Surgical Procedures

 
 
   

Arm Lift

Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)

An arm lift or Brachioplsty is a surgical procedure that removes the flabby, excessive skin and fat of the upper arm. This is a particular annoyance for many women. Many of these patients complain that their arms feel and look like "bat wings" or "Bingo Wings".

Fluctuations in weight, growing older and even heredity can cause your upper arms to have a drooping, sagging appearance.

Exercise may strengthen and improve the underlying muscle tone of the upper arm, but it cannot address excess skin that has lost elasticity or underlying weakened tissues and localized fat deposits.

If the underside of your upper arms are sagging or appear loose and full due to excess skin and fat, an arm lift may be right for you.

Arm Lift (Brachioplasty): How it's done

Dr. Weiglein has found that an arm lift is best done under general anaesthesia. The Centre only uses fully trained and experienced certified anesthetists. All of our procedures are done in our private accredited and inspected operating facilities. An arm lift takes about 1 hour per side to perform. The proposed incisions are marked while you are awake . Once you are asleep the areas are infiltrated with "Tumescent" fluid. This fluid contains dilute local anesthetic and adrenalin. It significantly reduces blood loss. If liposuction is required to reduce the overall bulk it is carried out now. The excess tissue and loose skin is then removed. This usually involves an incision- and a resulting permanent scar- from the elbow to the armpit. The skin edges are then carefully brought together and sutured with a buried suture. All areas are then carefully cleansed and dressed and finally sterile dressings are applied. We do not wrap the upper arm tightly as this will cause excessive swelling of the hand.

After the procedure you will recover for approximately two hours in our recovery room. A responsible adult must take you home. You may shower the day after your operation. Medications are prescribed for post operative discomfort. Follow up appointments are pre scheduled to allow monitoring of your progress and answer any concerns you may have. You will take your prescribed medications as directed and should keep your arms elevated as much as possible in the days following your procedure.

An arm lift is an uncomfortable procedure as it is basically a skin incision.

The final visit is usually at 5-6 weeks post surgery or as long as necessary to ensure that all is well. You will need to take about ten to fourteen days off work and limit physical activity for about four weeks.

Questions about:

General anesthesia is required for the 2 hour procedure. If you are not healthy enough for an anesthetic we will not proceed. Anesthesia standards require that you are seen by an appropriate medical doctor prior to the procedure. All of our anesthetists are fully trained and certified.

Bleeding can occur after any operation. If it happens it will occur in the first 24 hrs. It is important to stop taking any medication (aspirin!) or supplements ( green tea!) at least 10 days prior to any surgical procedure as many of these products act as blood thinners. Bleeding is very rare following arm lifts. There is no expectation of having a blood transfusion.

Infection can occur after any operation. A surgically clean environment, careful surgical technique, healthy patients and suitable antibiotic coverage will minimize the risk of infection. Infection is very rare following our arm lifts.

Seromas or fluid collections can occur after an abdominoplasty. Fluid always accumulates following an abdominoplasty. It will continue to accumulate until the space between the skin and fat and the body wall has healed together. This is painless. If this occurs it can easily be drained during one or more office visits.

Scars are a necessary part of any arm lift. The more tissue that needs to be removed the longer the scar will be. Arm lift scars never disappear and can sometimes be thick and reddened for a prolonged period of time. As a rule of thumb the patient is usually happier with the scar than the surgeon is.

 

From Initial Phone call to Post Op Visits: How it Works

Your initial contact with the office will be with Josie, our Patient Coordinator. She will guide you through the process. You will then meet with Dr. Weiglein to determine the best solution to your particular problem. This initial meeting is designed to be an information and educational meeting. It is actually a time when you "audition" us and we "audition" you. With your input a recommendation will be made and all questions answered. We have numerous pre and post operative photos for you to see. There are always former patients available to speak with you about their experience. We welcome friends / husbands/ others to this meeting.

You will then meet with Josie again to discuss costs, scheduling and logistics. If you require more time to consider your options, or wish another appointment, we will arrange it. If you wish to finance the procedure we will assist you.

We encourage you to see us as a second opinion.

If you elect to proceed you will then meet with one of our nurses for your pre operative visit. She will review the procedure and expectations. Any necessary lab reports will be reviewed. Anesthesia standards require a pre operative physical from a family doctor.

We will provide you with full written post operative care instructions, your prescriptions, follow-up appointment dates, contact telephone numbers and instructions for care-givers at your pre operative appointment. No question will be unanswered.

An arm lift:

Is it right for me?

In general, candidates for an arm lift include:

Need more information?
Please contact us if you have questions.

We are one of the leading cosmetic surgery practices in Canada so you can rely on our expertise.