Brachioplasty or Arm Lift

If you have had a lot of weight loss or weight fluctuations, you probably have relaxation in the arm of your hands. With brachioplasty you will see your hands get a better contour.

The best candidates are men and women who are within several pounds (i.e. 10%) of their ideal weight. If you are significantly more than this you will be asked to reduce some weight before going ahead with any surgery. Ideal candidates also possess loose enough skin and tissue laxity to allow a good outcome of the operation. This will be assessed at your consultation.
People with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, a persistent ongoing infection disorder of the sweat glands in their armpits, should not undergo Brachiaplasty until treated appropriately. Women who have had Radical Mastectomy or extensive breast cancer surgery are also at risk of developing chronic arm swelling after undergoing this particular procedure and therefore should avoid this operation.

When you return to your room you will notice that your arms will be elevated on pillows as well as be wrapped up with compression bandages around them. You will be encouraged to move your hands and fingers to avoid any stiffness.
After the general anaesthetic has worn off, you may experience some pain and discomfort. Thankfully a brachiaplasty is not considered a particularly painful procedure and so appropriate pain killers should control this comfortably.

The aim of this procedure is to remove any excess skin and fat around the arms in order to achieve a smoother, tauter looking appearance.

You will have some pain and discomfort after this surgery. However it is not considered a particularly painful procedure. The pain usually only lasts for a few days and of course you will be given appropriate pain killers to control this. One per cent of all operations lead to major complications.
Weigh up the pros and cons, it is for you to decide. This is a surgical procedure and as such potentially serious complications such as a blood clot or embolus or an unexpected response to drugs or anesthetics can occur.

Beside the complications that can develop after any surgery, there are problems that are special for your surgery. These include: the scar is long and may be slow to heal, it is not unusual to have scabbing along the scar for several weeks, and fluid(either blood or serum) can collect under the skin flap.

Most patients will need 10-14 days off work. For more strenuous duties using the arms a period of 3 weeks off is recommended. After this point patients feel they can gradually start to resume their normal activities with a view to be able to exercise fully after 6 weeks following their surgery. Of course some degree of swelling and stiffness may still be present for a few months afterwards before it fully subsides.

The type of brachioplasty performed depends upon the amount and location of your excess skin. If excess hanging skin is located and limited to within a couple of inches from the armpit, then this excess skin can potentially be pulled up and tucked into the armpit with an axillary brachioplasty or mini arm tuck.
For those however whose excess skin extends like a “Bat Wing” from the armpit to the elbow, the only option is the complete removal of the excess arm fat and skin in a standard brachioplasty or standard arm lift.

Armlifts provides an excellent solution to individuals who are troubled by excess skin and fat around their arms that despite best efforts with diet and exercise simply cannot improve. Providing you accept a potentially lengthy scar, the results can be fantastic. The procedure will give confidence to the individual and allow them to feel more comfortable with their arms. The effects are generally long lasting providing you follow a balanced diet and exercise regularly.