Brachioplasty Techniques?

I'm having brachioplasty surgery. I have received conflicting opinions on Different techniques. Is it best for the incision to be in the brachial groove or in the back of the arm? And why?

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9 Doctor Answers | Asked by Kathy the Trainer

Doctor Answers (9)
Community Comments (1)

Brachiplasty Incision Placement Experiment

There are two schools of thought regarding brachiplasty incision placement, the brachial groove or the posterior arm camp. Both can yield good contour correction. If you look at postop photos from the posterior arm camp, the contour of the arm is nicely corrected, but there are no scars visible in the standard views. Unfortunately, in social settings such as a supermarket line, the posterior scars are very visible and attract a lot of attention. In contrast the... more

Incision location for brachioplasty

The best incision line is the one the patient chooses. There are no right answers, but arms with less skin excess can get by with shorter scars. In many cases I try to limit the scar to the armpit with no extension down the arm. Make sure you consult a Board Certified Plastic surgeon and be sure to see a comprehensive portfolio of pre- and post-op pictures so you can see what results are typical.

Arm Lifting Scar Concerns?

Thank you for the question. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer here. My preference, having done the operation using both “techniques”, is to plan the excision such that the resulting scar falls along the most inferior aspect of the arm; the goal is to make it so that the resulting scar is not visible from the front or back. In comparison, I find that the scar in the bicipital groove will be visible from the front. Unfortunately,... more

Arm lift

I like the brachial groove scar, because I think the scar is less noticeable there. There is not a "better" choice, just whichever your surgeon prefers.

Brachioplasty Technique

In an extended brachioplasty, I can put the scar anywhere the patient desires. It is my belief that the incision in the bicipital groove is the most appropriate in most patients as most people during casual observation do not expose the medial aspect of their arms. The posterior scar is more visible in walking in short sleeve shirts. With regard to nerve injury or vascular injury, I have never seen one, but this is more the result of the dissection and not the... more

Arm Lift Scar Placement

One of the most important considerations before an arm lift is the tradeoff of better shape and contour for the chance of noticeable scars. While there is no "correct" answer to your question, I have found that scars placed on the back of the arm are preferable for two reasons. First, they cannot be seen when someone is standing in front of you, which I believe makes them less conspicuous overall. Secondly, the posterior scar approach allows for contouring of... more

Brachioplasty scars

I always tell weight loss patients who are undergoing brachioplasty that there is a trade off for loose skin in the arms versus the scar ... So if you don't want to see the scar from behind with arms at your sides, then we place it in the biceps area..

Brachial Groove Incision Most Hidden

Thank you for your question. There are advocates for both incisions. The benefits of the brachial incision is that with time it heals well and is hidded from all views when the arms are down. It is only visible when the arm is raised. The posterior incision looks good on postop photos as the incision does not show, but when your arms are at your side and you are wearing a short sleeve, the incision is visible from the back. This can be embarassing when questions are... more

Brachioplasty techniques

Do offer options as before, everyone kept the incision and resultant scar in the brachial groove to hide the scar when your arm was next to your body. The scar was never a great scar and resulted in the development of different techniques. The scar at the bottom of the arm is visible when your arm is at your side and that is what this is mostly about - visibility of scars. I was fortunate enough to have a patient willing to have it one way on one side and the... more

Curtis Wong, MD

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Redding Plastic Surgeon

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Kathy the Trainer 9 Feb 2013

Thank you to all the Doctors who have responded. More replies are certainly welcome. This surgery is actually for my client who has lost 100 lbs in the last 14 months with me through healthy ( low glycemic) nutrition and exercising three times a week. She has been a very committed and hard working client. My goal is to get my clients to look as good out of clothes as they do in clothes. In some cases of massive weight loss that sometimes requires some surgery. I've taken on the responsibility of helping my client all through the surgery process from finding the right surgeon to post op care. So it is very important to me to research this as much as possible so that I'm sure of the direction I am leaning her towards. In choosing which way to go with the Brachioplasty incision, ( brachial or bicepial groove or in the back of the arms) Yes, the scar is the primary concern, however there are other concerns as well. Such as the prevention of having to have corrective or revisionary surgery in the future, Range of motion and also the least amount of potential nerve damage. I'm still confused as to which way to go with the technique. We have had three consultations. Two doctors want to do the incision posterior and one wants to do it in the groove. They are all very reputable doctors and they are very convincing on their technique that they use. Hence, the confusion. Does anyone have post op photos that show the incision from all angles? ( front , back, up, down, )

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