BRACHIOPLASTY

Brachioplasty is an ‘arm lift’. It addresses the loose floppy skin that can appear at the back of the upper arms, sometimes it is described as a ‘bat wing’. Liposuction can work for mild cases of this problem however most patients require the formal surgery which leaves a scar after removing the excess skin and fat. The scar will extend from the armpit down towards the elbow and tends to be visible. Many patients find this an unacceptable trade-off for removing the skin that they are trying to hide, thinking that they will then just be trying to hide a scar instead. Despite this it is a good operation whose main complication is slow healing and infection in the incision that is near the arm pit. Other complications include bleeding and numbness. Drains may be placed in the incision and will be removed when they are draining minimal amounts of fluid.