If you are unsatisfied with the look, shape, or size of your upper arms, then you may benefit from brachioplasty. This type of surgery is most commonly performed to reduce excess skin after dramatic weight loss, but it can also firm up arms that age has made saggy. This is a significant surgery that will result in some scarring, so opting to have an arm lift is not something to enter into casually.

Although the procedure slims your arms through the removal of excess fat and skin, it is not a weight-loss tool. Gaining or losing weight after the surgery can significantly alter your results. It is intended for women or men of a healthy weight who do not plan to lose or gain too much weight (especially from pregnancy for women) in the future.

The procedure begins with incisions made in one of three ways: inner arm, back of the arm, or minimal incision.

• Inner Arm Incision — The incision is made in the inner arm, extending from the middle of the armpit to the elbow
• Back of Arm Incision – This incision is made on the entire back part of the upper arm, usually the troubled area
• Minimal Incision – This incision is made on the back part of the arm, under the armpit. The goal with this technique is to disguise the scars as much as possible; however, it is not for everyone and can only be used depending on how much work your arm needs done

All incisions are used to tighten underlying tissue, which is then stitched in place. Skin is pulled over the new muscle with the excess skin trimmed away and removed.

After the procedure, Dr. Saltz will wrap bandages over the incisions to protect the stitches. You will likely wear a compression garment over the entire area to minimize swelling. The recovery period from arm lift surgery runs from two to six weeks.

Most patients find they can return to work one to two weeks after surgery.