The Surgical Artist's Blog

Using Facebook and other update-to-date technologies, Southern Surgical Arts delivers cosmetic surgery information in real-time.

The leading Chattanooga-area cosmetic surgeons at Southern Surgical Arts are staying on the forefront of modern technology and catering to their patients' communication needs with the use of social networking and specialty platforms TouchMD.com and SolutionReach.com. Known for their artistic cosmetic surgeries and natural enhancements, Southern Surgical Arts is adding to their first-class customer services with these online platforms.

In a recent poll taken from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery's (AAFPRS), it was found that last year 42% of plastic surgery patients received information on their selected procedures through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Jerris Prater recently told Southern Surgical Arts, "I'm so glad that you have an active Facebook page! It has been so easy for me to find all of the information that I was looking for about new procedures and monthly promotions. The before and after photos are amazing!" This shift to social based learning has allowed the cosmetic surgeons at Southern Surgical Arts to connect with consumers interested in their products and services on a level that caters to each patient's communication style.

Southern Surgical Arts welcomes all forms of open communications. They value the ability to educate the public on cosmetic surgery procedures and keep those interested informed of the latest industry happenings, which is apparent by fact that in one year, their Facebook following grew from 528 to 1602 Likes.

"We see Facebook as a way to keep our patients informed of upcoming events and specials and form a more personal relationship. It also allows patients to give us feedback about our practice, which in turn allows us to provide better service," said Jennifer Deal, Director of Marketing at Southern Surgical Arts. "Facebook has really given us a way to reach out to patients in their own time, and we check our Facebook page daily to ensure timely response to received questions."



In addition to Facebook, Southern Surgical Arts has engaged TouchMD.com and SolutionReach.com to add to their high-tech communication style. In the office, TouchMD provides an interactive experience while educating patients on their selected cosmetic procedure. It records valuable information at the consultation and allows patients to revisit their personal profile from home over the Internet. SolutionReach is a patient engagement platform that is helping to retain, reactive and acquire patients through social marketing initiatives and web-based technologies. The SolutionReach platform sends appointment reminders, feedback requests, surveys, specials and promotions, one on one communications and much more to Southern Surgical Arts patients for increased service.

By using new styles of patient outreach cosmetic surgeons Carey Nease, MD and Chad Deal, MD aim to better cater to the needs of their current and future patients. Those interested in connecting with Southern Surgical Arts or with questions regarding cosmetic surgery are encouraged to “Like” the cosmetic surgery center on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SouthernSurgicalArts.

Dr. Chad Deal received the Patients' Choice Award from vitals.com for 2011. The Patients' Choice honor is given to you as a reflection of Dr. Deal's patients' continued appreciation and praise for the quality of care and service he provides. Over the course of 2011, hundreds of thousands of patient reviews were written and shared. Only a select few consistently receive rave reviews. Dr. Deal has a near perfect score on vitals.com and his patients voted him for this honor.

Thanks to Southern Surgical Arts' and Dr. Deal's loyal patients who voted him for this honor.

Dr. Deal is a fellowship trained, board-certified cosmetic surgeon. With two offices, Dr. Deal serves the Chattanooga, North Georgia and North Alabama regions with cosmetic surgery offerings including Face & Neck Lifts, Laser Assisted Face Lifts, Eye & Brow Lifts, Breast Augmentation, Breast Lifts & Reductions, SmartLipo, Liposculpture & Laser Body Sculpting, Tummy Tucks, Brazilian Butt Lifts and Mommy Makeovers.

Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants manufactured by a French company have been recalled. The company was substituting medical-grade silicone for industrial-grade silicone, which can be harmful inside the body and potentially lead to breast cancer. Women who have them are scared and frantically trying to find a surgeon who can replace their implants.

Now that you've decided to enhance your beauty with cosmetic surgery, the next step is to call our office and schedule your complimentary consultation. Once your appointment date is set, our staff at Southern Surgical Arts will make the process easy for you to meet with one of our board-certified cosmetic surgeons, Dr. Carey Nease or Dr. Chad Deal.



