Brachioplasty is the plastic surgery term for an arm lift. For large excesses of upper arm skin, there is no better treatment. While liposuction can address excess fat in the upper arm, it cannot reduce loose skin.
For women and men who have lost a significant amount of weight, the upper arm is an area that can be problematic. With weight gain, the skin expands to cover the increased size. This happens any place on the body that fat is stored, not just the upper arms. The arms, abdomen, breasts, thighs, face and back are frequently lifted and tucked after massive weight loss and post-bariatric surgery. The tailoring of excess skin is an important component of cosmetic plastic surgery, and can dramatically improve appearance. If you have lost a large amount of weight, removing the excess skin completes the transition.
Before and After Brachioplasty (Arm Lift)
Right Arm after weight loss and before Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
Right Arm after weight loss and after Arm Lift (Brachioplasty)
Above is a woman who has lost about half her weight. She was left with a large amount of skin on her upper arms, sometimes referred to as “bat wings”. Brachioplasty (arm lift) before and after pictures are shown. The picture on the left shows the amount of excess skin present before her arm lift. The picture on the right reveals her appearance after brachioplasty. The incision is placed along the inferior border of the arm to keep it out of sight.
After Weight Loss, When is it Time to Consider a Lift?
If you have recently lost weight, or have had bariatric surgery, it is worth giving your body a year to adjust. This gives your skin a chance to contract, and your body’s digestive system a chance to absorb the nutrients you need to heal. If it has been a year, and there is still too much skin, cosmetic plastic surgery can help.
Dr. Mele is a member of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons
The American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons (ASBPS), was established by Board Certified Plastic Surgeons with a special interest the facial and body contouring procedures used after massive weight loss. Its mission is the care of patients who have lost significant amounts or weight through diet, exercise, bariatric surgery or any combination of the three. The ASBPS facilitates the exchange of ideas and techniques of post-bariatric plastic surgery among experienced board certified plastic surgeons and provides information for patients seeking relief from the burden of the excess skin that can remain after weight loss.
What are the Most Common Post-Bariatric Plastic Surgery Procedures?
The post bariatric plastic surgery procedures performed are similar to the traditional techniques. Some require modifications to allow more skin to be removed. The more common procedures are:
In this segment from KRON’s Body Beautiful, I talk about ways to get safe and predictable liposuction. Are the latest technologies the best? Some are more controversial than others. There is still something very beneficial about seeing a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon before choosing any treatment.
With a consultation, I can provide you with a list of treatment options, and match the most appropriate treatment with your goals. More importantly, I can get to know you and what the problem is. I can provide much more targeted treatments, after I know where we are starting, what your perceptions are, and where you would like to be after we are done.
Liposuction currently comes in many flavors. Whenever there are multiple solutions, either there are multiple problems, or no one solution is clearly superior. Most liposuction problems are consistent, but there are a few instances that need special treatment to get the desired goals. My patients come to me, because I have years of training and experience. While I try to share this information via the SanFranciscoPlasticSurgeryBlog, you can’t get all the information necessary from reading articles.
As my patient, you need to know, and trust, that I will use the smallest hammer it takes to get the job done. For disproportionate fat pockets, most the time, tumescent liposuction is going to get the job done; however, it is not the only option. I like to keep up with all the latest technology, so in the cases where the technology has something to offer, I can choose it as the best treatment. For the situations when liposuction is not going to be enough, I can offer you more, discuss the options, and take it up a notch when necessary. This is the advantage you get, when you see someone fully trained and dedicated to all aspects of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery.
Liposuction Video for San Francisco’s KRON Body Beautiful
What is the latest technology available for liposuction, and does it provide you with the promised benefits? This segment reviews the current art of liposuction on KRON‘s Body Beautiful with host Vicki Liviakis. The show a half hour long, so I have divided this liposuction video review into four segments. The third lipo video segment is in this post. Links to the other three parts, and the liposuction introduction post can be found below.
Additional liposuction information is available on the Liposuction Page of DrMele.com. Your questions about liposuction will be answered if you to use the contact form to the left. Without an in person consultation, I can only offer generalized answers. Specific answers regarding liposuction are best answered in person.
For more liposuction information, liposuction price ranges or to schedule a personal professional consultation appointment, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office at (925) 943-6353. Please do not call the 800 number in the video below. It is only used for viewer questions during the live broadcast.
This video includes viewer phone calls and more information about liposuction. Walnut Creek plastic surgeon, Joseph A. Mele, MD, FACS, answers these questions and more:
Viewer phone call:
Rochelle from Berkeley, had gastric bypass weight loss surgery one year ago. She has questions about how to treat the skin on her arms and inner thighs. Liposuction may help if the skin if tight and some disproportionate fat remains, but if the skin is loose, other procedures may be more appropriate.
