The Best Candidates
- Are self-conscious about the appearance of the upper arms
- Have excess loose skin of the upper arms
- Are happy trading the removal of excess skin and fat for a visible scar on the arm
- Are not taking blood thinner medications or using nicotine products
- Are healthy and a stable weight
The Options
Arm Lift techniques have been refined over the last decade and your Restore SD surgeon will work with you to plan the best operative approach. If you have a bit of extra fat in addition to extra skin, liposuction of the upper arm may be a useful addition. Sometimes liposuction is done as a separate procedure prior to removing the extra skin in order to optimize the final result. Arm lift and breast surgeries are often done at the same time.
The Surgery
Your Arm Lift surgery is done under general anesthesia and generally takes 1 ½ – 2 hours. During the surgery, Dr. Gallus will remove the excess skin from your upper arms and sculpt the area into a more slim and shapely appearance. When surgery is complete, you will have compression dressings placed and will have a drain in each surgical site. Arm Lift surgery is an outpatient procedure and you will be able to go home after recovering from anesthesia.
Click to view before & after photos of Upper Arm Rejuvenation »
The Recovery
Once you have recovered from anesthesia you are able to go home with a responsible adult who can ideally stay with you for a few days during the early recovery process. Some surgical pain is expected and will be treated with pain medications. Most patients can return to work after 2-3 weeks. Normal daily activities like showering, eating and light activity such as walking can be resumed within 48-72 hours after surgery. Some post-operative swelling is normal and generally resolves within the first 4 weeks after surgery. You should refrain from intense physical activity for 4 weeks. During the recovery period, you will have follow-up with Dr. Gallus and will be guided back to your usual activities. Most complications occur from getting too active too early, so select a surgical date that allows an appropriate amount of time to heal and gradually return to your more vigorous activities.
The Combined Procedures
Arm Lift surgery is a very powerful body contouring procedure that restores harmony to your proportions that has been disrupted with weight loss or aging. The procedure can be combined with breast surgery, liposuction using the SAFELipo™ technique, or facial rejuvenation procedures. Dr. Gallus will partner with you to develop a surgical plan that optimizes your result and your safety.
Arm Lift at Restore SD: Your Safety First
At Restore SD Plastic Surgery, we consider our patients’ safety throughout every step of their arm lift procedure. Dr. Gallus only operates at select private outpatient surgical facilities located within minutes from her office that are fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAAASF). Considered the “gold standard” in facility accreditation, AAAASF facilities must meet over 350 standards for quality, safety, and sterility. Surgical procedures are performed in one of four cosmetic AAAASF certified operating rooms, including:
- The Scripps Ambulatory Surgery Center – Ximed Building
- The Outpatient Surgery Center of La Jolla
- La Jolla Professional Plastic Surgery
- La Jolla Surgery Center
We endeavor to provide highly trained anesthesiologists to care for our patients with compassion and skill. We also work with 2 major anesthesia centers in San Diego: Anesthesia Service Medical Group (ASMG) and Anesthesia Consultants of California Medical Group (ACCMG). ASMG participates in over 190,000 surgical cases per year in San Diego, while ACCMG has been serving patients in San Diego County since 1995. Both are certified for local anesthetic and have board-certified anesthesiologists. Dr. Gallus also has hospital privileges at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.
Always placing our patients first, we maintain the highest level of clinical competence and integrity in our relationships with patients, professional associates, medical facilities, and the communities we serve.