Because we are a practice committed to the latest tools and technology, we have two ways to have a consultation with Dr. Deal or Dr. Nease: (1) online for our out-of-town or busy patients or (2) in-the-office for a personal, confidential discussion of each patient's goals and surgical and non-surgical options. Also, before each consultation, you have the option of choosing to complete your health history ahead of time online at your convenience or to do it in our office the day of your appointment.

Our staff will contact you before your appointment to so that you will be able to complete your health history information before your appointment using a secure portal that stores your information in our electronic medical records privately. You will have access to iPads and and other Apple technology to assist you during your appointment, and we will also research financing options available to you.

1. The in-office consultation
This is the traditional consultation at our practice.You should expect to spend 1-2 hours in our office. It is our goal to exceed your expectations during the entire appointment from the time you arrive by greeting you with a warm, sincere welcome. Our staff will check you in and offer you a beverage while you wait.


Above photo: Southern Surgical Arts, Reception Desk, Chattanooga

Next, you will be escorted to one of our comfortable consultation rooms. A nurse or medical assistant usually meets with you first to discuss your cosmetic surgery goals. Once she has documented your desires, either Dr. Deal or Dr. Nease will meet with you. Although, there are many questions you should ask your surgeon, we suggest to start with:

- What kind of surgery do I need?
- How many times have you performed this surgery?
- Will I need anesthesia?
- How long will it take me to recover?
- What will happen after the surgery?

After your consultation with one of our board-certified cosmetic surgeons, you will meet with our patient coordinator who will present a quote with recommendation from the surgeon. She will also discuss any questions you have about scheduling and financing. Once you decide to schedule surgery with us, we require a 10% deposit to schedule a surgery. Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal  usually require 4-6 weeks on average from the time of your consultation.


Above photo: Southern Surgical Arts, Post Consultation Room, Chattanooga

2. The online consultation
This process allows you to complete your health history online and upload pictures. One of our surgeons will review your information, pictures and provide recommendations and a quote to you. The surgeon will also make time to talk to you over the phone about your goals. Although you will still be required to see one of our surgeons before your surgery, this process allows you to get a quote with the doctor's recommendation without having to drive to the office. This process is excellent for patients who cannot meet during office hours, live out-of-town, or just want an idea of what their surgery will cost before committing to an in-office appointment.

After your online consultation with one of our surgeons, you will meet with our patient coordinator who will present a quote with a recommendation from the surgeon. She will also discuss any questions you have about scheduling and financing. Once you decide to schedule surgery with us, we require a 10% deposit to schedule a surgery. Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal  usually require 4-6 weeks on average from the time of your consultation.

We are committed to ensuring you receive excellent service. We want to meet you where you are and believe using technology to help make the process easier for you. If you have any questions about our consultation process or if we can help answer any questions for you while you are researching your procedure, we want to help. Call our office today:

Chattanooga, One North Shore: 423-266-3331
Calhoun: 706-629-8622

Dr. Carey Nease has been selected as the Best Cosmetic Surgeon in North Georgia. "I am pleased to be selected as the Best Cosmetic Surgeon by the Best of Best Awards in North Georgia! Our goal is to provide our patients with artistic cosmetic surgery like FaceLifts, Breast Augmentations, Tummy Tucks and SmartLipo.  My practice, Southern Surgical Arts, specializes in natural enhancements with minimal downtime and minimal scarring using the latest technology available," said Dr. Carey Nease.

Listen in on this previously recorded show about the significant differences between the specialty of Cosmetic Surgery and Plastic Surgery and learn why not all Plastic Surgeons are Cosmetic Surgeons. The public and the media in Chattanooga, North Georgia and North Alabama are often confused regarding the important differences between these specialties. Procedures like Facelifts, Liposuction, Breast Augmentations are all Cosmetic Procedures and not Plastic/Reconstructive!  The host, Leonard A. Rubinstein, M.D., is one of the original members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, a Diplomat of the International Board of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery and a Diplomat of the International Board of Cosmetic Surgery.  He discusses this topic with his colleague and immediate past President of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Angelo Cuzalina.

