Brachioplasty (Arm Lift) 

Loss of skin elasticity in the upper arm can be seen with increasing age or after significant weight loss. After years of obesity, stretching of skin causes loss of skin elasticity; therefore, no amount of diet or exercise can restore firmness and tone to the upper arms. Excess skin fold may result in underarm skin rash and irritation or simply cause the patient discomfort when wearing sleeveless dresses. Many patients just don't wear sleeveless clothes, and complain of "jiggley" or flabby arm. Arm Lift surgery is not exclusive to women. Many men who are left with excess arm skin folds as a result of massive weight loss (Gastric bypass or lap banding) also present for Brachioplasty. The goal of Brachioplasty is to improve the arm contour, remove excess fat, and decrease the skin laxity. This can be done by surgical excision of excess fat and skin, or by liposuction, or combination of both liposuction and skin and fat excision.

Procedure Description

• The procedure may be performed under local anesthesia with conscious sedation or general anesthesia
• Most common way involves an incision that extends from the armpit to the elbow in the inner arm or on the back of the arm
• Excess skin and fat are removed
• Liposuction can be performed if minimal fat is to be excised without skin excision, or in combination with skin excision when excess loose skin is present
• Less extensive incision can also be made where less skin and fat needs to be removed (in younger patients with less skin laxity)
• Drain use is variable
• The arms are wrapped with an elastic dressing

Recover

• A compression garment may be worn on the arms for approximately two weeks
• Bruising and swelling are normal and may take several weeks to resolve
• It is important to keep arms elevated on several pillows to decrease the swelling
• Some swelling might persist for a few months
• Stiffness of the arms, especially when bending, is common and usually resolves within a few months
• Areas of numbness of the upper and lower arm are normal and usually resolve within a few months
• Sutures are usually removed within a week after surgery
• Drains, if used are usually removed in less than 7 days
• The incisions can be treated with antibiotic ointment for the first week and scar creams after the incisions are healed
• The scar will take 8 -12 months to look its best
• Arm exercises should be avoided for 8 weeks
• Scars usually fade and improve over two years

Please Call or Email Vicky with any questions