Am I An Ideal Candidate For Arm Lift Surgery?
The best way to determine if brachioplasty is right for you is to schedule a consultation at Astra Plastic Surgery. During your consultation our plastic surgeon will discuss your lifestyle, general health, and overall procedure goals.
We will examine your arms and record detailed measurements before taking photographs for your before and after pictures that will become a part of your medical record. You will be given pre and post-surgery instructions to follow to ensure optimal results.
It is natural for your body to lose some firmness in the arms as you age. As a result, many Atlanta brachioplasty patients turn to exercise to restore youthful arm contours. Although exercise can tone muscles, it cannot tighten your skin. If the undersides of your upper arms are sagging or appear loose due to excess skin, an arm lift may be right for you.
What Can I Expect During Arm Lift Surgery?
An arm lift is typically an outpatient procedure that takes 1 to 2 hours to perform, depending on the extent of your surgery. Your brachioplasty procedure may take longer if you are having additional procedures performed at the same time.
Once you are comfortably anesthetized, your surgeon will make incisions on the inside or back of your arm that may span from the underarm to just above the elbow; this is based on the amount of excess skin that needs to be removed. For people who have lost a significant amount of weight, the incision may need to run from the elbow, along the armpit, and onto the side of the chest to successfully eliminate the desired amount of redundant skin.
For patients with only a small amount of excess skin, a minimal incision arm lift procedure may be performed in which a few small incisions are made near the underarm area. Your arm lift surgeon will remove the fat deposits before trimming and tightening the excess skin. Then, your surgeon will close your incisions(s) with sutures that, in most cases, will be absorbed by the body within 1 to 2 weeks.
What Can I Expect After Arm Lift Surgery?
Following surgery, patients who live a healthy lifestyle prior to their surgery often experience a quicker and easier recovery period. Soreness, bruising, and swelling are some of the most common symptoms following arm lift surgery. Patients can expect their arms to be bandaged and wrapped following their procedure, limiting range of motion. It is recommended that arrangements are made for post-operative care.
In some cases, patients may need to return to the office to have any stitches or drains removed. Although placed in inconspicuous areas, scars are inevitable after arm lift surgery. Patients can expect their scars to lighten over time. A variety of cosmetic treatments are available to further aid in camouflaging scars.