Arm lift surgery
Silhouette surgery
The «batwing-shaped» brachial deformities are the most frequent reasons for consulting a surgeon in plastic surgery. Due to significant weight loss, skin sagging in the inner arms affects patients.
Inner arms lift surgery (also known as dermolipectomy of inner arms or brachioplasty) enables to tighten the skin sagging in the posterior and in the inner arms effectively, as well as improve their contours significantly.
Procedure steps
- Dr. Petit will begin with questioning your medical and surgical histories (especially your bariatric surgery: by-pass, gastrectomy sleeve, gastric ring), your weight and your size, as well as your tobacco consumption.
- He will listen to you in order to understand your motivations and your discomfort relating your arms. He will carry out a clinical examination in order to suggest the most appropriate surgical strategy adapted to your anatomy and to your request.
- Dr. Petit will provide information on the scar positioning, treatment process and procedure limits, post-operative recoveries as well as main risks, so as to make an informed decision.
Good candidates for arm lift surgery are those
- With arms whose skin is sagging and loose.
- With aesthetic and/or functional discomfort (difficulty in getting dressed, moving arms).
- Wishing to improve the contour of their arms and to strengthen them.
- And accepting the scarring price, which is often disgraceful in this area.
Pre-operative instructions
General pre-operative instructions relating to aesthetic surgery
- Smoking cessation 1 month before and after the procedure.
- Discontinuation of medicines which increase bleeding 10 days before and after the procedure: aspirin, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant medicines, vitamin E.
Specific pre-operative instructions relating to the silhouette srgery
- To be at your stable and ideal weight for 6 months at least.
Procedure stages
Pre-operative markings are performed by Dr. Petit before the procedure.
This one is performed under general anesthesia and the hospitalization is an out-patient basis in most cases.
It consists in performing a liposuction and in removing excess skin in the inner and posterior arms areas.
There is a vertical scar concealed along the inside of the arm, extending from the armpit up to the elbow.
Sometimes, the extension of this scar within the lateral thoracic region is necessary in order to treat excess skin in this region.
Arm lift surgery with scars in the fold of the armpit is not efficient and hence is not performed by Dr. Petit.
The cutaneous closure is performed with sub-cutaneous dissolving sutures.
A dressing modeling the arms is performed at the end of the procedure.
What to expect after surgery
The arm lift surgery is a little or moderate painful procedure. Pains are well soothed by analgesics.
Ecchymosis (bruises) are classical and subside within 2 to 3 weeks after the operation. An oedema (swelling) is constant and of variable duration, gradually subsiding within a few months.
Daily nursing care after your shower with a soft soap are necessary during 15 days.
Three preventive measures against phlebitis are established after the procedure: the affected leg elevated as well as the walk, the wearing of compression stockings and the daily injection of an anticoagulant (medicines which thin the blood) over 15 days.
The wearing of a compression garment is recommended during 1 month in order to reduce the post-operative œdema.
The resumption of daily activities is possible the day following the procedure provided you avoid carrying heavy loads during the healing.
The resumption of professional activities is possible from 7 to 15 days following the procedure.
The resumption of sports activities can be done within 6 weeks following the operation.
Procedure risks
The complications of the arm lift surgery are weak and will be mentioned by Dr. Petit during the consultation.
Main risks are the following
In the first hours following the surgery:
A haematoma (blood pooling), a rare complication requiring a revisionary process in order to drain it.
In the post-operative month:
- Healing problems, resulting in one or several localized disunities (opening of the scar) requiring a directed healing.
- A seroma (collection of fluid), requiring a drainage in consultation.
- Transitory troubles of skin sensitivity.
- An infection, a cutaneous necrosis: rare complications.
- A phlebitis, a pulmonary embolism: exceptional complications with the preventive measures established previously.
In the long term:
- A scar expansion, requiring a revisionary procedure.
- A pathological scarring (hypertrophic scars or keloids).
Long-term result
The final result of arm lift surgery is obtained between 3 to 6 months after the procedure, when the post-operative oedema has disappeared.
The scars initially are inflammatory (red and swollen) the first months, then they will fade gradually without disappearing. The final aspect of de your scar is not predictable and will be known at the end of the scarring maturation (between 1 and 2 years after the procedure). The result is long-lasting except in case of significant changes in body weight or pregnancy. Arm lift surgery is an efficient procedure which reshapes the contour of the arms. The patients usually report significant satisfaction relating to the functional aspect, whereas this one is more reserved relating to the aesthetic aspect owing to the presence of brachial scars.