Brachioplasty or arm lift surgery is a plastic surgical procedure to remove excess skin and fat, giving the fat arms a contoured appearance. Excess skin presents in the arms following sudden weight loss or as part of the normal aging process. As we age, elastin and collagen, two vital proteins essential for maintaining the skin structure decrease. The loss of these two proteins leads to decreased elasticity and firmness of skin that ultimately causes it to sag. Excess smoking, drinking alcohol, or prolonged exposure to UV rays hastens the appearance of this age-related decline in levels of elastin and collagen.
Specialist plastic and cosmetic surgeon, Dr Mark Doyle, will help patients from Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast who are struggling with tuckshop arms, achieve aesthetically contoured arms through arm fat reduction.
What Is Brachioplasty?
Brachioplasty, or arm fat removal surgery, remove unwanted skin and fat around the arms. Reshapes the underside of the upper arm from the armpit to the elbow. It helps get rid of excessive skin, tightening the arms and giving a more toned and pleasant appearance to your arms.
What Causes Fat Upper Arms?
Genes have a big role in determining your physical form. One reason you might gain weight in your upper arms—and one reason it can be so challenging to lose those pounds, even with lots of activity and dieting—is if you have genetic predisposition to accumulate body fat there.
Upper arm skin tends to droop with age or following a sudden weight loss, or after bariatric surgery. The arm fat removal is a suitable surgery for you if you have excess fat and sagging skin in your arms or if you want more well-defined arms.
Good Candidate
You are a good candidate for Brachioplasty if you are:
- Adults with a noticeable laxity of the upper arm
- Adults of any age who are not significantly overweight and whose weight is largely stable
- Healthy persons free of illnesses that would hinder healing or raise the risk of surgery
- Nonsmokers
- People who have optimistic outlooks and reasonable expectations
Arm Lift Surgery
The arm lifting procedure involves the removal of excess skin from the inside of the arm and tightening of the underlying tissues beneath. Dr Doyle will carefully make the incision towards the inner aspect of your arms so that post-operative scarring will not be easily visible giving you an aesthetic result.
The following steps outline the various stages of the procedure:
- Anesthesia & Incisions
Brachioplasty needs general anesthesia. The extent and location of the incision depends on the position, quantity of the excess skin and the expert judgment of Dr Doyle.
The incision is made on the inside of your arms. This incision stretches from the armpit to just above your elbow and is made carefully to make post-operative scarring as inconspicuous as possible.
- Arm Liposuction
Arm Liposuction (Lipectomy) is a minimally invasive cosmetic surgery treatment. This helps removing extra arm fat which is resistant to ordinary weight loss is permanently suctioned out. Better arm contouring and arm reshaping are the consequences of liposuction on arms. By removing extra fat, it reduces the appearance of flabby arm.
- Skin Tightening
Dr will remove surplus fat through incisions if required. The supportive tissues situated below are then strengthened and toughened through the use of absorbable internal sutures. After this, the unwanted skin is removed to adjust with the new arm profile. Finally, Dr will seal the incision with the help of an absorbable suture.
Arm Lift Photos
Recovery
Recovery time after arm lifting depends on your health condition, your body’s natural healing abilities and the extent of surgery. However, the general recovery time after Brachioplasty is around two weeks.
Arm Lift Scar
Scarring is an unavoidable part of any surgery but it gradually fades over time. Dr Doyle will make the incisions on the inside of your arms, which will keep the scarring following the surgery inconspicuous. It is crucial to steer away from smoking during the recovery period, as it delays your recovery and making your scar thick and less aesthetic.
What are the Risks?
For arm lift surgery, it’s important to be aware of potential risks and complications.
Here are some risks associated with arm lift surgery:
- Infection at the surgical site
- Bleeding during or after the procedure
- Formation of noticeable scars
- Blood clotting issues
- Slower-than-expected wound healing
- Risks related to anaesthesia
Remember, staying vigilant and following Dr Doyles’s advice both before and after the surgery are key steps in reducing these risks.
How to Reduce Swelling after Brachioplasty?
You should keep your arms raised to subdue post-operative swelling for first few days. Strenuous activities should be avoided during this period. Same for lifting heavy objects for two to four weeks after the procedure. You may drive when your arms are comfortable in the driving position. You will need to wear a compression bandage for up to 6 weeks post-operatively. These bandages help lessen bruising and swelling and make your rehabilitation easier.
Book a Consultation
Book a consultation with Specialist Plastic Surgeon, Dr Mark Doyle on the Gold Coast. He will help you to find out if arm lift surgery is right for you.
About Dr Mark Doyle FRACS (Plas) – Queensland Plastic Surgeon
Servicing patients in Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and New South Wales NSW – Northern Rivers, Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore and more.
Dr Mark Doyle is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon with over thirty years of experience performing Breast, Body, Face and Nose surgery. Dr Doyle is a fully qualified Specialist Plastic Surgeon with 30+ years of experience. He has completed all required training and only carries out approved surgical practices. There are absolutely NO undertrained doctors or cosmetic doctors acting as surgeons in our clinic.
As a highly esteemed plastic surgeon, Dr Mark is committed to achieving the best possible results for all his breast, body, face and nose patients, both men and women.
