Arm Contouring / Lift: Case 6 (15116)
Description
This 60yo woman consulted Dr. Graham after achieving a 60 pound weight loss through dietary modifications. She was interested in improving the contour of her arms. This was the area of her body that most bothered her after the marvelous weight loss. She didn't like the flabby, bulky, saggy contour particularly of the upper arms. Clothing could be used to conceal her arms, which she preferred no to do. Some clothing was uncomfortable because of the bulk. Dr. Graham discussed his recommendation with her, which consisted of combining liposuction of the excess subcutaneous fat and trimming the abundant loose skin. This procedure is known as an arm tuck or brachioplasty. It is performed under anesthesia in 2-3 hours. There are postop dressings and elastic wraps. The wraps continue at least 3 weeks to improve contour. Full healing takes months, but patients can typically resume daily activities in a week or less, and fitness routines in three weeks. The trade-off includes a rather long scar, in a location that is exposed in short sleeves, in order to achieve good contour improvement. The initial postop photos show scars that are only 2 months old, which will fade much more over the subsequent months. The contour improvement is already very noticeable. She still has some mild remaining swelling. Her take: " I'm very happy. It is exciting to put shirts on now."
