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Arm Lift
Arm Lift or Brachioplasty helps eliminate excess skin and fat from your arms to achieve a leaner, more youthful look. This procedure allows you to achieve a better fit in your clothes and increased confidence in your body.
What is an arm Lift?
Fluctuations in weight, growing older, and heredity can cause your upper arms to have a drooping, sagging appearance. This is a condition that cannot be corrected through exercise. 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.
An arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a surgical procedure that:
Reduces excess sagging skin that droops downward
Tightens and smoothes the underlying supportive tissue that defines the shape of the upper arm
Reduces localized pockets of fat in the upper arm region
In general, candidates for an arm lift include:
Adults with significant upper arm skin laxity
Adults of any age whose weight is relatively stable and who are not significantly overweight
Healthy individuals without medical conditions that impair healing or increase risk of surgery
Non-smokers
Individuals with a positive outlook and realistic expectations
Consultation and Preparing for Surgery
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Your surgical goals
Medical conditions, drug allergies, and medical treatments
Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use
Previous surgeries
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Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
Take photographs
Discuss your options
Discuss likely outcomes of arm lift surgery and any risks or potential complications
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Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
Stop smoking
Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding
The Procedure
STEP 1: Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedures. The anesthesiologist will discuss different options with you on the day of your surgery. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have had prior complications from general anesthetic.
Step 2: The Incision
Incision length and pattern depend on the amount and location of excess skin to be removed, as well as the best judgment of your plastic surgeon. Incisions are generally placed on the inside of the arm or on the back of the arm and may extend from the underarm (axilla) to just above the elbow. Excess fat may be directly excised or treated with liposuction.
Depending on your specific condition, incisions may be more limited. Then, underlying supportive tissue is tightened and reshaped with internal sutures. Finally, the skin is smoothed over the new contour of your arm.
Inner Arm Incision
Back of Arm Incision
Minimal Incision
STEP 3: Closing the Incisions
Your incisions will be closed with absorbable sutures.
STEP 4: See the Results
The smoother, tighter contours that result from brachioplasty are apparent almost immediately following your procedure, although there will likely be swelling and bruising. Your new upper arm will be dramatically improved both in appearance and feel.
risks and safety
The decision to have arm lift surgery is extremely personal, and you'll have to decide if the benefits, risks and potential complications are acceptable. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure.
The risks include:
Anesthesia risks
Bleeding
Infection
Poor wound healing
Unsightly scarring
Fluid accumulation (seroma)
Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels and muscles
Fatty tissue under the skin might die (fat necrosis)
Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
Pain, which may persist
Sutures may not absorb, but spontaneously surface through the skin, causing irritation, drainage and redness
Possible need for revisional surgery
These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your consent. It's important that you address all your questions directly with Dr. Abedi
RECOVERY AFTER SURGERY
Following your surgery, dressings or bandages may be applied to your incisions, and your arms may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or a compression garment to minimize swelling. A small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid.
Dr. Abedi will give you specific instructions on how to care for the surgical site and drains, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing, specific concerns to look for, and when to follow up with her in the office.
results
The smoother, tighter contours that result from an arm lift are apparent almost immediately following your procedure. Initial results will be obscured by swelling and bruising and a scar will remain where the incision was made.
Although good results are expected from your procedure, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.
The results of arm lift surgery will be long lasting, provided that you maintain a stable weight and general fitness. As your body ages, it is natural to lose some firmness, but most of your improvement should be relatively permanent.
Following Dr. Abedi’s instructions is essential to the success of your surgery. It's important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, swelling, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing.
Cost is always a consideration in elective surgery. A surgeon's cost for Arm Lift surgery may vary based on his or her experience, the type of procedure used, and geographic office location. Dr. Abedi offers patient financing plans through Beautifi, so be sure to ask.
Cost may include:
Anesthesia fees
Hospital or surgical facility costs
Medical tests
Post-surgery garments
Prescriptions for medication
Surgeon's fee
cost
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