What is Brachioplasty?

Brachioplasty is one of the new methods to reform and fix the shape of the upper arm.This procedure is done by removing excess fat from the arm and fixing the looseness and sagging of the arm skin. In Brachioplasty procedure, the skin and the excess fat of the lower arm, which is caused by factors such as Heredity , weight changes, and etc are removed and one's arm takes on a natural and proper shape and form. Some of the factors which may persuade a person to have Brachioplasty surgery are:

Aging in which the collagenization of the skin decreases and as a result the firmness in the skin of the upper arm reduces.
Skin fluctuations caused by consecutively gaining and losing weight which causes the skin to become loose and sagging.
Genetic factors which are among the inevitable causes of this problem.
Long-term smoking which reduces the elasticity and firmness of the skin.
Discrepancy in the size of one's arm and other parts of their body
Use of hormone therapy and corticosteroids which cause topical obesity in the arms and striae and looseness and laxity in the arm area.

The most important thing about treating obesity and flabby arm is to pay attention to one's BMI. If patient's BMI is above 30, Brachioplasty surgery will be postponed until one losses weight.

In case one's BMI is under 30 :
In case of low fat accumulation and mild laxity of the arm skin, RF method is recommended to fix the arm.
In case of high fat accumulation and mild laxity of the arm skin , performing lypolisis with or without liposuction is recommended.
In case of high fat accumulation and severe laxity of the arm skin it is recommended to have lipolaser along with Brachioplasty.
In case of low fat accumulation and severe laxity of the arm skin it is recommended to only undergo Brachioplasty.

Am I a good candidate to have Brachioplasty surgery?

If you also decided to have Brachioplasty surgery, you should know that the following conditions are necessary to perform this surgery:

Having a relatively constant weight and no severe obesity
Not smoking
Familiarity with the arm lift procedure and having reasonable expectations of the results of the surgery.
Physical health and the absence of background diseases which increase the risk of the surgery.
Discrepancy in the size and shape of the arm and other parts of the body

Procedure of Brachioplasty or arm lift

The surgeon will consult the patient about the procedure of the surgery and the area where the excess skin will be removed and the changes which will be made. The Brachioplasty surgery or arm lift is performed under general anesthesia and the duration of the arm lift procedure is 2-3 hours. At First, Doctor will create patterns of the incision lines on patient's arm using a special marker then will make the required cuts using a surgical blade. Arm lift incisions can be made partially within the armpit or may extend from the armpit to around the elbow.These incisions are generally placed on the inside of the arm or on the back of the arm depending on Doctor's discretion and patient's opinion. Then the surgeon hold back the the arm skin using special retractors and accesses the underlying tissues. Then removes the fat masses from the arm area and in case the arm skin is loose and sagging , the surgeon removes the extra skin to give the arm a better shape and form. Then fixes and tightens the underlying tissues of the arm using absorbable sutures including monocryl and finally, dressing will be applied to the surgical site with special bandages to help shape the arms through the elasticity made by the bandages. Using multiple procedures simultaneously with Brachioplasty is very helpful in achieving the desired result of arm lift surgery.

The following are some of this procedures:

Lipolysis : In this method during the Brachioplasty, the extra fat is melt and crushed by the laser and is removed through the cannula of liposuction device.
Liposuction: In this procedure the extra fat of the arm is removed during the arm lift surgery through two holes in the arm site and by dedicated cannulas.
Eliminating the extra skin of the arm : in this method,the extra and loose skin of the arm is removed through two types of incisions giving the arm more beautiful appearance.
Eliminating the skin of the armpit ( minimal incision) : It is performed on people whose their extra skin is more located in the one-third upper area of the arm and the armpit area and leaving less scarring.
Eliminating the skin in all over the arm (extended incision) : This type of incision is used in people with hanging and loose arm skin from all over the arm to the elbow.This incision has a larger scar that can be recovered using scar treatment medication and ointments.

Who should not do Brachioplasty?

Brachioplasty or arm lift, like any other cosmetic surgery, requires patient's full health. If the applicant has immunodeficiency disorders, such as (MS-lupus-Sarcoidosis-diabetes-hypothyroidism) or using hormonal pills and corticosteroids, he/she must tell their doctor before surgery.

Preoperative care of Brachioplasty

Taking blood tests in order to check patient's health factors
Performing cardiac exam and EKG before surgery
Taking shower and shaving the surgical site
Stop smoking for two weeks before and after surgery in order to speed up the recovery process
Stop taking medications such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin for two weeks before surgery in order to prevent excessive bleeding during surgery
Fasting for 8-10 hours before surgery