Mafi Plastic Surgery Reviews — Arm lift or arm liposuction?

Separate skin from volume

Brachioplasty removes loose skin and can remove fat from the upper arm. Liposuction targets fat without excising the skin envelope. After major weight change or aging, hanging skin may remain even if the arm has little excess fat. Ask for an examination of the inner and back upper arm rather than deciding from photographs alone.

Understand where the trade-off shows

An arm lift can require an incision along the inside or back of the arm; the length depends on the amount and location of skin to remove. Mafi describes possible liposuction during brachioplasty. Ask to see the expected scar path, how clothing may cover it, and whether a smaller excision would meaningfully address your concern.

Plan around movement

Upper-arm surgery affects lifting, reaching and daily tasks during recovery. Ask when you can drive, return to work, exercise and resume caregiving duties under your own surgeon’s plan. Get instructions about compression, wound care, follow-up and signs that require contact; do not assume another patient’s timetable applies to you.

Think about the arm at rest

Look at the underside of the arm with it lowered as well as raised. The amount and position of hanging skin in ordinary posture can clarify why a skin-removing operation might be proposed instead of fat removal alone.

Questions and answers