More information including:
Does age effect liposuction?
Does weight loss effect liposuction?
Does skin elasticity effect liposuction?
How often is liposuction performed?
Why should you see a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your Liposuction?
What does Board Certification mean?
Lip augmentation with HA’s (Hyaluronic Acid)?
Lip augmentation Collagen vs. HA’s (Hyaluronic Acid)?
What types of liposuction are being tried, and do they provide superior results
Tumescent liposuction (dumb lipo) – Still the best liposuction?
The other segments of this broadcast can be found here:
Before and after pictures for men and women are included; however, this video is geared primarily toward female breast reduction. For a video covering male breast reduction (gynecomastia reduction) go back one article or click here -> Gynecomastia Reduction (Male Breast Reduction) Video.
This video reviews many aspects of female breast reduction. San Francisco’s KRON4 anchor, Vicki Liviakis, asks the difficult questions that women considering breast reduction surgery need answered. This breast reduction video was broadcast live on Body Beautiful. The 800 number displayed was for the live show only. If you have questions about gynecomastia reduction surgery, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
Breast Reduction San Francisco
What Breast Reduction Information is Provided?
This Breast Reduction Video covers:
The Indications for Breast Reduction Surgery:
Lower Neck Pain
Upper Back Pain
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Rutting (dents from the bra straps)
Rashes in the Skin Folds under the Breasts
Breast Reduction Before and After Pictures
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia Reduction) with Liposcution
Female Breast Reduction Surgery with Correction of Breast Asymmetry
Does Insurance Cover Breast Reduction Surgery?
Viewer Questions:
How Does Diabetes Effect Plastic Surgery?
How Does Scar Formation Effect Plastic Surgery?
If I Have a Breast Lift, Do I Have to Have Breast Reduction?
How Does Breast Reduction Influence Exercise?
How Does Breast Reduction Influence Breast Feeding?
You have reached the fourth and final part of Post Bariatric Surgery San Francisco. The segments can be viewed in any order, but if you missed the first three releases, links are included at the bottom of the page.
I have had the opportunity to discuss post weight loss plastic surgery live on KRON4‘s Body Beautiful. The 800 number appearing on the video was only for the live show. To contact my Walnut Creek plastic surgery office for additional information, or to schedule a private consultation appointment, please call (925) 943-6353. Alternatively, a contact form on the lower left side of this web page has also been provided for your convenience, or click on this link for an expanded contact form.
Topics covered in this segment of Body Beautiful include:
Arm Lift Surgery, with Brachioplasty before and after pictures.
How do age and health effect plastic surgery?
How do I get rid of my baby pooch? Exercise, Tummy Tuck, both?
How can lumps left after liposuction be corrected?
What is the difference between liposuction and lipodisolve?
Post Bariatric Procedures
More information about Post Bariatric Plastic Surgery can be found on the Post Bariatrics page of DrMele.com. Here are links to video presentations about the more common Post Bariatric Plastic Surgery Procedures, and links to the first 3 parts of the above video can be found at the bottom of the page.
This is part 3 of a 4 part series on cosmetic plastic surgery after bariatric surgery or cosmetic plastic surgery after massive weight loss.
Who Gets Post-Bariatric Plastic Surgery?
When we lose weight, there is often enough elasticity in the skin to maintain our shape. With the massive weight loss seen after Bariatric Surgery, and often after pregnancy, the skin is stretched beyond its ability to recoil. Skin can change from form-fitting to redundant, causing bulges in the same places that the fat used to. Skin can change from an unnoticed covering, to an organ that moves with its own momentum, making exercise uncomfortable. When this happens, a board certified plastic surgeon can help.
Cosmetic or Reconstructive? The Answer is Yes.
A lot of time is spent trying to pigeon hole plastic surgery into cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. The truth is all plastic surgery is a mixture of cosmetic and reconstructive elements. The classification is less absolute and more yin and yang. Everything I do is a mixture of both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and for post bariatric plastic surgery it is easy to understand.
Post bariatric plastic surgery removes excess skin and tightens the skin that remains. Yes is it cosmetic. Excess skin is not life threatening, and the cosmetic appearance is improved when skin no longer overflows the waist band. However, excess skin can also be painful. It can develop rashes in the folds which can lead to sores and life threatening infections. Correcting or preventing these types of problems is reconstructive.
