What is the Long-Term Outcome Like for Most People?

o Improved balance and proportion in the contour of the arm.
o Greater confidence and comfort in clothing.
o A natural and presentable appearance in the first week that gradually improves further over the next three to six months.

Please note that the natural aging process will eventually affect the whole body, including the area treated in this procedure. Still, the contouring effects of arm lifts are typically long-lasting, and most people are very pleased with their results.

Tips and Traps of Arm Lift

• Realize that this operation involves the exchange of one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). If you are unwilling to accept scars, you should not have this operation, as no surgeon can predict how the scars will heal on you.
• Arm lift is for loose skin only. If your main problem is heavy arms that is caused by excess fat, then liposuction may be a better option.

An arm lift is usually not suitable for patients who have had a mastectomy. The drainage of fluid (lymph) from the arm may already be damaged, and further surgery can lead to persistent swelling. Patients who have repeated infections in the armpit, or suffer from excess sweat formation (axillary hidradenitis), may also not be good candidates for this surgery. For some people, liposuction may be a better way to reduce the thickness of the whole arm.

Risks and Limitations

The most common risks associated with this type of surgery include, but are not limited to, a reaction to the anesthesia used, excessive bleeding, infection, visible scarring, possible asymmetry or irregularities, and possible changes in nerve sensation. Your surgeon should discuss other possible risks with you, such as pulmonary embolism due to the freeing of fat or blood clots into the bloodstream (rare).

Costs

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) the average fee charged by the surgeon nationally in 2006 for an upper arm lift was $4,820. Ask your surgeon about costs. Most surgeons offer convenient payments plans for this procedure.