Upper Arm Reduction - Brachioplasty

About

Loose skin of the upper arms causes embarrassment and teasing (‘bingo wings’). This problem is either due to age and loose skin or following weight loss. You can’t wear short sleeved clothing which is a problem in summer or on holiday. Removing the excess skin to tighten the arm is effective and leaves a scar line which is obscured by it’s location on the inner surface of the arm towards the back. It cannot be seen from the front or the back when the arm is at the side. The line is only visible when the arm is lifted and turned outwards. The appearance of the scar line will be a factor in deciding whether you go ahead with this operation.

Consultation

I assess the amount of loose skin on the inner arm to be removed. It’s an ellipse shaped area from armpit to elbow. The arm is held out to the side with the elbow bent and the forearm upwards. A line is drawn from a point at the back of the armpit crease to the inner part of the elbow. The marker pen is held on this line and the skin is pulled upwards and then downwards to mark lines which show the limits of the skin excess. You can see this in the Gallery. Each arm is photographed and compared with previous patients to see your predicted outcome, the location of the scar line and it’s appearance. 

Operation

Surgery is performed under general anaesthetic and takes about 2.5 hours. A saline solution containing adrenalin is injected into the marked area to reduce bleeding. Liposuction through tiny incisions first removes as much fat as possible under the area of skin to be taken away. Fat is also taken from the back of the arm where it tends to be thickest and around the axilla where it also collects. The ellipse shaped area of skin excess is excised starting at the crease of the armpit progressing down towards the elbow making the upper arm as tight as possible. The scar line is closed with dissolving stitches and long acting local anaesthetic is injected so that there is no pain when you wake up. I use simple light dressings preferring the area to be unobscured and kept clean with regular showers.  

Recovery

The scar line will take 2 weeks to heal. You rest at home and, with limited arm movements, must arrange for domestic tasks to be taken care of. It is best to wear light loose clothing and shower regularly to keep the area clean. There is a check on your progress at 2 weeks and a follow up appointment at 8 weeks. The scar is initially pink but is not obvious when it fades. 

Gallery

Look at photographs of typical results for this procedure