The following segment focuses on the interplay between weight, exercise and plastic surgery. The 800 number appearing on the video was only for the live show. To contact my office for additional information, please use the form on the lower left side of this web page, or give us a call at (925) 943-6353.
Questions answered in this segment of Body Beautiful include:
Who has more surgery? Men or Women?
How does age, weight and weight loss effect plastic surgery?
Does plastic surgery replace exercise?
How much weight should I loose before plastic surgery?
Once the weight is lost, how long should I wait before plastic surgery?
Post-Bariatric Surgery (Plastic Surgery after Massive Weight Loss) Links:
Sometimes weight loss is not enough. I see many patients who have lost hundreds of pounds, who still are not happy with their shape. If you were overweight, and lost 100 pounds, you should be very proud of yourself. It is not easily done. Whether accomplished with diet and exercise or bariatric surgery, it takes a lot of effort to change one’s lifestyle dramatically. Most patients are very happy with the weight loss. Often, however, more improvement is desired.
Where did all this skin come from?
After weight loss, the problem is no longer excess fat, but excess skin. Rolls of skin that bind at the waist. Redundant skin that drapes on the inner thighs. Flaps of skin that keep moving after the arm has stopped waving. Loose skin that can no longer support the breast and keep it on the chest.
The skin is an amazing organ. It is our greatest barrier to the outside world. It keeps us warm. It cools us down. It protects us from the elements and infection. When we gain weight, it grows, and continues to protect us. When we lose weight, it can shrink too, but there are limits. With weight gain, the skin can be stretched too far, and it cannot shrink back to its original size.
Post-Bariatric Plastic Surgery
Post-Bariatric Plastic Surgery can help. As a member of The American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, I am able to assist my patients in their transition to a happier, healthier lifestyle. By removing excess skin, an tailoring what remains, I can help complete the transformation in ways that weight loss alone cannot.
Below is part two of a discussion about post weight loss plastic surgery that originally aired on KRON4‘s Body Beautiful.
This segment shows before and after pictures for liposuction, mini-tummy-tuck and tummy tuck. While most tummy tuck have only a horizontal scar that runs below the bikini line, I have included a fleur-de-leis tummy tuck. This type of tummy tuck is most often used after massive weight loss. A fleur-de-leis tummy tuck has a vertical incision in the midline in addition to the lower incision, which is used to further reduce the excess skin left after massive weight loss.
Please note, the 800 number appearing on the video is only for the live show. For more information, or to schedule a consultation appointment, please call me at (925) 943-6353, or contact me via the form on the lower left side of this web page.
Massive weight loss can lead to massive skin excess. Whether from diet and exercise, or after weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery), excess skin can mask your hard work, and still make it difficult to find clothes that fit. Post bariatric surgery can help remove and tighten excess skin and reveal your true shape after weight loss.
What is Post-Bariatric Surgery?
Post bariatric plastic surgery is a collection of modified cosmetic plastic surgery procedures designed to remove and tailor the excess skin that weight loss leaves behind. While removing extra skin also means removing extra weight, the real strength of these procedures tightening the skin to reveal your new shape.
In my San Francisco post-bariatric plastic surgery practice, I use modified cosmetic plastic surgery procedures and specialized procedures to achieve optimal results. All post-bariatric plastic surgery requires careful, in-office, consultations and planning. Safety and predictability are paramount.
Video presentations for most post-bariatric procedures can be viewed by clicking on the list below. The back and buttock lifts have many variations, and are best discussed on an individual basis. More video presentations on cosmetic plastic surgery after massive weight loss, can be viewed on the post-bariatric page of DrMele.com.
I have had the opportunity to discuss post weight loss surgery on KRON4‘s Body Beautiful. Since the show is broadcast live, it allows you to call in with your questions during the show, and get them answered. Below is part 1 of 4 videos. You can find more videos on post-bariatric surgery (plastic surgery after massive weight loss) posted on the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog, or they may be viewed on my YouTube channel.
The 800 number appearing on the video was only for the live show. To contact my office for additional information, or to schedule a private consultation appointment, please call (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form on the lower left side of this web page.
After bariatric surgery, it is best to wait a year to allow your weight loss to stabilize. The body has time to adjust to its new physiological state, and the skin can tighten to the best of its ability. Post bariatric plastic surgery can then be tailored to the areas where the excess skin remains.
This video describes:
The differences between post-bariatric and other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures.
Why it is important to wait a year after bariatric surgery before having cosmetic plastic surgery.
Where stretch marks can be removed on the body.
How many pounds can be removed with liposuction.
Post-Bariatric Surgery (Plastic Surgery after Massive Weight Loss) Links:
