Recovery time for an arm lift vs extended arm lift: not sure what I need so I am asking for both.

Hello fatfatt.Recovery varies from patient to patient. If you're a very active and have to unload merchandise off a truck then it will be about 6 weeks before I would clear you to return to work. I use the posterior incision which allows the scar to hidden nicely under the arms. I also believe this is a faster recovery than incisions in the front of the arm. \Best wishes, Dr. ALDO :)

Hi Fatfatt, Thank you for your questions regarding the recovery time for an arm lift and extended arm lift. Every patient is different and every surgery is different. Every patient heals at a different rate. There are several different types of arm lifts.   There is a crescent arm lift where an incision is made in the armpit, and the incision is relatively hidden. There is a extended arm lift where the incision extends from the armpit to the elbow. The crescent arm lift  takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to perform. The extended or full, longitudinal brachioplasty or arm lift takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to perform. In either case, I would plan to take off 2 to 3 weeks from work. It sounds like you do a significant amount lifting at work, so I would suggest you take off three weeks from work. During this time, your arms will be an arm garment to minimize swelling and help to flatten the arm scars.  During the initial arm healing phase, I would not suggest you raise your arms above shoulder level. This restriction lasts for approximately three weeks. I would not lift anything more than 5 pounds for the first three weeks. After that, you should be able to add 5 pounds lifting to each arm eat week.  I hope I have answered your questions regarding an arm lift or an extended arm lift. I hope I also answered your questions regarding the recovery time after an arm lift. If you have any other questions regarding an arm lift and what recovery is like after an arm lift or brachioplasty, please contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.

The axillary brachioplasty can be performed, but it offers little benefit.  Usually, patients who have significant skin laxity need a more comprehensive procedure. You would have to be examined to determine which is best for you.    In most people the axillary arm lift is an inadequate treatment because it removes very little skin; however, if your expectations are realistic, this procedure would be fine.  I perform these contouring surgeries every week with great results.  Select a plastic surgeon who performs hundreds of these procedures each year, has great reviews, and has an extensive gallery of before and after pictures.   Look at before and after galleries and reviews, because describing a technique is not nearly as important as how it is executed.  Make sure you have at least six to eight weeks to heal completely following a brachioplasty because wound separation can occur.  Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

It is difficult to ascertain precisely what sort of brachioplasty you will require without any pictures of your arms. However, given that your screen name is "fatfattt", I am guessing that you may need an extended brachioplasty.  We typically tell patients that they will need to take off three weeks from work after this surgery. However, given that your job as a retail manager requires you to unload merchandise off of trucks, in your case, I imagine we would ask you to take between four and six weeks off from work, unless some form of light duty employment, that does not require your lifting these boxes, is available at your place of work.  Typically, we ask patients not to lift anything heavier than about five pounds for the first three weeks after surgery, nor to lift their arms above their shoulders.  It would probably be a very good idea for you to ask your husband to take a week or two off of work to help you during your initial recovery, unless another family member or private duty nurse is available.

We recommend patients take 2 to 6 weeks off work when recovering from an arm lift (brachioplasty). No lifting more than 10 lbs and no raising arms above shoulders for 2 weeks after surgery. Also, no activity that will raise your blood pressure for the first two weeks. You could go to work at 2 weeks with light duty for an additional 2 weeks (total of 4 weeks with lifting restrictions) if necessary. Another thing to factor in is if you are attempting to keep your procedure private. You will have restricted range of motion for a few weeks and find yourself guarding your arms, which will be apparent to those around you. Sometimes going back to work too soon can also lengthen your recovery time merely due to fatigue.
Best wishes for a smooth recovery!
Dr. Poggi

Thank you for your question.  As you can imagine, you use your arms all day and all night, and even while you are sleeping.  Brachioplasty involves removing extra skin and fat from the arms and sometimes chest wall (extended brachioplasty).  Depending on the technique, drains may also need to be placed to reduce the risk of fluid collections (seromas) which can form with overuse. 
With my patients, I recommend restricted activity until the drains are removed, which may take 10-14 days after surgery.  All this time they are also wearing compression garments to help contour the arms after surgery.  Usually light activity begins at four weeks after the procedure, with return to full activity and exercise at six weeks postop. 
I hope this helps!  Make certain you plan enough time off after surgery to heal and optimize your results! 

Congratulations on your decision and great that you are trying to do your homework well, before taking any action. It would be very important to discuss these in great detail with your surgeon- or all of them if you having multiple consultations, as there are some standard answers to your questions, as well as individual ones, based on your particular circumstances, your medical conditions, your previous history, the necessary surgical technique to help you achieve your best outcome. It would also be an estimate, as the reality might still be a bit different  after surgery.
Generally, after this operation, you would need to take 3 weeks off work and expect to wear some garments, which will be needed for longer or shorter function of your particular recovery. Lifting heavy boxes would not be a good idea for minimum of 6 weeks, and even so, I would advise you to try to avoid extremely heavy, and also to see how you are feeling after that. You have to learn to delegate and also test your steps after surgery in a graduate fashion. I would also keep a close eye on you after surgery and decide together, between patient and surgeon, if and when you are ready to give a good go to your full necessities of your job. Scar management is another important aspect of this operation, in long run, meaning that you should really look after your scars for long time after your surgery, 9 -12 months or sometimes even longer. You will chose to have this operation for a number of reasons, and you would want to give it the best go. 
Husband would be useful, any help would be useful in the first 2 weeks in particular, especially that you are an active person. I educate my patients to prepare maybe frozen food in advance, healthy, to encourage healing and prevent weight gain and other disturbances after surgery. Prepare a strategy with someone that can help you with the house chores and be prepared to accept that they would not be as perfect as you. 
Good luck with your endeavour and let us know if you need any more advice in the future!

Thank you for asking the question.
An arm-lift procedure can take up-to 6 weeks for a complete recovery. We do not recommend any heavy weight lifting or extensive upper body exercises post to 6 weeks of the procedure. So you would need to factor that in before proceeding to your office work.

Regards, Dr. Amit Gupta

Hello and thank you for your excellent question. The amount of time you take off after a brachioplasty can be as little as 2-3 days, up to 5-7 days, depending on the extent of the surgery. We also recommend that you take 3 weeks off from upper extremity exercises, and and wear your compression garments for at least 3 weeks after surgery. I usually recommend 6 weeks before you start wearing a tank top. Of course, you will need an in-person consultation to evaluate you for this procedure. Preoperative visualization and surgical simulation with the Crisalix system may help with your decision. Any treatment plan should be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you and your surgeon.    Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation in person with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon. Good luck! 

Best,

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS

Harvard educated plastic surgeon