoplasty and liposuction of lateral and medial thighs) This is a 39-year-old woman who was concerned about her abdomen and thighs after having three children. She was within 5 - 10 pounds of her ideal weight. Dr. Reath performed a Lipo-Abdominoplasty and liposuction on her median and lateral thighs to achieve this  toned, attractive look.

Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.

Before & After (Liposuction): This is a 37-year-old woman who wanted to be treated for the hereditary deposits of fat in her neck and under her jaw that make her appear heavier than she really is. Because there was no excess skin and the quality of the skin present was elastic, Dr. Reath was able to use liposuction to correct the problem. What a difference it made!

Before	After
Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.

Before and After Liposuction of Abdomen and Hip Rolls: Here is a 22-year-old student who told us that she had recently gained over 25 pounds as a side-effect of some medication she was prescribed. She was not used to carrying this extra weight which was particularly evident to her in her stomach and her hips. Because her skin was so elastic, Dr. Reath was able to achieve this excellent result with liposuction of her abdomen and hip rolls.

Before and After Liposuction of Inner and Outer Thighs: Here is a 26-year-old teacher who came to us for an evaluation because she was unhappy with her thighs. She came by this problem area naturally because it runs in her family. She told us that even when she is happy with her weight, as she was during her consultation, her thighs were always out of proportion with the rest of her figure. Dr. Reath performed liposuction on her inner and outer thighs and she is much happier in her blue jeans!

Liposuction Cost

Liposuction on the body is priced by the area and ranges from $3,381 for one area to $6,950 for four areas. This includes surgery suite, anesthesia, all follow-up visits and our exclusive recovery kit to aid in healing.

Cash Discount:
Good news! For our patients who would like to pay with cash or check we offer a 5% discount.

Neck Liposuction

$2568 - ($2,440 with cash discount)

Male Breast Reduction

$5,296 for both sides - ($5,031 with cash discount)

Before & After (Liposuction): This is a 31-year-old woman who was unhappy with the hereditary contour of her neck. She felt that no matter what her weight was, she always had a double chin. Dr. Reath performed liposuction on her neck and she was very pleased with the result.

Before	After
Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.

Before & After (Liposuction): This patient is a teenage male who was troubled by breast development on his chest, known as Gynecomastia. This created problems for him in terms of dealing with his classmates. Dr. Reath used liposuction to treat this area. The patient is happy and feels the results have improved his overall confidence.

Before	After
Before	After
Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.

Male Breast Reduction Podcast

Gynecomastia is a condition of over-developed or enlarged breasts in men — often causes emotional discomfort and can impair self-confidence. Some men even avoid certain physical activities and intimacy simply to hide their condition.

Advances in plastic surgery techniques allow for correction of gynecomastia through a procedure that reduces breast size and flattens and enhances the chest contours. Nearly 20,000 male breast reduction procedures were performed in 2006.

This procedure is a good option for patients who:

• Are physically healthy and of relatively normal weight
• Have realistic expectations
• Are not experiencing further breast development
• Are bothered by the feeling that their breasts are too large

In this podcast, listeners will hear an ASPS member surgeon discussing the causes of gynecomastia and courses of treatment, as well as his patient, Matthew, describing how he coped with his condition before surgery and his post-surgical outlook on life.
 

Click Here to Listen to the T.I.P.S. Male Breast Reduction Podcast

Before & After (Liposuction): This patient is a 19-year-old student who explained that she has always been self-conscious of the fullness in her upper thighs. She could not achieve any measurable change with exercise. Dr. Reath performed liposuction to the front, lateral and posterior thighs.

Before	After
Before	After
Before	After
Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.

 

The Operation

The good news is that liposuction is done on an outpatient basis so patients can go home in the care of their families once they have recovered from anesthesia. Areas that have been treated are placed in compressive garments.

        Recovery

Helping our patients manage a speedy recovery is one of our primary missions. Most patients are up and about the day after liposuction. There will be some swelling and bruising after liposuction and recovery depends on the number of areas treated. The garments are worn for four to six weeks to aid the healing. Most of the swelling is gone in about 2 to 3 weeks, however there will be small amounts of swelling which may last longer. (After the inital swelling is gone, we recommend Spanx Slim Cognito garments and carry them in our store for your convenience.) Dr. Reath instructs his patients on how to perform deep massage on the areas that have been treated which helps with the resolution of swelling and firmness. Most people can return to normal activities in 10 to 14 days.

If you are considering liposuction and have questions you would like answered, click on Ask Dr. Reath and Dr. Reath will personally answer your email.

Some of the best ideas for taking care of our patients come from other patients. One of our liposuction patients told us about the Spanx Slim Cognito line. She said it is the perfect thing to wear while recovering from surgery. And boy was she right! Now we carry it in our store for all of our patients.

We had been searching for just the right compression garment for years because patients must wear them for several weeks after body contouring surgery. But really...who wants to wear bulky garments under clothes when you are excitied about new changes in your figure?

The Spanx Slim Cognito line we brought in is not like their "power panties" which you find in most department stores. Slim Cognito garments are seamless and have the maximum compression available to provide the extra support our surgical patients need. Actually they look so slimming under clothes that our nonsurgical patients are buying them left and right.

