Gregory Mesna, MD, FACS

These are common medications and are generally not a problem for the procedures you are considering. However, since you have only been on the medications for a short period of time, I would recommend that you make sure that your surgeon, prescribing physician and anesthesiologist are all aware of your situation.

I hope your arms have continued to improve and that you have found additional assistance if necessary. There are limits to how much skin you can remove without jeopardizing your circulation and nerve supply to your forearms and hands. I would encourage you to follow up with a board certified plastic surgeon who can address these concerns to help minimize your risks of permanent swelling and numbness in your forearms and hands and also make sure that you and your surgeon have realistic goals and expectations of what the surgery can do as well as it's limitations.

You are still early in the recovery process and many of the differences patients experience between the right and left sides gradually disappear over time. Nerves can be the slowest and least predictable tissues in the body as far as healing is concerned and many patients see improvements for a year or more after the surgery. The differences between your right and left arms can be the result of differences in your anatomy (pathways of your nerves and lymphatics etc.) and the surgery that was done on the two sides. Even though the surgical design may appear symmetrical preoperatively, no patient or procedure is ever perfectly symmetrical and there are often differences in healing and recovery between the two sides no matter what the procedure was. I would encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon since he or she will have the best idea of what will be going on in your particular case.

Swelling, tightness, lumps, bumps, numbness, etc. are common findings after arm lifts and other procedures, especially if you had liposuction performed at the same time. All of these findings can wax and wane during the recovery process but generally they tend to improve over time. Gently massaging these areas can facilitate the process but I would recommend checking with your surgeon to make sure that your incisions are healed well enough to begin the massaging.

The feelings of tightness, swelling and limited mobility can be highly variable between different patients and can depend on multiple factors. Generally speaking, a significant amount of the tightness and swelling usually resolves in the first few weeks and then continues to improve for several months after the surgery. Keeping the arms elevated and lightly wrapped with ace bandages can also be helpful.

After a year you have probably seen most of the visible results that you are going to get. Depending on what kind of liposuction you had (tumescent, laser, ultrasound, rf assisted, etc.) there may be additional treatments that could help (Ultherapy, Thermi, Facelift, etc.). I would encourage you to see a board certified plastic surgeon who offers several different treatment options to determine what will work best in your situation.

It appears as though you are recovering normally after the surgery. Your breasts and implants will continue to settle and relax for at least two-three months after the surgery. Many patients use lightly compressive bras without wires for about a month after surgery but I would certainly recommend checking with your surgeon's office to see what their recommendations are.

Combining a breast lift with an augmentation is common but it can be challenging and it usually takes your body longer to achieve your final results than after either procedure alone. There are different kinds of lifts that can be performed with varying amounts of scarring and this is usually something that your surgeon will discuss with you prior to surgery. You are early in the recovery process and I would encourage you to discuss your concerns with your surgeon so that he or she can help you get to the results you are hoping to achieve.

It appears that you have more than the usual amount of asymmetry based on your photographs. It would be helpful to know what you had to work with pre-operatively, what method was used for your surgery, etc. I would certainly recommend keeping in close contact and follow-up with your surgeon to help you with your results.

All patients have some degree of asymmetry both before and after surgery. The right and left sides can heal and settle down at different rates (depending on right vs. left handedness, activities, sleep positions, etc.) and it can take two-three months for them to fully settle into place. While some asymmetry is normal and expected, other asymmetry can reflect problems that need to be addressed which may not be evident in the photographs. I would certainly contact your doctor's office to see if they feel like you need to be seen in the office.