Are you embarrassed by your upper arms? Maybe you’ve lost a lot of weight, and have excess skin. Or maybe you’re just getting older. You can strengthen and improve the muscle tone of the upper arm through exercise, but you won’t be able to tighten loose skin or get rid of localized fat deposits. But don’t worry; loose, flabby arms don’t have to keep you out of short sleeves. A brachioplasty, or upper arm lift, can tighten and smooth skin, and remove excess fat, giving you the confidence to wear whatever fashions you’d like.
Safety and Comfort with Anesthesia
General anesthesia is the gold standard for this operation. Under this type of anesthesia, you are fully asleep; there is no pain and no awareness. Safety and comfort are paramount. Your anesthesia provider has a wealth of experience in facial procedures, safety, and care. You will spend one to two hours in a fully-monitored and state-of-the art recovery room at the surgery center. Your registered nurse will be at your side every moment to attend to your safety and comfort.
After your brachioplasty, we’ll place your arms in a custom compression garment to minimize swelling.
You have several options for recovery: you may choose to have professional care, to stay in a recovery center, or recover at home. If you wish to recover at home, you must have someone stay with you the first night. We’ll send you home with specific care instructions, as well as information about medications that can aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your overall health, and when to follow-up with Dr. Koplin.
Attention to detail, expertise in surgical technique, and experience with reconstructive as well as cosmetic surgeries sets Dr. Koplin apart from other surgeons. For nearly 20 years, he has used these techniques to enhance the looks and self-confidence of both children and adults.
First Week: You’ll want to keep your arms slightly elevated on pillows while sleeping.
You’ll see results almost immediately following your procedure, although you may have some bruising and swelling during the early part of your recovery.
You may have a feeling of tightness in the upper arms. This is due to swelling, is normal, and rapidly fades with time.
Avoid aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for the first few days after your surgery. Stay away from smoking: even exposure to second-hand smoke may cause delays in your healing process.
Dr. Koplin exclusively uses dissolving sutures that are hidden under the skin, so there are none to be removed and never any “Frankenstein” marks!
Second Week and Beyond:
You may resume lower body activities and exercise as early as one week after surgery. Most patients are back at work by then as well.
Depending on the type and extent of your upper arm surgery, you may begin exercise of upper body and arms after the second week.
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