What is an arm lift?
Also known as brachioplasty, an arm lift reshapes the under portion of the upper arm, from the underarm region to the elbow.
The skin of the upper arms is thin and not very resilient by nature. That's why just about everyone experiences some amount of sagginess in this area as they age. For people who lose a significant amount of weight, the effect is magnified. And though saggy upper arms may seem trivial compared to vast amounts of redundant tissue around the torso or deflated, droopy breasts, arms tend to be pretty visible body features. It's common for patients to be interested in brachioplasty, or arm lift surgery, after weight loss to recontour their arms.
Brachioplasty is normally performed in an outpatient setting and takes about two hours. There are two primary methods for excising the extra skin. The most common involves an incision down the inside or back of the arm which can be extended below the elbow if required. An alternate method involves an incision concealed within the armpit; however, this procedure does not usually offer significant improvement and is only reserved for mild cases.
Recovery from arm lift surgery tends to be very quick. Most people are off prescription pain medication within two or three days after surgery and are back to all their normal activities within about a month. Recovery time varies, of course, and will increase if you elect to combine brachioplasty with other post-weight loss plastic surgery.