Listen here.

Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal are both Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgeons. Their practice at Southern Surgical Arts is 100% committed, focused, dedicated to cosmetic surgery.  They do nothing else but Face & Neck Lifts, Cosmetic Breast Surgery, Tummy Tucks, Liposuction and SmartLipo, Mommy Makeovers, Vaginal Rejuvenation and other cosmetic procedures and services that can enhance your appearance and improve your self-confidence.

During Dr. Nease's and Dr. Deal's cosmetic surgery fellowships, each performed more than 700 major cosmetic surgical procedures in their training year alone.  Since then, each of our surgeons have devoted their practices around the latest laser technology to bring the patients a practice dedicated to experience and excellence. After more than 5,000 cosmetic surgery cases, 3 Best of the Best Awards, 3 Reader's Choice Awards and many happy patients in the Before and After Gallery, we believe our surgeons are the best in the area and the Cosmetic Surgeons for you.

The hit TV show, The Doctors, recently featured laser technology from Sciton. Did you know that we have this laser in our Chattanooga office? Southern Surgical Arts' has many lasers that treat the skin, including the Sciton Joule that was featured in this show! This particular laser treats sun damage, unwanted hair, veins, vasular lesions, acne, fine wrinkles and much more!

Dr. Oz is also featuring the Sciton laser on Monday, January 16 to demonstrate the benefits and efficacy of Sciton's BBL (BroadBand Light) and MLP (MicroLaserPeel) used in combination. Dr. Avram who is on the show will illustrate how he achieves excellent results with limited downtime. Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal can provide a complimentary consultation to see how you can achieve the results you want with limited downtime!

Be sure to tune in Monday, January 16th on Channel 12 (WDEF) in Chattanooga!

For a complimentary consultation, call our office today and receive 10% off your first laser treatment.

Chattanooga, One North Shore: 423-266-3331

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Nease and Dr. Deal have been named in Plastic Surgery Practice’s annual profile as two of the nation's top plastic & cosmetic surgeons! Thank you for your continued trust in our surgeons at Southern Surgical Arts.

Should you smoke and have cosmetic surgery? Drs. Carey Nease and Chad Deal emphatically say no.

Most people only know of the long term affects of smoking such as its relationship to cancers and COPD, however there are immediate problems as well that tremendously affect the healing process of wounds. "I rarely see wound healing problems in non-smokers, and we know the risk of problems goes up significantly in those patient who actively smoke or are around second-hand smoke," said Dr. Carey Nease. Instantly when one begins to smoke even just one cigarette the small blood vessels constrict. This has disastrous effects on new wounds that can cause them to become necrotic and even completely open up.  "I can usually tell when a patient has not been forthcoming about smoking during their recovery after a breast lift," said Chad Deal, MD. "Nipples have a very hard time healing without the proper blood flow to them."  This is also especially true for other procedures such as facelifts, tummy tucks,and arm or thigh lifts.

There are also a host of other problems that come from smoking during the healing process such as: increased risk of infection, increased risk of capsular contraction with implants, increased risk of hypertrophic scars, and others. Even from a pure aesthetic standpoint there is loss of elasticity with the skin so that during the recovery phase the skin will loosen up and will ultimately lose some of the "lift" with facelifts, tummy tucks, etc.

At Southern Surgical Arts, our policy is that you must quit smoking 6-8 weeks before surgery. This policy is also applied to the post operative healing process. Since improvement is the goal in cosmetic surgery, minimizing the possibility of complications is optimal.

Have you stopped smoking or in the process of quitting and ready to move forward with your cosmetic surgery procedure? Call us and take advantage of our complimentary consultation with one of our highly trained and skilled surgeons.

Chattanooga, One North Shore: 423-266-3331
Calhoun: 706-629-8622

As the holidays near, patients want to look and feel their best. At Southern Surgical Arts, we offer spa services, non-invasive procedures and surgical procedures to help you feel confident during the holidays. Here are a few tips from our staff to help you look and feel your best.