Arm
Lift
Brachioplasty
Over time, and especially when too much weight is lost, the skin of the arms begins to sag and they become anaesthetic. An arm lift or brachioplasty is used to remove the excess skin of the arms and give them back their firmness.
What results should I expect?
What an arm lift does
It removes the excess skin and fat that appears on the triceps area as a result of aging or when too much weight is lost. If your upper arms are sagging and wearing sleeveless clothes makes you feel uncomfortable, an arm lift could be the best option. The resulting scar will be a straight line that will be visible in the inner side of the arm, but most people prefer to have this line than flaccidity.
What an arm lift does not do
When the fat deposits are small and the skin has good elasticity, liposuction is a more adequate treatment than this one.
The surgery
Anesthesia & duration
Local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia.
About 2 hours.
There is no need to be hospitalized.
How it is performed
The surgeon makes an incision along the inner arm, from the elbow to the armpit. He trims the excess skin and fat. He places drainage tubes (if necessary) and closes the incisions with stitches.
Recovery period
Bandages
You will wear a compression bandage around your arms for a week to reduce swelling and aid healing. Flexible drainage tubes in each arm reduce the incidence of bruises.
Pain
Mild to moderate. You will be greatly relieved if you take pain relievers every 6 or 8 hours.
Stitches removed
Between one and two weeks after the surgery.
Week 1 onwards
You may go back to work about a week after the surgery, if it is a sedentary one. If it involves lifting or physical activities, wait two to four more weeks.
Swelling and bruises
They are not too significant and they tend to subside in two or three weeks.
Scars
The resulting scar will be along the inner arm, from the elbow to the armpit — the least visible place. The scar will turn from reddish to pale pink, and then it will have the color of the rest of your skin; this may take from 6 to 18 months.
The first weeks after the surgery tend to be long and unpleasant. During this period, some people may feel quite depressed. It's quite normal to feel this way after any kind of surgery, no matter how simple it may be. You may even come to think that you made a big mistake. But don't worry. Most of the people who are happy today and who are satisfied with the results obtained, have also felt somewhat depressed.
Risks and complications
Every surgery, no matter how simple it may be, has certain risks. However, it is very unlikely for an arm lift to present any complications when performed by a qualified surgeon.
Adverse reactions to anesthesia.
Uneven scars that may need to be corrected by a simple surgical procedure.
Infections may develop but, if you take the right antibiotics, they will be less likely to develop.
Large bruises that may need to be drained.
Skin necrosis occurs in a very small percentage of cases, but it can be treated if dealt with in time.
Finally, the outcome…
Your arms will be firmer for a long time, since the results of an arm lift are permanent. Most of the patients are satisfied with the results obtained. All in all, they consider that their arms look much better after the surgery, in spite of the scars.
Our patients are provided with:
- Bilingual Assistants & Land Transportation from and to the airport, medical appointments and surgery.
- Translators during hospitalization to better communicate with the nurses.
- Cell phone to call the staff 24/7 at no charge.