Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)

You are a good candidate for an am lift if you have excess skin and fat over the inner and lower aspect of the arms. When men lose massive weight they commonly develop flabby arms. These makes you look older and it is embarrassing to wear short sleeves tops or shirts. In spite of every effort made to tone the arms sometimes the flabby arms fail to improve.

During your initial visit I will ask what medications you take and whether you smoke or not. It is very important that you stop smoking prior to and after the surgery. If you have minimum or mild excess of skin I will recommend a smaller incision. If you have excessive skin you will require a regular long incision over the inner aspect of the arm. It is not unusual to add liposuction to your arms, to further enhance your outcome. You will need to wear a compression garment for around six weeks to reduce pain and swelling following surgery.

I perform arm lifts in an outpatient surgical center. Rarely if you have minimal fat with minimal excess skin then you could have SmartLipo performed under local anesthesia in my office.

I select general anesthesia, so you will sleep through the operation.

Complete arm lifts usually takes two to two and half hours to perform, depending on the extent of work required. Mini abdominoplasty may take an hour or two.

The skin incision is commonly made from the underarm area to the elbow. The incision is shaped like a hockey stick. The length of the incision over the inner aspect of the arm varies depending on the amount of the laxity of the skin. I try to keep this incision to the mid-arm level so that you can wear a short sleeved shirt. Once the incision is made I take off all the excess skin and fat and close the area in multiple layers. The final incision is closed with stitches underneath the skin and this leaves an acceptable scar. I may perform additional liposuction prior to making the incision so I can removed more skin and fat giving you a better contour.

Dr Panchal is careful not to over excise the amount of tissue removed because this can lead to poor healing and wide scars. Too tight a closure can lead to excessive swelling over the forearm too. He is certain to make an incision in the underarm area so that you have a well contoured normal shape of the underarm area without any flabby skin. He commonly places a zigzag scar in the underarm area so that the scar does not tighten to restrict your arm and shoulder movements.

There are always some risks and specific complications after any procedure.  You can rarely have collection of blood following surgery. If that happens you may need to have an additional surgery to have the clot removed. Rarely, you can have infection in the incision. Antibiotics are given prior to surgery and for few days after surgery to reduce the chance of an infection following surgery. Smoking prior to and after surgery certainly increases the risks of these complications. Sometimes you can have a small collection of fluid or a seroma after surgery. They will generally resolve on their own. Sometimes a small needle may be needed to remove the collected fluid. Your skin on the arm may be numb for four to six weeks and this will resolve after that time. The incisions generally heal with a scar line which can be well hidden.

You will have pain on the first few days following surgery. You will receive pain medications to control the pain. You will have some swelling and bruising after the surgery which will resolve soon. The compression garment will help keep this under control.

The stitches are under the skin and do not need to be removed. You will have to wear a compression garment for 4-6 weeks.

You will need someone to be with you for the first two days at home to help to get up and walk around the house. It generally takes two weeks to get back to normal. You can drive in a week after surgery. It may take you two to three weeks to feel like your old self again. Generally younger patients are up and about earlier. You can perform aerobic exercises in six weeks.

At three weeks when the swelling has all but gone you will see yourself in the mirror and see the well contoured arms. You will simply love it. Keep in mind that you will need to continue to exercise and have balanced diet to eat lifelong if you wish to enjoy you body.