Arm Lift with Liposuction
Overview
A perfect skin tone exudes confidence and attractiveness. However, weight loss and old age bring about flaps of loose skin hanging from upper arms, which can be irritating and unappealing. A combination of arm lift and liposuction can help solve this problem. An arm lift, also reffered to as a brachioplasty, refers to the process of removing excess skin, whereas liposuction is the process of removing extra fat. The procedure should give you a smoother contour on your inner arms by removing excess skin running from your armpit to your elbow.
Procedure Description
The procedure is carried out in approximately 2 hours. Anesthesia is given before the start of the process. Liposuction is then performed to remove a considerable amount of excessive fats in the upper arm. An incision is made starting from near your armpits through the inside surface of your upper arm. After liposuction is achieved, yoiur surgeon will tighten your muscles and remove some fat and an oblique segment of skin from your inner arm before pulling the remaining skin together to close the incisions.
After surgery, all incisions are closed with stitches and covered with a bandage. You will be advised to wear compression garments to control swelling and hold the muscles and skin in their new position to give a smother, more contoured look after recovery. You can expect to resume light activity within the first week of recovery; in most cases, people resume these activities in 3-4 days. You have to wait at least 3-4 weeks, however, to resume any strenuous activities including going to the gym and lifting heavy loads.
Who is the Best Candidate for Arm Lift with Liposuction?
You should consult your cosmetic surgeon before scheduling your arm lift procedure. This will ensure you have reliable information about the surgery. The following factors will determine if you qualify to undertake arm lift with liposuction.
If loosing weight and old age have caused you to have sagging and loose skin on your upper arm.
If you dislike your image when you take off your shirt and find the hanging skin uncomfortable.
If you would love to have more toned arms and tighter muscles
If you are healthy and carry out regular exercise to make sure you maintain a healthy weight
If you have not suffered from infections from previous surgical operations
If you have been able to maintain your BMI at considerable levels, preferably below 30.
Preparing for an Arm Lift with Liposuction
Preparation for the arm lift can begin a few months or weeks prior to your surgery. During this time, it is essential to avoid things that may cause complications during the surgery. It is advisable to quit smoking at least a month leading to your operation. This will allow you to have a smooth surgery without excessive bleeding or any complications and a timely recovery aftetrwards. During the weeks leading up to your surgery, you should consult with your doctor and share your insights about the procedure as well as ask any questions you may have.
Your surgeon will conduct a preoperative evaluation on you a few weeks before your scheduled date of the procedure. They examine your current health condition and
medical history to ensure that you are ready for the surgery. Mostly, they will check to see if you have any pre-existing or underlying conditions that could increase the risk of this surgery for you. As part of your preoperative evaluation, your doctor will also do some lab work, a chest X-ray, an electrocardiogram, prescribe you some preoperative medication, and adjust your current dose of any medicine or supplements you might be taking. Once they have your diagnosis, your doctor will determine if you are suitable to undergo the procedure. They will also be able top determine the safest amd most suitable approach for the procedure.
It is advisable to stop taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) at least two weeks before your surgery.
Arm Lift with Liposuction Procedure
On the day of your surgery, your surgeon will call you into his office to make markings on your arms that will determine the incision points. Several procedures can be used to perform an arm lift, and your surgeon will do the one that is most suitable for your needs. The most common procedure involves making incisions on the back of your arm, tightening the muscles and removing excessskin and fat. Below are the steps involved in the procedure:
The anesthesiologist administers local or general anesthesia depending on the type of arm lift chosen by you and your doctor.
A cannula which is connected to the liposuction instrument is introduced through the incision to carry out the liposuction.
Once the cannula is in place, your surgeon will extract fat from your arms while making back and forth movements to reach various parts of your arm.
Once the liposuction is complete, your surgeon will make the incisions for your arm lift according to the markings made earlier. He will then tighten the muscles underneath by securing them with stitches. This should reshape the tissue in your upper arms.
Your surgeon will then detach excess skin and fat from your arms, pull the remaining skin before joinging the two ends and closing up the incision. The stitches should dissolve as the wound heals, but if your surgeon does not use dissolvable stitches, then you will go back after your wound heals to have them removed.
After surgery
Anticipate some pain, swelling, and bruising after the procedure. Your surgeon may prescribe medication to help regulate the pain and antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection.
After the procedure, your surgeon will place temporary drains to promote fluid drainage. You usually need to wear tight compression garments, which help reduce swelling for a few weeks. Your nurse will likely fit you in a compression garment provided to you by the hospital. While in the recovery room, you will have a nurse checking your vitals and progress to ensure that you are fit to be released and that everything is going well. If you are progressing well you should be released within three hours. It is important that you have someone to drive you home as you will not be able or allowed to drive.
Recovering at home
Once you are home, you need to take care of yourself and followyour doctor’s instructions strictly to ensure a smooth recovery. In the first 2-3 days, you may not be able top engage in many activities due to the pain and soreness of your arms, but as
you heal, you will progressively regain your functionality. Make sure to keep your compression garment on throughout to minimize the swelling and hold your muscles and skin in their new position. You will manage to achieve a smoother, better contoured look if you do that. You will be required to visit your doctor in 3-4 days so that he can check your progressand possibly remove your drains if they are no longer needed.
Other tips that will help during recovery include:
Avoid showering for the first two days after surgery, and when you do use a sponge bath to make sure that your stitches are safe and dry.
You will have to avoid sleeping on your sides during the first week of recovery, which will be quite challenging if you are a side sleeper. But you will be comfortable sleeping on your back until your wounds are well healed.
You will need someone to help you around the house, at least for the first 3-4 days to ensure that you are not straining your arms. After that you will still need help, but at least you will be able to handle some minor activities on your own.
You will have to take your prescribed medicine to help you manage the pain and discomfort, which should be essential in giving you a smooth recovery and avoiding any infections
If you are a smoker, you will need to avoid smoking for at least a month after surgery (This should be a continuation of your initial quit that started a month before your surgery)
If you had taken leave off work, as you should have, you can resume work in a week or two post surgery. You will have to maintain your activity level to a minimum to
prevent your stitches from coming off. Make sure that you don’t engage in heavy lifting or any strenuous activity.
You can expect a full recovery within 3-4 weeks, but you will see your final results in 3-4 months. The transformation should be immediately visible after the surgery, but you will have to wait for the swelling and bruising to disappear before you can fully appreciate your results.
The incisions are made in such a way that they are hard to recognize, and the scars will heal within 6-12 months depending on the degree of the surgery.
Regular workout and a healthy diet will help preserve the new contour of your upper arm to make sure that your transformation is permanent.
