Arm lift or as known medically as Brachioplasty is a cosmetic surgery that reshapes your upper arm to improve its appearance by getting rid of excess skin from the upper arm.
What is arm lift surgery?
Arm lift surgery is the surgical removal of:
- Excess skin.
- Excess fat deposits underneath the skin.
- Firming the supportive tissue.
From the upper arm revealing a contoured sculpted arm underneath toned tightened skin.
How long does an arm lift last?
Arm lift surgery lasts about 3 – 4 hours, despite requiring general anesthesia, it’s performed as an outpatient procedure in the doctor’s clinic, and requires a few hours to return home, and only a few days to regain your routine daily activities.
When the surgery is performed in addition to other body contouring procedures, patients may need to stay in the surgical facility overnight.
Factors lead to upper arm dropping
Several factors lead to slouched arms like:
- Sudden weight loss following an aggressive diet or obesity surgeries.
- Weight loss over a long time with a lack of exercise.
- Loss of skin elasticity due to aging.
- Genetic factors.
- Some medical conditions such as Lymphedema.
- Gravity is a risk of upper arm drooping over time.
Why do I need to perform an arm lift?
Especial kinds of exercise like resistance training and weight lifting, are good choices to improve upper arm muscle tone, but exercise alone can’t tighten loose skin or help you to achieve your goals as firm smooth skin, that makes it the best choice to achieve sculpt arm.
Arm lift surgery steps
This procedure takes place through certain steps:
Preparation step
In the preparing step, your physician might ask you to;
- Perform certain lab tests or medical evaluations.
- discontinue or adjust your current medications, or Take certain medications
- Stop smoking
- Stop taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, herbal supplements, or any other medications that increase bleeding risks.
Anesthesia step
This step is performed through intravenous administration of sedatives and anesthetics, and your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.
Incision step
Your plastic surgeon‘s judgment regarding incision length and pattern during the surgery depends on both amount and location of excess skin to be removed, incision might be an inner arm, back of the arm, or minimal incision.
Then excess fat under the skin is either directly excised or treated with liposuction, and before incision closure, the underlying supportive tissue is tightened using internal sutures.
Incision closure step
Finally, your incisions will be closed either with absorbable sutures that do not require removal or stitches that will be removed within 10 days following your surgery.
Post operation step
During the recovery from the arm lift surgery step;
- Dressings or bandages might be applied to the incisions.
- The arms may be wrapped in an elastic bandage or a compression garment to reduce swelling following surgery.
- Drainage which is a small, thin tube that may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid.
And your physician will provide you the specific instructions to follow regarding the surgical site and drains caring, and medications either to apply or take orally to facilitate the healing process and shorten the recovery period.
Recovery step
Like recovery from any other surgery, the recovery from Brachioplasty recovery varies from patient to patient, depending on:
- Whether any additional body contouring procedures were performed.
- How much excess skin was removed.
- The patient’s general medical condition, and other factors.
Generally speaking, arm lift recovery despite being not a lengthy process. However, patients should have realistic expectations regarding this period, first several days, patients will suffer from a small level of arm swelling, bruising, or discomfort that can be managed with the prescribed medications and other recommendations given by your doctor.
How long does it take to return to my normal life?
The time window to return to routine life vary from one patient to another and highly depends on the patient’s perspective regarding surgery, incisions, and sutures. Usually, patients can return to their routine life within 10 – 14 days and can resume strenuous physical activity like exercise and lifting within 4 – 6 weeks after arm lift surgery.
Since our arms are massively used in a large number of daily tasks, it is essential to limit the use of your arms and be aware of your movements during the early recovery period. However, light walking is recommended to maintain healthy blood circulation.
Am I the right candidate for Brachioplasty?
You are the right candidate for arm lift surgery if you are:
- Healthy, non-smoker.
- With a stable weight for at least six months.
- With good skin elasticity, and this is your doctor’s decision.
- Have excess skin in your upper arm that looks like bat wings.
Does arm lift surgery leave a noticeable scar?
Patients’ body and skin natures are different, however, most patients who undergo the surgery will notice that their arm lift scars have faded significantly or nearly disappeared after about 12 months.
When will I notice the arm lift surgery results?
Patients have immediate improvement in the shape of their arms following Brachioplasty. However, results are more noticeable the postoperative swelling is completely resolved.
Are arm lift results permanent?
The results of arm lift surgery are long-lasting, providing a stable body weight and general fitness. But normal aging might lead to losing some firmness, but generally, most improvements you gain are relatively permanent.
Are arm lift surgeries worth it?
Arm lift surgery has been labeled as one of the “Most worth It” procedures for the past 4 years, with patient satisfaction ratings exceeding 90 %. Patients often report feeling more confident, attractive, and younger after the procedure.
Arm lift surgery improves your upper arm appearance, and helps you to get rid of slouched arms, by sculpting the upper arm, tightening the skin, and making the skin look firm and younger, all these results are achieved by a minor procedure that can be performed in your doctor’s clinic and rarely require hospital admission.
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