Want Your Figure Back? A Tummy Tuck Might be the Answer.
There are very few women who do not have changes in their abdominal wall after child bearing. Whether they come from the Knoxville area, Johnson City, Cookeville, or Cleveland, most tell us that they have been self conscious about their stomachs for a long time.
Some have loose sagging abdominal skin. Others have abdomens that protrude because their abdominal muscles have been stretched by pregnancy. Some have reduced their weight and have excess tissue that won’t go away on its own. Almost all have tried dieting and exercising and are discouraged by the lack of results. In fact, patients find that as their weight drops the skin becomes looser and looks even worse!
Liposuction alone can’t fix that, nor does it repair the abdominal muscles or remove the excess skin. So, if you want to get your pre-pregnancy tummy back, there is no substitute for a Lipoabdominoplasty.
A tummy tuck corrects three main areas of concern:
First, liposuction of the entire abdominal wall is used to reduce the fat thickness throughout.
Then the rectus abdominis muscles, or the sit-up muscles, are repaired. Usually with pregnancies these are stretched apart in the middle and no amount of crunches will work!
Finally, the excess skin is removed resulting in a contoured flat tummy.
Tummy Tuck Photos of Dr. Reath’s Patients
A tummy tuck can be combined with excision of the hip rolls as you can see in the first patient below. We are fondly referring to this procedure as the “muffinator” because it also treats the hip areas causing “muffin tops”.
Before & After Photos
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
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Before & After Abdominoplasty with Excision of Hip Rolls (Muffinator): She is 5’5” and weighs 160 pounds. Here is a 35-year-old mom who wanted to get rid of the excess skin and fat in her abdomen and hip area. Dr. Reath performed an abdominoplasty with excision of hip rolls for this great result.
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Before & After Abdominoplasty: She is 5’8” and weighs 142 pounds. Here is a 31-year-old mother who has three children. She was able to diet and exercise her way back to a healthy weight but was unable to correct the separation of her abdominal muscles and get rid of the excess skin from her pregnancies. Dr. Reath performed an abdominoplasty for these wonderful results.
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Before and After Tummy Tuck: She is 5’6” and weighs 160 pounds. Here is a 49-year-old mom who had been concerned about changes in her abdomen after carrying three children. Dr. Reath performed a lipoabdominoplasty during which he repaired the laxity in her abdominal muscles and removed fat and excess skin. She is pictured before and six months after her tummy tuck. Quite a difference!
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Before & After Tummy Tuck: This patient is 29 years old, is 5' 3" tall and weighs 131 pounds. She was proud of the weight she lost after her pregnancy but was concerned about the excess abdominal skin leftover. Dr. Reath performed a full abdominoplasty and was able to tighten her abdominal muscles, which had been stretched from her pregnancy and remove all her excess skin. She was absolutely thrilled!
Above photographs are actual patients of Dr. Reath's who have given consent for the use of their photographs for this website.
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Before & After Tummy Tuck: This is a 39-year-old woman who was concerned about her abdomen after having three children. She was within 5 - 10 pounds of her ideal weight. Dr. Reath performed a Lipoabdominoplasty to achieve this toned, attractive look.
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Before & After Abdominoplasty- She is 5’7” and weighs 133 pounds. Here is a 51-year-old mother of two who was concerned about the excess skin on her abdomen. She had recently lost 40 pounds and was comfortable with her current weight. Dr. Reath performed a full abdominoplasty to remove the excess skin and repair her abdominal muscles which had been stretched out during her pregnancies. She is pictured here six months later. What a transformation!
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Before & After Abdominoplasty- She is 5’2” and weighs 133 pounds. Here is a young mom who did not like the appearance and contour of her abdomen. Even though she worked out daily, she told us she was unable to get her tummy back to the way it was before she had her baby. She is pictured here 6 months after her abdominoplasty absolutely thrilled with her new figure.
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Before & After Tummy Tuck: This is a 37-year old mother of three who was concerned with the excess skin in her abdomen after three pregnancies. She runs twenty miles a week,works out in the gym and follows a very healthy diet so she is close to her ideal weight. She had a full lipoabdominoplasty and is very proud of her flat, toned tummy. (We are proud of her too.)
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Before & after Abdominoplasty: She is 5’8” and weighs 160. Here is a 32-year-old woman who came to us after she lost over 65 pounds through diet and exercise. Although she was happy with her weight-loss, it came with significant skin laxity on her abdominal area that she wanted removed. Dr. Reath performed a tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, and she is pictured here 6 months later with a flat, firm tummy, understandably thrilled with the results.
Tummy Tuck Pricing
When reviewing tummy tuck pricing please keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of women we see are candidates for a full abdominoplasty. Some very lucky patients only need the area below their belly buttons fixed. For them a modified (mini) abdominoplasty is just the ticket. If you have a large amount of excess skin to be removed from major fluctuations in weight, you may need an extended procedure which takes more time in the operating room and could require a hospital stay.
The cost of a tummy tuck with Dr. Reath includes both surgical and anesthesia fees, our exclusive recovery kit with silicone scar prevention shapes, recovery garments and all follow-up visits.
Tummy Tuck Procedure
Cost
Cash Price
Full Abdominoplasty
$7,985
$7,586
Modified Abdominoplasty
$5,411
$5,140
Extended Abdominoplasty
$8,943
$8,620
“Muffinator” Abdominoplasty with Hip Rolls
$10,868
$10,325
Cash Discount: Good news! We offer a 5% discount for our patients who would like to pay with cash or check instead of using a credit card or financing.
