Arm Lift Surgery in San Diego, CA
Does the extra skin that hangs under your arms cause you to avoid wearing certain tops or participating in activities you enjoy? Are you frustrated with how your “bat wings” refuse to respond to your best efforts to slim your arms through exercise? If so, arm lift surgery at Coastal Plastic Surgeons may be the solution.
What Is Arm Lift Surgery?
An arm lift, also called brachioplasty, is a cosmetic procedure for patients with an excess of loose skin on the underside of their arms, often due to major weight loss. An arm lift can tighten and reshape your arms, restoring both mobility and confidence.
What Are the Benefits of Arm Lift Surgery?
Besides weight loss, age and genetics can also contribute to skin laxity on the upper arms. For some patients, it can become enough of a nuisance to require cosmetic surgery. Arm lift surgery offers several benefits, including:
Improved Appearance
Arm lift surgery can give your arms a slimmer, more youthful contour and make muscle tone more visible.
Increased Confidence
Loose, sagging skin on your upper arms can cause you to feel self-conscious about wearing clothes that reveal your arms. Arm lift surgery can restore your confidence in the appearance of your arms.
Better Hygiene
Excess skin on your upper arms can cause skin irritations due to chafing, as well as chronic rashes or infections. Removing the redundant skin can eliminate these issues.
Improved Mobility
For physically active patients, the extra skin on your arms can make it difficult to move as easily as you’d like. Removing excess skin via arm lift surgery can improve your range of motion and make exercising more comfortable.
Am I a Candidate for Arm Lift Surgery?
Candidates for arm lift surgery are patients who are nonsmokers in good overall health. Ideal candidates for an arm lift include:
- People with significant excess skin or laxity in their upper arms
- People who are at a stable, healthy weight within a few pounds of their ideal weight
- Those who have realistic expectations of their results
When you come in for your arm lift consultation, Dr. Batra will review your medical history, examine your arms, and go over your goals and desired results to ensure you are a good candidate for arm lift surgery.
What Are My Arm Lift Options?
There are generally two types of arm lifts: a full arm lift and a mini arm lift. The type of arm lift depends on several factors, including how much redundant tissue needs to be removed, the location of the excess tissue, your desired results, and what kind of scar you’re willing to have.
Full Arm Lift
A full arm lift involves an incision that extends along the underside of your arm, from the armpit to the elbow. Skin and fatty tissue are removed, and liposuction is performed if necessary. The skin is then repositioned and sutured to create a slimmer, more shapely arm contour. A full arm lift leaves a more extensive scar but also offers more dramatic results.
Mini Arm Lift
Also called a limited incision arm lift, this surgery uses an incision placed in the underarm to remove excess skin and flab. Typically performed on patients who require a more modest amount of tissue excision, a mini arm lift offers a less noticeable scar, but also less dramatic results.
How Is an Arm Lift Performed?
An arm lift is an outpatient surgery that is performed using general anesthesia. Dr. Batra will make an incision depending on the type of arm lift you are undergoing: a full arm lift or a mini arm lift. He removes excess flab and fat and tightens the underlying tissues. He then finishes the procedure by trimming away redundant skin and pulling it taut around your arm, securing it with careful incisions.
Choose Coastal Plastic Surgeons for Arm Lift Surgery in San Diego
If you’re tired of hiding your “bat wings” or feeling self-conscious about the appearance of your arms, it’s time to discover what an arm lift can do for you. At Coastal Plastic Surgeons, we treat all of our arm lift patients with the utmost respect and dedication. We always endeavor to ensure your arm lift results are as aesthetically pleasing as possible. To schedule a consultation, call Coastal Plastic Surgeons today at (858) 365-3558 or complete the online contact form.
Arm Lift Surgery FAQ
How much does arm lift surgery cost in San Diego?
The cost of your arm lift surgery depends on several factors, including what type of arm lift surgery you undergo and whether you decide to combine your surgery with other cosmetic procedures, like a thigh lift, body lift, or liposuction. Financing is also available.
Will there be visible scars after arm lift surgery?
Patients who undergo a mini arm lift will have a smaller scar that is typically hidden in the armpit. While a full arm lift creates a more significant scar, it will fade with time, and visibility can also be diminished using silicone scar strips, gels, or creams.
How long will the results of arm lift surgery last?
Arm lift surgery results are considered long-lasting. Maintaining a stable weight will help extend your results, as weight gain or loss can affect the appearance of your arms. While you may eventually experience some degree of skin laxity due to the natural aging process, you should be able to enjoy your arm lift results for years to come.
Are there any risks associated with arm lift surgery?
As with any surgery, there are certain risks and side effects associated with an arm lift, including:
- Anesthesia risks
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Excess fluid accumulation (seroma)
- Changes to skin sensation
- Poor wound healing
- Fatty tissue necrosis
- Scarring
If you have concerns about any of the above items as you recover from your arm lift surgery, contact Coastal Plastic Surgeons immediately.
