What are best stitches to use for an arm lift?

Thanks for your question. There are multiple approaches that work across the USA for arm lift surgery. In my practice, I use absorbing sutures deep and a running barbed suture called Stratafix on the dermal closure. Scar therapy is more important in the arm incisions than most other places and I prefer Embrace Scar Defense. Good luck. Dr. Aldo

Hi there and thanks for your question! A brachioplasty procedure is great for patients with loose/lax skin and excess fat in the upper arms.  The type of sutures and the technique varies with each surgeon, but for the most part a combination of absorbable sutures in an interrupted and running fashion are used to close the incision.  I suggest seeing an experienced plastic surgeon for more information. Best of luck!

Thank you for your questions regarding which stitches are best to use for an
arm lift. The answer really should be left to your surgeon not to you, the
patient. You should select your plastic surgeon based on his experience, and
wealth of before and after pictures and testimonials. You should leave salute
suitress selection up to him or her. 
In my experience I have tried multiple different types of sutures, including
the Quill sutures. In my experience, I have used undyed Vicryl, Monocryl and
PDS and Prolene sutures. In my hands, Vicryl. Monocryl, and PDS give far
superior results then the Quill sutures. However, I'm certain that there are
other qualified arm lift plastic surgeons who use the Quill system with
excellent results. The worst thing to do is to tell your plastic surgeon to use
a certain suture with which he is unfamiliar. Use sutures that your plastic
surgeon is comfortable using to achieve optimal results. I hope this answers
your questions regarding the best sutures and best closure technique to obtain
the best arm lift results. 
Sincerely, 
Dr. Katzen

Hello, Thanks for your query. The suturing technique and principles are more important than the actual suture materials. We use absorbable internal sutures and subcuticular suture and avoid external sutures as they leave hash marks. Between quill and normal suture there is not much of difference in outcome. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.

There is no single best technique, as you can see from the many answers here. Most surgeons try to avoid external sutures so there are no track marks, but occasionally reinforcing nylon sutures are placed on the outside because the dermal layer may be very thin in this area, especially in patients who have lost significant weight. One approach is to have multiple layers of deeper absorbable sutures and then run a series of subcuticular (right under the skin) NONabsorbable sutures that have a few throughs pulled out externally; this can achieve the same fine skin approximation as the absorbable ones, but possibly result in a little less inflammatory reaction to the scar. Taping, avoiding overresection of skin, skin glues, and other techniques can often help minimize the scar, though scar widening/visibility is a fairly common issue with this operation.

A well designed and executed brachioplasty will have similar outcomes regardless of what type of suture is used for the closure. I personally used an absorbable suture. Most importantly select a surgeon who is port certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and performs brachioplasty on a regular basis.

There is no perfect suture to use for any particular procedure.  Most surgeons do things a little different and still get really nice results.  The key is that you see an experienced surgeon and he/she has a technique and suture that works for them.  We used a lot of quill sutures in my fellowship but I felt they tended to "spit" (work there way to the skin surface).  For my arm lifts I now use interrupted 2.0 vicryl sutures for the deep layer, 3.0 monocryl interrupted sutures for the deep dermal layer, and a running 4.0 monocryl for the skin.  It's not better or worse than any other surgeons technique but in my hands I'm able to achieve a very nice result and all of the sutures eventually dissolve.  

hi,
for a linear brachioplasty, the scar is very difficult to manage.  QUILL sutures can be used but not perfect.  there is a relatively higher scar revision rate.  can try to minimize scarring by using silicone tape/cream post op and also combine laser treatments.  hope this helps.

I personally only use internal absorbable sutures for my closures including the Quill barbed suture. Of course there are many excellent sound techniques for closure that result in a very nicely healed incision and there are many different types of suture materials available so this would be a good question to ask your surgeon at the time of your consultation
Best of luck
Alain Polynice, MD, FACS
New York Board Certified Plastic Surgeon