An arm lift is also known as a Brachioplasty. This procedure can help tighten and tone arms by removing any saggy skin or extra fat, also called "bat wings". Excess skin on the arms can appear due to various reasons. These can include loss of elasticity from aging or extreme weight loss or gain. Usually, the loose skin on the arms cannot be targeted by diet and exercise alone. An arm lift will give an effective and long-term tightened result.
Liposuction can serve as an alternative to Brachioplasty. Although this procedure is excellent for removing excess fat, it is only suitable for candidates who maintain good skin elasticity. Liposuction in patients with poor skin elasticity or too much excess skin can cause further laxity making the results look worse.
Before a Brachioplasty procedure, every patient will have to attend pre-surgery appointments. Here the surgeon will examine their past medical history and the best option to take in each case. The options will depend on the patent’s skin elasticity and the severity of the excess fat on the arm. Surgeons may propose liposuction, limited-incision Brachioplasty, standard Brachioplasty, or extended Brachioplasty. Once approved, the patient can carry on with outpatient surgery.
An arm lift procedure usually takes 1-1.5 hours and requires general anaesthetic. Surgeons make an incision on the inside of the arm from the elbow to the underarm. They will then remove loose skin and excess fat before stitching up the incision.
Patients can go home on the same day once the anaesthesia has worn off.
The prominence of the incision and the subsequent scar is the biggest downside of the procedure although it is usually viewed as a worthwhile trade-off for improved arm contour.
Common aftereffects can include swelling and bruising. These will heighten within 36-48 hours after the surgery and subside over the next two weeks. To manage the swelling, patients need to wear a compression garment. They also have to keep their arms slightly lifted using pillows while sleeping. Doctors recommend refraining from raising the arms above the shoulders for 3-4 weeks. Patients also have to avoid any strenuous activity that may pull on the stitches. Any pain or discomfort can be alleviated with over-the-counter pain medication.
Patients can return to everyday life six weeks after the procedure.
