Upper Arm Lift in Miami

• Removes excess skin on upper arms
• Corrects “bat wing” or hanging skin on upper arms

Aside from undesirable excess skin around the midsection, patients who have lost a significant amount of weight may experience excess skin in other areas—like the upper arms. In this case, patients may elect to undergo an arm lift. This procedure, also known as brachioplasty, contours the upper arms and removes the excess skin and tissue.

An arm lift is ideally performed on patients who are nonsmokers with adequate skin elasticity. Patients should also be willing to accept some scarring in place of the excess skin.

The Surgical Process

The arm lift surgery takes approximately one to two hours and is performed on an outpatient basis. First, anesthesia is administered and incisions are made on the inner part of the upper arm. These incisions travel from the elbow toward the underarm. The excess skin is then removed to tighten the arms.

In some cases, the doctor may decide to use a combination of skin removal and liposuction to achieve the desired result, or just liposuction. The doctor will then place sutures over the incision to close it and maintain the shape of the upper arm.

Life After Arm Lift Surgery

After the arm lift procedure, the patient should expect 2–4 weeks for recovery. The patient may be advised to limit movement and keep the arms elevated. Any swelling or bruising of the arms should subside within two weeks. Additionally, the patient will wear compression garments to aid in proper healing. Pain medications may also be prescribed to the patient to control discomfort.

Some side effects are possible with arm lift procedures and may include swelling and changes in sensation and pigmentation. Bleeding infection is also possible, but not common.

To learn more about an arm lift in Miami, contact the office of Miami Beach plastic surgeon Dr. Rian Maercks.