Brachioplasty Candidates
What Is Brachioplasty, Arm Tuck, or Arm Lift?
"I've lost 80 pounds after gastric bypass surgery, and I'm still losing weight. A year after the surgery, I had a meeting with my boss, and extended my arm towards him to make a point more emphatically. But, instead of making my case, I froze – mortified – because the loose skin from my arm just kept jiggling. It took on a life of its own! My boss was as embarrassed as I was. No matter how much weight I lose, I just can’t get rid of that loose skin that hangs from my body from all of those years of being obese. It was stretched out for too long."
--Myra, age 41 |
Brachioplasty, also known as "Arm Lift" or "Arm Tuck," is a procedure to remove redundant flabby and sagging skin folds of the upper arms. Colloquially, this surplus skin is described as "Bat Wings" or "Batwing Deformity," and sometimes as "Bingo Wings." Arm-Lift or Brachioplasty allows patients to once again enjoy arms that are firm, toned, and proportionate with the rest of their body. For some patients, the need to undergo a Brachioplasty surpasses that of a Tummy Tuck because they are unable to find shirts that have wide enough arms, or are uncomfortable with showing their arms at all.
The popularity of the Brachioplasty has increased along with the growing number of people who have lost massive amounts of weight either through dieting or bariatric surgery- Gastric bypass, "stomach stapling," or lap-banding.
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, nearly 15,000 Arm Lifts (Brachioplasties) were performed in 2005, a more than three fold increase since 1997.
Who Is A Good Candidate for Brachioplasty/Arm Lift?
"After I lost a lot of weight following gastric bypass, all the hanging loose skin bothered me. But my arms bothered me the most. I was good about going to the gym, but was embarrassed during workouts because the skin on my arms moved back and forth. I wanted to correct their appearance first."
-- June, age 25 |
-
Women and men who have loose, flabby, and hanging skin folds of the upper arms after having lost much weight and who can accept some scarring as a trade off for having firmer, tighter, and smaller upper arms, are good candidates for Arm Lift/ Brachioplasty. However, you have to be sure that you are willing to trade your “Bat Wings” for the permanent scars that will extend under the arm from the armpit to the elbow. Among this group is a growing population of adults who have had massive weight loss and resulting sagging arms after Gastric Bypass Bariatric surgery.
-
Also there are women who develop flabby arms not because of massive weight loss, but rather as a result of aging and loss of skin elasticity. These women have not been able to tighten-up or firmed-up their arms, no matter how much they have exercised.
Who Are Not Good Candidates for Brachioplasty/Arm Lift?
- If your main problem is heavy arms due to excess fat, then Liposuction may be a better option, at least initially. It is best to first reduce the volume of your arms through Liposuction before proceeding with an Arm Tuck or Brachioplasty.
- People with Hidradenitis Suppurativa of the armpits. Hidradenitis is a condition when there is excess drainage and persistent ongoing infection of the sweat glands. Because there is a constant drainage of puss from the armpits, it is not wise to undergo surgery on the adjacent arms, until after you have had proper treatment for Hidradenitis.
- Patients after Radical Mastectomy. Lymph fluid from the upper extremities drains to the armpit lymph nodes. These are mostly removed with the Radical and to a lesser extent with the Modified Radical Mastectomy. Therefore, after such surgeries patients are predisposed to have chronic swelling or edema of their arms. Further surgery on the arms, such as an Arm Tuck can further damage the lymphatic drainage of the arms.
 |
Questions & Answers: Arm Lift |
|
|
During your consultation, Dr. Younai reviews your treatment options for Brachioplasty, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and esthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of Arm Tuck/ Arm Lift available in our photo gallery.
Dr. Younai is a board certified plastic surgeon who receives patients at the California Center for Plastic Surgery from the Northern as well as the Southern California region. Some of these cities include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, and Oxnard.
