Arm Lift

Who needs it?

All those who show skin slackening/loosening of the arms because of aging or significant loss of weight due to obesity or pregnancy…

Aims

Arm lifting, also known as brachial plasty, is a surgical operation which aims at re-stretching the skin of the internal arm face. An arm lifting is often combined with an arm liposuction consisting in removing any extra padding.

Before the operation

Your medical examinations

Between one week and a month prior to your plastic surgery operation, you must make an appointment with a medical test laboratory in order to go through a full pre-surgical check-up. The test results must be sent to us (by fax, or e-mail), so that they can be examined by our anesthesist doctor. Depending on your test results, other tests may be requested. If you do not have the possibility to have the tests before your departure, it is always possible to take them on the spot, one day before your operation. You must also know that if there is contra-indication, the anesthetist doctor will have the right to reschedule or cancel the operation. You should in no circumstances take a medication containing aspirin at least 10 days before the operation. You should also advise on any medication you may have taken. It is essential that you refrain from eating, drinking or smoking 8 hours before the operation.

Your luggage: As far as your luggage is concerned, you must remember to bring loose and comfortable clothing with you

Getting ready for the operation:

You will be taken to your clinic the night of the operation, the time to get settled in your room, to take a shower if needed and to meet with the medical team: your surgeon, the anesthetist doctor, and all the health care staff. The operation takes place the following morning.  Very often, the night before the operation, the nurses will give you a kind of pre-medication in the form of a light tranquilizer to make sure that slightly anxious patients to face the operation with more fortitude.

Type of anesthesia

Arm lifting is carried out under full anesthesia.

Duration of your hospital stay:

3 nights.

Duration of total stay in Tunisia

6 nights/7 days.

Operation

• Arm lifting can be carried out in two ways, depending on each case: Axillary lifting: In case of a slight skin loosening/slackening, an axillary lifting (arm pit) of the internal arm face upper third is carried out. The surgeon smoothes down the skin by reducing the skin excess  in a transversal direction, then he/she fixes the lower skin edge in the axillary cavity. The scar will be hidden in the cavity under the armpit.
• Longitudinal lifting: In case of important skin slackening, a longitudinal lifting is carried out. The surgeon gives more curve/contour to the arm by re-draping the skin, after having removed the skin excess. The incision is practiced at the external limit of the arm internal face and the scar will go down from the armpit to the elbow. The incision is very thin in width (1 to 2 mm). The scar goes white and fades away with time.

Duration of the operation

The arm lifting operation lasts 1 hour on average.

After the operation

After the operation, observation takes place first in the waking room, then in your room. A bandage is applied to dress the wound and will be removed the day following the operation. The operation is not very painful, analgesic is prescribed to ease the pain.

Surgical aftereffects

Like all scars, arm lifting scars are definitive and indelible. Their appearance will be red and visible for several months. Totally unpredictable, their definitive aspect cannot be assessed before one year. Scars should be protected against the sun rays for about a year.

Result

The result of this cosmetic surgery in Tunisia is final and noticeable after 3 months.

Work interruption

There is no need for interrupting the work: the recovery stay spent in Tunisia following the operation is very beneficial and enables most of our patients to resume their professional activities as soon as they return home.

Fees

The fees of an arm lifting are 2000 euros.