Arm lift

Arm Lift – Brachioplasty

What is arm lift?

An arm lift or Brachioplasty- is a surgical procedure which can lift and tighten up the loose skin in the upper arms, resulting in a firmer, more youthful contour.

Arm lift for whom?

Fluctuations in weight, growing older and even heredity can cause your upper arms to have a drooping, sagging appearance. Exercise may strengthen and improve the underlying muscle tone of the upper arm, but it cannot address excess skin that has lost elasticity or underlying weakened tissues and localized fat deposits. If the underside of your upper arms are sagging or appear loose and full due to excess skin and fat, an arm lift may be right for you.

How it is done?

Before surgery area of excess skin is marked in sitting posture. The anesthesia is administered. Incisions are made on the inner and under surface of the arm, most often in a zigzagged line. The pattern of skin removal usually follows an elliptical or triangular shape. Often some fat is suctioned at the same time. The surgical opening may run from the armpit to as low as the elbow.

While the excess skin and fat is removed, the remaining skin is stretched and sutured into place. Occasionally a drain is used to lead excess fluids from the site of incision, allowing the skin better to adhere to the tissue beneath. The incisions are then bandaged.

Anesthesia

General / sedation + Local

Length of surgery

1-2 hours

Risk

Bleeding
Infection
Visible scarring
Possible asymmetry or irregularities
Possible changes in nerve sensation

Recovery

Discomfort: Mild to moderate. Anticipate 2-5 days of prescription pain medication.
Swelling: Improves over 14 days.
Bruising: remains for about 3-5 days
Bandages: Will be removed in 4-7 days.
Stitches: to be removed after 10 days or absorbable
Back to work: 5-7 days.
Exercise: May be resumed in 2 weeks.

After care

Pressure garments: for 2-3 weeks

Scars in Arm Lift

Scars are the greatest drawback of this operation. They will extend from the armpit to the elbow, along the inside of the arm. In general, those with very loose saggy skin are most likely to find this exchange worthwhile. Those with a small amount of looseness will probably not want the scars.

Realize that this operation involves the exchange of one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). If you are unwilling to accept scars, you should not have this operation.

Short scar arm lift

Many persons have moderate skin laxity and they don’t want to accept long scar in forearm. In such cases short scar arm lift is possible. In short scar arm lift redundant fat and skin from the upper arms is removed through an incision concealed in a natural crease where the arm meets the axilla. Most of the time liposuction is combined with it.

Final result

Will be seen after the scars have matured, which will be about six months.