Upper Arm Lift Mobile, AL
Brachioplasty
The arm lift procedure can tighten loose tissue on your upper arms, providing the confidence you need to wear sleeveless clothing again.
Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Proffitt offers arm lift surgery here in Mobile, along with a wide variety of procedures for post weight loss body contouring.
Who’s the Right Candidate for Arm Lift Surgery?
In general, a good candidate for arm lift surgery is anyone bothered by a significant amount of loose tissue on the upper arms. This is a very common problem, which typically occurs after body weight fluctuations.
The right candidates for arm lift surgery are:
- Bothered by upper arm shape and size
- Healthy, and at a stable body weight
- Highly motivated to improve appearance
Many people are bothered by loose skin and fat on the upper arms. Some people refer to the problem as “bat wing” arms. If you’re self-conscious about this condition, consider an arm lift in Mobile with Dr. Proffitt.
Your Arm Lift Consultation
When you visit our office in Mobile, Dr. Proffitt can answer all of your questions about arm lift surgery. With the doctor, you can discuss the pre-operative process, the operation and the recovery period. You can also review arm lift photos, to get a better idea about the results that can be expected.
Before and After Arm Lift Surgery in Mobile, AL
Remember that each patient is unique, so your results will not be identical with one you see in photographs.
What Happens During Arm Lift Surgery?
An arm lift will require local or general anesthesia, depending on the doctor’s recommendations. The first step involves marking the arms to plan for the incisions. The incisions travel from the underarm to the elbow, residing in the inner part of your arm.
For some patients, Dr. Proffitt may recommend liposuction instead of a full arm lift. This option can be explored druing your consultation with the doctor.
After making the incisions, Dr. Proffitt removes the loose, hanging arm skin. If necessary, he uses liposuction to slim down excess fat. To maintain the new shape and close the incisions, Dr. Proffitt will use sutures.
How Will I Look and Feel After an Arm Lift?
When your arm lift is finished, your arms will feel sore and your mobility will be limited. Dr. Proffitt will give you specific instructions to follow during recovery. These may include steps to use pain medications, wear compression garments, and keep your arms elevated.
When you’re ready to discuss arm lift surgery with a board certified Mobile Alabama plastic surgeon, contact the office of Dr. Randy Proffitt today. You can send an email to our friendly staff, or call the office at 251-344-0322.
More information about Upper Arm Lift – by Dr. Randy Proffitt
Over the last few years Brachioplasty, or arm lift, has become a popular procedure. With the advent of gastric bypass procedures, plastic surgeons are seeing more and more of these patients with loose skin underneath their upper arms. In certain circles this is commonly referred to as bat wings. Most patients are very self-conscious about wearing short sleeves because of this condition. After weight loss on many patient’s list of priorities for skin reduction procedures, Brachioplasty is second only to breast and abdomen procedures.
The procedure is fairly simple. It involves removal of skin and fat of the upper arm. This is done through and incision on the anterior or inside of the upper arm extending from the armpit out to the elbow. The scar is put in this area so that when the patient has their arms at their side it is not obviously visible.
The surgery is generally done under general anesthesia and takes less than 1 hour to perform. Once the incision is made, dissection is taken down to the muscle of the upper arm then elevation of the skin and fat around towards the back of the arm is done and then the excess skin and fat is pulled to the front and excised. These two layers are then sewn back in place with absorbable stitches. There are no stitches or drains that have to be removed later. The patient’s arm is then wrapped with gauze and an ace wrap. In the postoperative period, I like for the patient to wear a compression garment around the upper arm area for 3 weeks. After 2-3 days the patient can remove the dressings and the ace wrap and then wash over the incisions with soap and water as needed. After which the patient should replace the ace wrap and wear it 24 hours a day for those 3 weeks. The scars do tend to be red a little bit longer in the arm than some other areas but do fade with time.
Many people ask whether liposuction can be done in this area and occasionally it can be but this depends on how loose the skin is. With liposuction alone the skin will not be tightened even with laser liposuction. It certainly is a trade-off between a scar and reducing the volume of the arm and tightening of the skin. Overall, the majority of the patients are very pleased with this surgery and risks of the surgery are very minimal. In my practice here in Mobile, Alabama there have been no ill effects from the surgery. There is the occasional person who will have some numbness in the skin on the inner aspect of the arm and sometimes down into the inner aspect of the forearm. Usually this is temporary but may last longer than a few months.