We are carrying all four Spanx Slim Cognito products in nude and black. The bodysuit is unique because you attach it to your own bra. It is available as a regular bodysuit and a mid-thigh bodysuit. In addition we have a seamless control panty and a mid thigh shaper.

Did you know? Compression garments tend to give your backside a flat uni-butt look. to avoid that look Spanx designed their line to be much more flattering. You won't feel the subtle butt shaper, but the natural look won't be lost on those in your wake!

Spanx Bodysuit $58 (pictured right), Spanx Mid-thigh Bodysuit $68 (pictured above), Spanx Control Panty $42 and Spanx Mid-thigh Shaper $58 (not-pictured)

The Real Skinny on Liposuction from Dr. Reath

Anyone who reads a magazine, listens to the radio, and watches TV here in Knoxville is being inundated with information about the latest and greatest technique of liposuction.  Without knowing much about the different claims, it would seem that each year the technology is being completely reinvented.  I thought it might be helpful to give you some background information about the different techniques so you can make an informed decision about what is right for you.

Back to Basics

Liposuction has been around for about thirty-five years, in one shape or form. With its inception, plastic surgeons were able to remove large amounts of fat through very small incisions by introducing cannulas that were attached to a suction device.  This became known as suction assisted lipectomy (SAL).  We now take this pretty much for granted, but it was a real innovation when it was first introduced. 

Prior to this, the only way to remove large areas of fat was to surgically cut them out, which left significant scars.  And, this time honored technique is basis for all forms of liposuction.  All different techniques that I will talk about rely on fat removal by suction. 

One of the first innovations, which in used in virtually all liposuctions, is the tumescent technique.  This technique introduced fluid into the tissues prior to the liposuction.  Usually there is also some local anesthetic mixed in with the fluid to help with pain relief.  Additionally, small amounts of epinephrine (adrenaline) are mixed with the tumescent fluid to reduce bruising and blood loss.

Alphabet soup: the different techniques

Several different techniques have been introduced over the years.  Some involve different technologies, and some are variations on the basics of the original technique.  All use the tumescent technique as the first step of the operation, and basic liposuction as the final step.  The difference in many of these techniques is the energy used to remove the fat, or move the cannulas within the tissue during the suctioning.  In SAL (suction assisted lipectomy, or traditional liposuction) it is the strength of the surgeon that moves the cannula through the tissue to remove the fat.  This is why I go to the gym to lift weights!

In the early 1990’s, an Italian surgeon, Michele  Zocchi, began to work with ultrasound as an adjunct to liposuction.  This technique became refined, introduced into this country in the mid 1990’s and has become known as Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction (UAL).  After the tissues are tumesced, a cannula emitting ultrasonic energy is introduced into the tissues.  This energy breaks up, or emulsifies the fat to assist in its removal.  This is very effective in most areas, and is of greatest benefit in areas where the fat is very dense, such as in the chest or abdomen.  After the fat is emulsified or broken up, it is removed with traditional suction cannulas, SAL.

I had the pleasure of taking several courses taught by Dr. Zocchi and become intrigued with this method.  Subsequently, I became the first plastic surgeon in East Tennessee to perform UAL, and have been doing so for about twelve years.  I continue to find this to be an excellent method of liposuction, and use it in most of my liposuction cases.

About six years ago, another device for ultrasound assisted liposuction was developed and marketed: VASER liposuction.  The technology behind this machine is virtually identical to other UAL machines.  I have used this machine and believe it is a good device.  However, I prefer the other UAL device that I have been using.  Other surgeons prefer the VASER device.  A marketing gimmick associated with VASER has been to use the term “liposelection.”  To me, this term is meaningless, as in all liposuction cases the surgeon must be careful to determine which fat is selected for removal, and which fat should be left in place.

Towards the end of the 1990’s, after UAL had come into clinical use, another form of liposuction was developed: power assisted liposuction (PAL).  In this, the cannula is moved back and forth in the tissues driven by a small motor.  I have also used this machine and have found it to be effective.  It’s main advantage is that it takes less strength on the part of the surgeon as opposed to SAL.  Like UAL, this is very effective in areas where the fat is dense.  In some cases, I continue to use this in combination with UAL and SAL.

The latest addition to the liposuction arena is laser assisted liposuction (LAL).  This uses laser energy to disrupt the fat cells to assist in their removal.  The laser itself is introduced within a specialized suction cannula.  A very good scientific study compared this method, LAL, to traditional SAL.  There was no difference seen in the results or the time of recovery.  The only real difference seen was that the laser assisted liposuction took a bit more time in the operating room.  As you might expect, there has also been some marketing hype with this technology.  The proponents of this have termed this “Smart Lipo.”  It occurs to me that the machine for this type of liposuction is quite expensive, as all lasers are.  Who do you think will end up paying for the cost of this machine?

The bottom line

So what is one to make of all these different technologies?  Which is the best, and which of the claims of superior technology should you be listening to?  Frankly, you can have a good result from any of these techniques, and you can have less than optimal results with any of these techniques. 

What matters most is how well the technique is performed which is ultimately dependent upon the surgeon on the other end of the suction cannula.  What you should be looking for, when considering liposuction, is a board certified plastic surgeon with a wealth of experience with liposuction.  It is this experience that will guide the surgeon in knowing how much fat to remove from which area(s), which technology to use, and whether or not liposuction is the best treatment for the area of concern.

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