This is a 43-year-old female who underwent a gastric bypass procedure by Wittgrove Bariatric Center. She subsequently went on to lose 110 pounds. She then underwent breast augmentation and lift, as well as an arm lift. This photograph shows the posterior view of her arm lift. Overall, this patient s very happy with her outcome.
This 54-year-old woman underwent gastric bypass performed at Pacific Bariatric, by Dr. Tanaka. She lives in Palm Desert, California, and during the summer months she experienced significant issues with regard to her hygiene and excessive sweating. She underwent a two-and-one-half-hour procedure including arm lift and removal of excess skin from her chest. This photograph was taken one year after the surgery and shows a very nice outcome.
This patient underwent lap band placement performed by Dr. Bhoyrul and went on to lose 80 pounds. A breast augmentation and lift was performed, as well as a tummy tuck. Overall, this patient is very happy with her outcome. This photograph was taken approximately six months after surgery and shows a very nice result.
This photograph was taken of the same patient in Case Study No. 1. As you can see in this view, the scars for her arm lift are very well hidden at the bottom portion of her extremity. The incisions from the breast lift and augmentation are still healing. Overall, this is a nice outcome.
This patient underwent gastric bypass procedure by Dr. Callery and went on to lose 110 pounds. In this photograph you can see that the excess skin from her arms was removed. This patient expressed that she was happy to, “trade off” the extra skin from her arms for a small scar.
This patient underwent gastric bypass procedure performed by Dr. Wittgrove. She came to me for an arm lift and breast lift with augmentation. The extra skin was removed from her arms and as you can see in the post-operative photograph, she has a very nice result and she is happy with the outcome.
This patient lost approximately 40 pounds without surgical assistance. She was very unhappy with the loose skin of her upper arms and opted to undergo an arm lift. Overall, she is very happy with her outcome.
This is a 38-year-old patient who lost 110 pounds after undergoing gastric bypass procedure performed by Dr. Wittgrove. She came to me for breast lift with augmentation, as well as an arm lift. As you can see in the post-operative photograph, the extra skin from the inside of her upper arms has been removed with a very nice result.
This is a 73-year-old female who underwent a gastric bypass procedure performed by Dr. Zorn. She presented to me for arm lift and breast lift with augmentation. Despite her age of 73, she was very physiologically healthy and underwent the two procedures without any complications. This post-operative photograph was taken six months after the procedures and shows a nice outcome.
This patient lost 240 pounds following gastric bypass. She came to me for an arm lift and abdominoplasty. As you can see in the post-operative photograph, she still has a significant amount of extra tissue present after the arm lift. The reason for this is that despite performing a radical resection of the extra skin, there was no elasticity left in the tissue after such a massive weight loss. Therefore, at the time of surgery, all of the extra tissue was removed, but as you can see, approximately one year after surgery, there was recurrence. She is a candidate for removal of the additional tissue.
This patient lost approximately 30 pounds without surgery. She came to me for an arm lift. As you can see in the post-operative photograph, there is a very nice result. This patient is very happy with her outcome and is pleased to be able to wear more fitted sleeves.
This patient lost 40 pounds without surgery. She underwent an arm lift and has had significant improvement in the appearance of her upper extremities. She is very happy with her result.
This patient underwent an open gastric bypass procedure approximately ten years ago, performed by Dr. Tanaka at Pacific Bariatric. She presented to me for an abdominoplasty and medial thigh lift. As you can see in the post-operative photograph taken one year after the procedures, her scars have faded and there is tightening of the abdominal wall and thighs.
This patient underwent gastric bypass procedure by Dr. Zorn with Pacific Bariatric. She came to me for a tummy tuck and thigh lift. As you can see in the post-operative photograph, the vertical thigh lift scar goes down to the knee, but, overall, this patient is very happy with her result. Typically, thigh lifts are one of the more difficult operations to perform and can take up to six weeks to heal.
This patient underwent a gastric bypass procedure by Dr. Rumsey at Pacific Bariatric. She went on to lose 110 pounds. She came to me for a thigh lift. Once again, the scar is worth the result. This patient is very happy with her outcome. Embrace dressing was utilized to minimize her scar.
This patient lost approximately 80 pounds by dieting. We performed procedures for tightening of the abdominal wall and thighs. This post-operative photograph was taken one year after surgery. She is very happy with her outcome.
This patient underwent a gastric bypass procedure by Dr. Bhoyrul. She came to me for an abdominoplasty and thigh lift. Overall, you can see that her contour is much better and she is very happy with her outcome.
This patient lost 240 pounds after he underwent a gastric bypass performed by Dr. Zorn. He then came to me for a body lift and thigh lift. The result of the thigh lift shows the scars going from the groin all the way down to the knee. Overall, this patient is very happy with his outcome. Embrace dressing was utilized to minimize his scar.