Brachioplasty, more commonly known as an arm lift, is a cosmetic surgical procedure done to eliminate excess skin and muscle laxity from the top of the arm. This procedure consists of tightening and smoothing the tissue, as well as removing extra fat, in order to make the upper arms look more toned and defined. Aging and genetics play a major role in creating wrinkles and skin laxity. This can cause the top of the arm to look saggy, which can be an uncomfortable experience when wearing certain clothes and give off a disheveled appearance. An arm lift procedure that is done by an experienced surgeon can provide amazing results.
Because an arm lift is a highly complex body-sculpting procedure, plastic surgeons take a patient’s desired outcomes and medical history into account while guaranteeing the patient’s safety.
Your doctor will do your preoperative assessment several weeks before your arm lift. They’ll ensure you’re ready for surgery by looking at your existing and past medical records. It is also a great time to ask your doctor for your queries or concerns about the arm lift.
They’ll start by checking for any underlying medical conditions that could pose risks to your health and stop results from being ideal.
Your preoperative evaluation might include the following:
Patients can take preparatory steps weeks and months before an arm lift surgery to make the procedure as effective and safe as possible. Quitting smoking can help avoid postoperative complications because smoking hinders wound healing and increases the risk of infection.
Patients must also stop taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen, almost two weeks before the procedure.
On the surgery day, the doctor starts by marking the arm where they plan to make incisions. Out of several ways of performing an arm lift, the most common method involves incisions on the inside or back of the patient's arms. The incisions are closed with dissolvable sutures or removable stitches that can be removed two weeks following the procedure
Other ways to perform an arm lift surgery include an armpit incision that consists of tearing muscles from the top of the elbow to the armpit.
If the patient has extra fat pockets, healing will take extra time, or the arm will not fully heal. In that case, the doctor will perform an arm lift and liposuction simultaneously, making the surgery 3 hours long.
After surgery, patients will need someone to drive them home from the operation room and stay with them overnight to ensure they don't have any tribulation.