How to Correct Poor Mini Arm Lift Results?

Hi,  Based on your description, this will require a combination of procedures,


Full arm lift or Brachioplasty,

Reconstruction of the axilla (armpit by rearranging tissues such as Z plasty)

Bringing tissues form the arm to correct the webbing and tissue pulling


Hope this was helpful.

Dr. Sajjadian

Thank you for your question regarding a revision arm lift, arm reduction or brachioplasty. I'm sorry you had suboptimal results; you were guided into a limited incision brachioplasty instead of the traditional full brachioplasty from the armpit to the elbow. It sounds like you can undergo a revision arm lift. This is not uncommon during your revision arm lift. Arm liposuction will be performed in addition to an incision from the armpit to the elbow. This should significantly reduce your arms. It is essential that you also be at a stable weight. Please consult with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon who is comfortable performing arm lifts, arms reduction, or brachioplasty. Thank you for your question, I hope my answer helps. I specialize in arm lifts. I hope that I have answered your questions regarding the arms reduction. If you have any more questions regarding the arm lift, arm reduction, brachioplasty or arm crease fat grafting, don't hesitate to get in touch with my office. Since a brachioplasty or arm lift surgery is difficult, please seek an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon with significant experience performing these types of arm lifts. Do your research. Make sure your chosen plastic surgeon has performed at least 100 arm lifts. Make sure they have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, International College of Surgery, and American Board of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and ​member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Surgery performed near joint surfaces should always be approached with extreme caution. Procedures in this area can lead to scarring across joints and this can result in limited range of motion.Under these circumstances, conversion of your mini arm lift to a full arm lift might significantly improve your aesthetic result. This procedure has the potential to address excess skin in multiple dimensions. Unfortunately, this maneuver would have no impact upon your axillary webbing.When this situation arises, a variety of treatment options are available to treat this deformity. In most cases, local rearrangement of tissue is necessary to remove the axillary scar web. In the majority of cases, this is accomplished with a procedure known as a z-plasty.Patients who have axillary webbing following brachioplasty should consult their plastic surgeon. Their surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that addresses this anatomic deformity and ultimately improves range of motion.

Really, I would need to see you or your photos to tell you exactly what's happened, and how to fix it.  You may need a scar revision with a Z-plasty, or you might need a full brachioplasty.  Overall, I'm not a fan of the short-scar brachioplasty operation - it's rare to see a good result with it, as it only treats the upper third of the arm.

 

All the best,

It sounds like a mini-brachioplasty was not the right choice of procedure for your problem (I am presuming much here).  Like most "mini" operations, only the occasional patient is a good candidate.  Revisit your surgeon and discuss a solution.

Liposuction of the arms may be combined with a mini brachioplasty (mini arm lift). The purpose of the mini arm lift is to tighten the skin of the inner one third of the arm. A relatively small group of patients are candidates for this procedure. The formation of bands in the armpit and upper lateral chest is relatively frequent in the early post-operative period, as is a limited range of motion. I generally recommend starting range of motion exercises and message about 3 weeks post-operatively. This can be supplemented with physical therapy, ultrasound treatments, and micro injection of  an anti-inflammatory steroid (Kenalog). The bands generally resolve with this conservative treatment. If there is persistent limitation in the range of motion, or webbing in the axilla, a release of the scar in the form of a Z-plasty may be in order. If there is still a great deal of skin laxity, a full brachioplasty may be required. Discuss your concerns with your Plastic surgeon. I hope this helps.

Different options are available for you.  Either a scar contracture release can be performed like a z plasty or the surgery can be converted to a full brachioplasty which will improve the results of the skin tightening in the arm even more.

Hope that helps.

Good luck.

The mini arm lift is a good procedure for a small subset of woman with arm laxity limited to the upper 1/3 of the upper arm. It tough to make recommendations based on your description alone- but if you feel that the 'band' limits your arm mobility, then a local tissue rearrangement flap like a Z-plasty might be able to lengthen the scar across the armpit area.

This typically requires conversion of the mini arm lift to a full brachioplasty procedure with a z-plasty along the posterior axillary fold to minimize wound tension and "bow-stringing".

I am not a big fan of a mini-brachioplasty.  Most patietns are better off with a full brachioplasty except that they do not want the long incision.  Without an exam I do not know what to suggest to you.