David B. Reath, MD
Board-certified plastic surgeon David B. Reath, MD is renowned for his surgical skills and his commitment to public education. Practicing in Knoxville, Tennessee since 1986, his personal approach with patients is what truly sets him apart.
Traditionally, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and liposuction have been separate procedures. A Lipoabdominoplasty is a new, novel single-stage approach combining extensive liposuction with the traditional abdominoplasty approach to the muscles and skin.
As Dr Reath explains, “Lipoabdominoplasty is probably my favorite operation. I have always liked my results from tummy tucks, and by adopting these improved techniques, the results keep getting better. What we are able to do with this operation is to restore or improve the appearance of a part of the body that, in women, has been changed by pregnancy and child bearing. The changes that are made with this surgery cannot be achieved by diet and exercise alone. And, we are restoring what has been changed by bringing another life into this world. Cool stuff, really.”
Dr. Reath explains why no amount of core exercises can repair abdominal muscles that have been stretched during pregnancy in the video.
Not everyone needs a full lipoabdominoplasty. If the area of loose skin and fat is entirely below the bellow button, a mini-lipoabdominoplasty is possible. During a mini-lipoabdominoplasty the incision can be hidden in the bikini area, there is no scar around the belly button, and the recovery can be a bit shorter. Women who have had Cesarean Sections are delighted to find out Dr. Reath can often use the same incision placement.
If the area that is to be treated also includes the upper abdomen, Dr. Reath will suggest a full abdominoplasty. In this the incision extends outward toward the hipbone. The length of these incisions depends on the amount of skin that needs to be removed. It is usually possible for Dr. Reath to place these incisions so they can be hidden underneath a swimsuit. There may also be an incision around the belly button as this is re-positioned during the tummy tuck.
It is important to understand that an abdominoplasty is not for weight reduction and is best suited for men and women that are in relatively good shape. A tummy tuck is not recommended for you if you are significantly overweight or if you plan on becoming pregnant again.
Here is a Body Mass Index calculator for you to get a general idea if you may be a good candidate for a tummy tuck at your present weight. You should have a BMI less than 30 to safely consider an abdominoplasty.
BMI Calculator for Adults
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Calculator for Adults
BMI is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
Your BMI is
Underweight (Below 18.5)
Normal (18.5 - 24.9)
Overweight (25.0 - 29.9)
Obese (30.0 and above)
Your weight ( pounds) is in the category for adults of your height ( feet, inches)
Dr. Reath performs lipoabdominoplasties under general anesthesia. Helping our patients manage a speedy recovery is one of our primary missions. The length of the recovery will depend on the amount of muscle repaired, and the physical condition of the patient. For a full abdominoplasty there can be a recovery period is usually 3 to 4 weeks, but can be longer — paticularly if you have a strenous job. This may seem a like long time, but the muscles repaired are used for everything we do. And the better the repair, the better the long term result. For a mini-lipoabdominoplasty, the recovery period will be much shorter.
Good News for Today’s Tummy Tuck Patients
Drains, one of the most uncomfortable part of recovering after a tummy tuck, are no longer needed. Dr. Reath explains the recent advances that make this possible.
More Good News. Surgery Recovery Kits are Included.
Our Surgical Recovery Kits are a great personal touch. Patients tell us that the recovery kits we include with their surgeries are an area that really sets us apart. Each recovery kit contains items hand-picked to make your recovery faster and more pleasant. People who have had surgery with other doctors are amazed that we include these kits at no charge for all of our surgery patients. Tummy Tuck Recovery ProductsVisit our online store.Shop Now
Not our patient? No problem!
We have lovingly put together a kit of everything you’ll need during your tummy tuck recovery specifically for patients of other plastic surgeons. You’ll appreciate the extra post-surgical binder because you won’t be feeling like doing much laundry. Even better, the price of the kit is much less than if you bought each item separately.
The Plastic Surgery Planner is a Must-Read.
Our staff has just written an amazing free eBook based on suggestions from some of our tummy tuck and mommy makeover patients. The Plastic Surgery Planner is 40 pages of best practices with everything you need to know about planning for your plastic surgery and recovery. It’s a must-read for anyone planning to have a tummy tuck. It’s a free download. Plastic Surgery PlannerTips to Manage a Speedy RecoveryDownload Now
Great Resources for Your Research
The Most Important Benefit of a Tummy Tuck (and it’s not what you think).
One of the operations I have always loved to do is a tummy tuck, (also known as an abdominoplasty). I really get a charge out of helping a mother restore the shape of her abdomen after she has brought one or more children into this world. There have certainly been modifications over the years in how … Read more »
So you can be better prepared for your consultation, we have prepared a list of important plastic surgery questions you will want to ask your doctor before you have your surgery. If your consultation is with Dr. Reath, please feel free to print this out and he will be happy to go over everything with you during your visit. Top Ten Questions to Ask your Plastic Surgeon
Even though the majority of cosmetic surgery patients are pleased with their results, the decision to have a procedure is a big one. It is normal to have questions, and it’s important to answer them honestly. In the end, you want to be completely comfortable with your decision.So, are you clear about your motivations for surgery? Are your expectations realistic? Test yourself by answering these important questions.How to Know if You Are Ready for Plastic Surgery.
There are very few women who do not have changes in their abdominal wall after child bearing. Whether they come from the Knoxville area, Johnson City, Cookeville, or Cleveland, most tell us that they have been self conscious about their stomachs for a long time.
