Am I a Candidate for an Arm Lift?

Many individuals are self-conscious about their upper arms. They tend to get more frustrated when strength training and exercises do not give them their desired results. Genetics, age, and weight gain and loss play a significant role in the appearance of your arms. The proper way to diminish the loose skin, fat, and weakened tissues in your arms is by getting an arm lift.

What Is an Arm Lift?

An arm lift or brachioplasty is a surgery done for cosmetic purposes to make the upper arms more defined and toned. The procedure helps smoothen tissue and tighten and reduce the sagging skin and fat.

Arm Lift Candidates

Patients who are healthy and nonsmokers with loose skin on the back and inside of their arms are ideal candidates for an arm lift procedure. Doctors recommend maintaining a stable weight for six months before treating individuals who have lost a lot of pounds.

Procedure

Your doctor will begin by marking the spots for incisions. Arm lift surgeries allow for several techniques, but doing the incisions at the back and inside of your arms tops them. Another way of doing it is by making incisions from the elbow to the armpit or on the armpit alone.

Your doctor will give you general or local anesthesia depending on the method of surgery they choose to use. They will reshape and tighten your upper arm using the marks as guides. Finally, they will close the wound by pulling the skin over your tissue. After doing so, they will make stitches.

Your doctor can also use liposuction to remove fat pockets that may inhibit the healing of your arm. Your entire arm lift surgery will take three hours. You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you during the night to ensure you do not experience complications.

Risks

Arm lift procedures have risks like all other surgeries. It is essential to discuss the risk with your doctor to recognize them and respond quickly. A patient may experience the following:
 

• Pain.
   

• Infection.
   

• Fluid buildup.
   

• Excessive bleeding.
   

• Permanent scarring.
   

• Damage of the nerves, blood vessels, or muscles.
   

• Death of fatty tissue.

General anesthesia has the following risks:

• Stroke.
   

• Heart attack.
   

• Confusion.
   

• Pneumonia.
   

• In rare cases, one can die.

Recovery

Your doctor will advise you to wear a compression garment while you recover. You can have a drainage tube inserted in your arm for draining blood or fluid that builds up after your procedure.

Before leaving for home, your San Francisco specialist will give you instructions on how to care for yourself. You will need to know how to take care of the wound, the medications you need, and the time for your follow-up appointments. Your doctor will also talk to you about the warning signs that could require an immediate medical response.

It is essential to avoid smoking as you recover from your surgery. Smoking increases the risk of getting infections or permanent scarring as it slows down healing. You can resume your usual activities after two weeks post-surgery. It will take you six weeks to fully get back to your lifestyle. Call your doctor if you experience any pain or abnormality.

For more about arm lift, visit Kenneth Bermudez, MD, at our office in San Francisco, California. You can also call (415) 712-1800 to book an appointment today.