A brachioplasty is essentially an upper arm lift. In this procedure, the excess hanging skin and fat in the upper arm is removed. Its the procedure used to correct the common "bat wing" of skin that manifests in patients who have lost a significant amount of weight. Most of my patients are able to get back to a desk job 5-7 days after surgery. However, I recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 3-4 weeks. If an upper trunk lift is involved, I may recommend holding off working out (heavy lifting/strenuous activity) for 5-6 weeks. Best wishes, Dr. Basu Houston, TX
The main problem with healing following brachioplasty is usually in the armpit due to the skin being frequently moist. The positions you would be in could but undue strain on this area and result in wound separation if you return too soon. Three weeks is usually adequate time to take off if healing is proceeding normally. If you can arrange a lighter shedule the first couple of days you are back, that will help.