Arm Lift or Brachioplasty

An arm lift surgery, also called as a Brachioplasty, is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the contours of the upper arm. This aesthetic surgery is used for removing the excessive saggy skin from the underarms and helps give a better contour to the part of the upper arm, starting from elbow to the armpit.

This cosmetic surgery aims to remove the excessive skin which hangs from the underarm. This is mainly due to the skin losing its elasticity from the pressure of the underlying supporting tissues and small fat deposits. An arm lift/Brachioplasty procedure can help to remove the unwanted fat and skin to give the upper arm a shapely and toned look.

Who is a candidate for an Arm Lift/Brachioplasty surgery?

A person who has abnormally sagging skin under the arms can consider an arm lift or Brachioplasty surgery. Apart from overweight persons, thinner people also experience sagging skin in the underarm region, due to genetics, aging or prior weight loss. This surgery is mostly considered when the other non-surgical alternative, such as dieting and regular exercising, fail to give effective results. Even if these methods help to lose the underlying fat deposits they cannot make the loosened skin become firm again.

An ideal candidate for an arm lift or Brachioplasty procedure is:

• Adults with abnormal laxity and excessive skin in the upper arm region
• Adults with consistent weight maintenance
• Healthy persons with no serious underlying health conditions or medical disorders that may cause complications from the surgery
• A person with realistic expectation of the results from the surgery

How is an Arm Lift/Brachioplasty performed?

An arm lift surgery is a purely cosmetic surgical procedure and is mostly done on an outpatient basis. The surgical procedure may take 1-2 hours, the exact time depending on the extent of excessive fat and skin removal required and the method being used to remove the fat.

The surgeon will begin the surgical procedure by making an incision on the inside or the back of both the arms, one at a time. The incisions may be from the underarm to the elbow, depending on the extent of excessive skin.

People with a prior weight loss surgical procedure tend to have comparatively more excessive underarm skin and require a linger incision, starting from the elbow, up along the inside of the bicep and nearly to the armpit. The incision may be continued to the chest in case there is excessive fatty tissue in the upper arm.

The surgeon will use advanced fat removal methods, such as liposuction, to remove the underlying excessive fat deposits. These are minimally invasive surgical techniques that are useful for removing small deposits of fat from underneath the skin.

Once the fatty tissue is removed satisfactorily by the surgeon, the excessive skin will be excised. The surgeon will then stretch the remainder of the skin from around and close it tightly with surgical staples or sutures.

How successful is an Arm Lift or Brachioplasty procedure?

The arm lift surgery or Brachioplasty gives highly effective and longer-lasting results. These are on the condition that you maintain your weight after the surgery. Although the skin is going to become more lax with age the results from an arm lift surgery are still visible after many years.

The level of success of an arm lift or Brachioplasty depends on how well the patient follows the post-surgical instructions given by the surgeon for after-care.

Are there any risks associated with an Arm Lift surgery or Brachioplasty?

As is seen in any form of surgery, there are several risks that are always there, such as:

• Infection
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Scarring
• Numbness
• Bleeding
• Anesthetic allergy

The cosmetic surgeon will take every possible precaution to prevent these risks from arising.