Bermant Arm Lift - Brachioplasty

(arm lift, reduction, contouring, and tightening cosmetic surgery)

Explore what brachioplasty arm tightening plastic and cosmetic surgery has to offer you by Dr. Michael Bermant, MD.

Michael Bermant, MD
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

Individualized Education

Indications
Arm tissue relaxes and descends with aging, gravity, and weight loss. The drooping of skin is from a stretching of the anchoring fascial system and loss of supporting fat. The extra sagging can result in significant "loose hammock" like deformity from the axilla to the elbow. Some call this a "bat wing" deformity.

The Surgery
There are different degrees of ptosis (drooping) deformity. Brachioplasty arm reduction surgery can remove the excess tissue and reduce the circumference of the upper arm. Surgical correction depends on the amount of extra skin an how loose the supporting tissues have become. Extra skin is removed from incisions along the inner arm. The incision must be placed where the tissue can be best tightened.

The most common incision extends from the elbow to the axilla. This permits the excision to maximally address the redundant skin in the middle. Modification of the incision may be necessary to limit scar contracture in the axilla. Surgical sculpture involves not just the superficial skin, but also the deeper attachments that have loosened.

In cases of limited extra skin, the incision can be hidden in the axilla. This can resuspend tissues in some cases but is not a very good answer for extensive redundant skin.

A combined excision can sometimes limit the leng th of the scar between the elbow and axilla. In cases where there is loose skin of the lateral chest, the incision can be extended to deal with the extra tissue there.

Risks
Because of the level of the incisions, visible scars can be a major concern. It becomes a choice between the loose wobbling extra skin and the scar from the excision. Meticulous surgical technique, after surgery scar care can limit the degree of scarring. Clothing style can help camouflage some of the scar, but not the loose skin before surgery. Other possible compilations include persistent swelling of the arm, infection, bruising, and bleeding. Nerve injury can result in numbness and change in feeling.

This surgery is not suitable after mastectomy or operations in the axilla lymph nodes. Those with multiple infections of the sweat gland may also not be candidates for brachioplasty. Drainage of the arm may already be impaired, and further surgery may lead to permanent arm swelling.

Anesthesia
This operation is usually done as an outpatient under general anesthesia or local with sedation. The choice depends on the extent of the operation, but most are more comfortable having this done asleep.

After Surgery Care
Recovery takes one to two weeks, depending on what was done. Return to work depend on the activity needed on the job but is often about 2 weeks. The dressing may be extensive with elastic support or something smaller. You will need to protect the incisions after surgery. Limiting lifting is important. Elevation with pillows increases comfort. It can take 6 months or more to see how the scars will evolve.

Liposuction Introduction

• Liposculpture Consultation
• Tumescent Technique Liposuction
• Elastic garments after liposculpture in women
• After surgery recovery garment for men

Patient photographs before and after surgery

• Liposuction of abdomen female patient photographs
• Suction lipectomy female buttocks and hips patient photographs
• Suction lipectomy of hips female patient pictures
• Thigh fat sculpture images of female patient
• Male patient pictures abdomen and flank
• Male photographs before and after surgery Part 2
• Male liposuction mapping pictures for contour
• Male scars after suction liposuction
• Frequently Asked Questions
  1. What is Tumescent Liposuction?
  2. How is Tumescent Liposuction performed?
  3. Where is Tumescent Liposuction Surgery done?
  4. How long does Tumescent Liposuction take?
  5. What anesthesia is used with Tumescent Liposuction?
  6. Who is a candidate for Tumescent Liposuction?
  7. Can Liposuction help me with weight loss?
  8. Can Liposuction tighten loose skin?
  9. What areas are most common body regions treated with Liposuction?
  10. How do I prepare for Liposuction Surgery?
  11. What is the typical recovery after Liposuction?
  12. When can I go back to work after Liposuction?
  13. What do I wear after Liposuction?
  14. Can I still gain weight after Liposuction?
  15. Will Liposuction remove cellulite?
  16. Can I have other operations with Liposuction?
  17. What is the cost of Liposuction?
  18. Who can perform Tumescent Liposuction

About Dr. Bermant

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More on Liposuction

• Liposuction 2
• Liposuction 3
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• Liposuction 5
• Liposuction 6
• Liposuction 7
• Liposuction 8
• Liposuction 9

Other Bulletin Boards

• Breast Reduction 1 2 3
• Breast Ptosis 1 2
• Surgery after Pregnancy

Tummy tuck

• Abdominoplasty 1 2
• Stretch marks

Facelift / Neck lift (rhytidectomy)

• Facelift 1 2 3
• Browlift

Map - Male chest sculpture and breast reduction for gynecomastia

• Introduction
• Male breast examination
• Chest wall markings before male chest contour surgery
• Tumescent anesthesia with sedation (Warning graphic images.)
• Glandular excision using an open approach (Warning graphic images.)
• Sculpture chest with tumescent liposuction (Warning graphic images.)
• Liposuction male chest recontouring (Warning graphic images and movie.)
• Dressings after surgery
• After male chest contour surgery
• Standard Photographs for male breast and chest

Patient photographs before and after surgery.

• Klinefelter Syndrome gynecomastia reduction
• 20 year old male mixed gynecomastia excision - tumescent suction lipectomy
  • More before and after surgery photographs
• 26 year old male mixed gynecomastia excision - tumescent liposuction
  • More pictures before and after surgery
• 23 year old male breast reduction excision - tumescent liposuction
• 18 year old male mixed gynecomastia excision - tumescent liposculpture
• Male aging chest breast excess suction lipectomy

After Pregnancy What Plastic Surgery has to offer

Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)

• The Problem of Loose Skin.
• Risks of Abdominoplasty Surgery
• Recovery after Tummy Tuck Surgery

  Patient photographs before and after surgery Standard Views

Patient photographs before and after surgery of the abdominal wall

• Abdominoplasty in 33 year old female. More photographs
• Tummy tuck 27 year old woman.
• Tummy tuck 44 year old female.
• Stretch marks removed with abdominoplasty
• C-section scar removal as part of abdominal wall sculpture 51 year old female.
• Abdominoplasty 23 year old black woman.
• Pannus Reduction Abdominoplasty in 38 year old female after weight loss (more images).
• Panniculectomy surgery of the abdomen for massive extra tissue (pannus).
• Mini tuck abdominoplasty

Breast ptosis mastopexy

• Introduction to the problem - Larger deformity operations
• Short scar options - Drawings
• After mastopexy surgery
• Breast lift without breast implant - patient photographs
  • Photograph during surgery and preoperative markings
  • Early results - tissue redraping
  • Tissue evolution photographs with dynamic movie of result
• Mastopexy short scar - patient pictures before and after surgery
  • Breasts how they move after mastopexy - patient photos
  • Scar and tissue changes after breast lift - patient pictures
  • Limited bruising with dilute local anesthetic techniques

Facelift surgery (rhytidectomy)

• What makes a face look older?
• Facelift patient 1
• Facelift patient 2
• Facelift and blepharoplasty patient before and after photographs
• SMAS Face lift surgical details
• Neck Lift surgical details  

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This page last updated on: July 12, 2008

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