With an arm lift, or brachioplasty, Robert Frank, MD Plastic Surgery helps patients in Munster, Hobart, Crown Point, and Frankfort reduce the excess skin that often results after extensive weight loss.*
Through the procedure, Dr. Frank gives patients a slimmer silhouette to compliment the weight that they have shed through diet, exercise, or bariatric surgery.* It is particularly useful for patients who are not good candidates for liposuction because brachioplasty specifically targets excess skin rather than excess fat.
Dr. Frank’s Approach to Brachioplasty
In the initial consultation, patients meet with Dr. Frank so that they can ask questions about the arm lift procedure and learn what to expect following surgery.
Brachioplasty patients from Hobart, Munster, Crown Point, and Frankfort have their treatments performed in licensed surgical facilities. During the procedure:
- Patients receive general anesthesia so that they are comfortable through the surgery.
- Dr. Frank places the incision on the posterior aspect of the arm, where it is somewhat hidden and should become less noticeable over time as the scar fades.
- He reduces the excess skin and creates a slimmer contour around the arms.*
*Individual results may vary
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Recovery from Brachioplasty
After surgery, patients return home to heal. Dr. Frank typically sees brachioplasty patients from Hobart, Munster, Crown Point, and Frankfort once a week during recovery. In addition:
- Most people will be out from work for a couple of weeks as swelling reduces.*
- Dr. Frank advises patients to wear a compression sleeve to help reduce swelling.
- Pain medication and other recommendations our practice provides support a more comfortable recuperation.*
Patients are likely to have some short-term tingling or numbness in their fingers and swelling around the surgical site, though the recovery is usually faster than with thigh surgery.* If the skin is in very poor condition, patients may require a second procedure to get the quality of results they want.
Brachioplasty patients usually see their final outcome within about six months.* However, they should experience a significantly improved body contour much sooner: within about one month.*
Dr. Frank’s Advice on Recovery
We all have our own ideas of how long recovery should take. Unfortunately, this means many patients try to rush their recovery and go back to normal activities. This trend is especially true among young mothers who want to spend every moment with their children. They may attempt to play with or pick up their children before their bodies are ready to handle that strain.
Dr. Frank sees rushed recoveries in several ways, with one of the most common being pain. Patients who try to be too active too early in the recovery process often find themselves running through their pain medication too soon and have to ask for an early refill. Rather than increase the amount of medication you take, you will feel better sooner and end the period wherein you need the medication faster if you allow your body to rest. Do not force your body to undergo more physical strain than it is ready to handle. It is okay to take 30-minute breaks on the couch.
Another way Dr. Frank sees patients push themselves too hard is an increased risk of both swelling and dangerous hematomas.
For example, after liposuction, your body needs time to move fluid out of your skin. Patients who have had liposuction will have skin that feels firmer than untreated areas because of this fluid buildup. Getting that fluid out of your skin is one of your recovery goals during the weeks after surgery. But if you activate your muscles near the treated area, that activity draws fluid into the area, which increases swelling and often pain. In the case of a tummy tuck, too much activity early in your recovery can increase blood pressure, which then causes more oozing into the space created during surgery. While a little fluid is normal, it’s easy to overwhelm your body’s ability to absorb this fluid. A hematoma is the result.
To minimize these concerns, Dr. Frank encourages all patients to clear their schedules of everything except the most essential duties for the two weeks after surgery. You should minimize the amount of childcare, job responsibilities, meetings, social activities, and home chores in which you partake so your body can rest. You will feel better and recover faster if you plan ahead so that your body, not your calendar, determines when you are ready for your physical activities.
Schedule an Arm Lift Consultation Today
If you live in Munster, Hobart, Crown Point, or Frankfort and are seeking solutions to excess skin after weight loss, consider an arm lift with Robert Frank MD Plastic Surgery. Schedule your brachioplasty consultation online or by calling our office at (219) 513-2011.
*Individual results may vary