Have You Lost Weight but Can’t Shake Your Flabby Arms?
There is a long-lasting solution to your flabby arm jiggle. An upper arm lift, or brachioplasty, is a cosmetic procedure which reshapes the upper arm to tighten loose skin and remove fat that is often called “bat wings.”
Removing excess and loose skin, often caused by significant weight loss or due to natural aging, can be achieved with an arm lift and/or liposuction.
Specifically, an arm lift will tighten loose, flabby skin that extends from the underarm area to the elbow. In some cases, Dr. Thomas Leach may also recommend liposuction to help achieve optimal results.
Who Is a Candidate for An Arm Lift?
The typical arm lift patient is one who has loss a significant amount of weight and as a result there is a considerable amount of excess skin that is sagging. Sometimes there is also residual excess fat in the area as well, which can be removed with liposuction at the same time as performing the arm lift.
How Is an Arm Lift Procedure Performed?
Dr. Leach advises his arm lift patients that the surgery is done in an accredited outpatient surgical center under general anesthesia. Incisions are then made to remove the desired excess skin and fat. The incisions are made as inconspicuously as possible but there will be a visible scar.
Additionally, if there is excess fat, liposuction is used to remove the fatty deposits. The incisions are closed with absorbable sutures that will dissolve within one to two weeks after your arm lift procedure. Bandages are removed after 48 hours, and patients can resume most day-to-day activities.
Before
After
Arm Lift or Liposuction?
Patients frequently ask for liposuction, instead of a brachioplasty, to avoid the scar that results from the open surgical procedure. The decision is based on Dr. Leach’s evaluation of the quality and quantity of the arm skin of the patient. To remove the fat with liposuction and have the skin not adequately contract would leave the patient with a loose empty skin envelope. Dr. Leach will review pre- and post-operative photos with prospective patients to help in the decision-making process.
The addition of Smartlipo (a laser used to help melt the fat as well as to tighten the skin) has expanded the number of patients that can be treated with liposuction rather than a traditional brachioplasty (arm lift). It ultimately comes down to the experience of your doctor to choose the right procedure for you. Selecting the right procedure for the right patient is crucial and having an experienced plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Leach, can make all the difference in patient satisfaction and optimal results.
Dr. Thomas A. Leach is a Board Certified Cosmetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and has been in practice over 29 years. His years of experience, surgical skills and his caring and warm demeanor will reassure that you have selected an expert surgeon who can help you achieve optimal arm contouring results. Contact the Princeton Center for Plastic Surgery, located in Princeton, NJ to schedule your surgical consultation with Dr. Leach.
