Armlift Surgery- Los Angeles Surgeon
An arm lift surgery is commonly performed to remove excess skin and fat from the upper arm. The surgery usually improves the region from the armpit to the elbow, or some variant of the region. In patients with massive weight loss after gastric bypass or gastric banding, the arm lift surgery is ideal for improvement of the contour of the arm.
There are variations to the standard arm lift surgery that depend on a patient's individual anatomy. The variations in the arm lift surgery depend on the amount of excess skin, the presence of stretch marks on the skin, the looseness of the skin, the amount of residual fat, and the looseness of the fat on the inferior aspect of the arm. Dr. Karamanoukian is an expert plastic surgeon on arm lift surgery and these details can be discussed during your consultation with him.
The medical term for an arm lift is brachioplasty. The surgery was originally developed years ago and has been modified over the years. Arm lift surgeries became more popular in the mid 90's as weight loss surgery became more and more popular. Now, Dr. Karamanoukian performs these surgeries in an accredited outpatient surgery center on a routine basis as the demand for arm lifts has dramatically risen.
Arm lifts can be performed in conjunction with other surgeries, such as an abdominoplasty or body lift, or can be performed alone. Dr. Karamanoukian will assess your medical health before surgery to assess the safety of a combined procedure.
Arm Lift Surgery After Weight Loss
Arm Lift surgery is routinely requested in patients who have lost a significant amount of weight, either by diet and exercise, or as a result of massive weight loss surgery such as gastric banding, gastric stapling, lap band procedures, and other stomach banding surgery. The decision to perform arm lift or brachioplasty surgery is an important one and should be discussed in the context of a complete physical examination that determines the degree of skin and tissue laxity. Dr. Karamanoukian will examine your upper arm and axilla to document the degree of stretch marks, skin resiliency, skin elasticity, and residual fat deposits in the arm.
This surgery is very gratifying for patients who are embarrassed by the size and shape of their arms. To discuss your candidacy for the surgery, please call our office and speak to a surgical coordinator to schedule a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
How long is recovery after an arm lift? Recovery after an arm lift is fairly quick. The skin incision usually heals within one week. Patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for three weeks, which includes heavy lifting, contact sports, and carrying children.
Arm Lift Scars
Dr. Karamanoukian is often asked to evaluate arm lift scars by other surgeons that have turned into hypertrophic scars or keloids. The arms are constantly in motion, leading to characteristic tension-related scar changes after arm lift surgery. The goal of scar therapy for arm lift scars is to reduce hypertrophic scar growth early, preventing widening and thickening of the scars.
Once a keloid or hypertrophic scar has formed on an arm lift scar, Dr. Karamanoukian employs a Hidef scar treatment protocol to reduce redness, thickening of the scar, and inflammation of the skin. Our exclusive scar protocol includes injection therapy, scar modulation, laser treatment for hypervascularity, fractional resurfacing, PRP, and RF treatments.
If you have developed thick scars as a result of an arm lift by another surgeon, Dr. Karamanoukian can help you find solutions for your scars so that the benefits of your arm lift are more readily apparent.