Arm lift.. experiences please

I am almost 4 months post op. Starting to have saggy arms. I think I would be too scared to do a tummy tuck but may like to have arm lift. Can anyone please tell me about your experience regarding healing, cost, anything you can tell me would be helpful. How long did you have to take off work? How much weight did you lose prior to having arm lift? Thanks.

It's impossible to tell now what you will want done when you get to your goal weight.  I (stupidly?) thought that maybe I could go from 350 to 160 and not have bad saggy skin.  The reality was far different!  And I thought I really needed a tummy tuck, but not arms.  I went for consults and it was clear that I needed a full lower body lift (a tummy tuck would make my front look good and my back look even worse and saggier).  I didn't want visible scars on my arms so I opted for a lower body lift and breast lift.

Once my torso was looking awesome after my first surgery, I decided my saggy arms had to be fixed.  I had an arm lift in October.  It was outpatient (I had surgery at 2 pm on a Thursday and was leaving the hospital around 9 pm).  My surgeon did not use drains for my arm lift.  I slept comfortably at home that night, and Friday some friends came over for lunch.  Saturday my mom and I walked my 10,000 steps, went shopping, and went to a movie.  That night I went to a party.  Sunday I went to a party as well.  I had very little pain and mostly it was a little uncomfortable and the first few days you are supposed to elevate your arms when possible, and for about a month you can't lift heavy things or stretch too far.  I overstretched and had a slight separation in my armpit where the confluence of incisions were.  It healed fine.  I wasn't allowed to do arm stuff for 6 weeks, but I was back at the gym walking and doing the elliptical and doing squats after a week.

I hope this helps!  I love my new arms.  Check out Laura in Texas - her arms are AMAZING and she inspired me to get mine done!

Cost varies - probably will run you around $7k.

I have found that when you correct only one part of your body that it looks out of balance. Then you are inclined to want to do the rest. That is what happened to me. I began with a tummy tuck, and pretty quickly did the rest of my body. That's not a bad thing, though, as like you I was scared of surgery (VERY scared). So easing into it is less traumatic, in a way. You get to realize how strong you truly are when these surgeries are behind you. You can read about my wild roller coaster of emotions before surgery - I was a hot mess back then but like the phoenix rising from the ashes I am so much stronger today - http://www.mybariatriclife.org/before-bariatric-plastic-surg ery/ 

Doing the arm lift as a single procedure may be a good idea. The arms are a challenge to heal because we use them so much. Plus there is a lot of tension on the skin. I combined my procedures and although I had a very experienced post bariatric plastic surgeon, Dr. Capella, I am still suffering through complications with the arms even 2-years post arm lift. 

What happened to me was rare, but it goes to show how "sh*t happens." It is best to plan for the worst and expect the best. Plastic surgery after weight loss is amazing in a way that the bariatric surgery itself is not. Surely the bariatric surgery is life saving. But as one patient told me, plastic surgery saved my soul. Yes, that about sums it up for me, too.

I wish you success in your weight loss journey!

I think the most important thing to think about is, are you WILLING AND ABLE to follow your plastic surgeon's directions, and take care of yourself.  Dr Joseph Capella did an absolutely amazing job on my arms,(and my entire body). He did the body lift, breast lift and arms in one operation. No incisions opened.  Six months later, he did my thighs. He gave me written and verbal instructions, along with his PA Scott, that I followed exactly.  For example, I did not carry heavy bags through an airport, I did not go to the gym for many weeks. and I did not take all kinds of supplements or medications.  I lost over 150 lbs; I took 6 weeks off from work. Also, please note, I have no relationship, financial or otherwise with any medical offices or internet websites. Btw, the only "complication" I have had is that men at my gym, including a trainer and some of tri-athletes, don't realize I was once a grotesque morbidly obese woman, and hit on me, which is quite amusing, and a testament to the work that Dr. Capella and Scott have done.

One of my friends try to have an arm lift and breast surgery with the help of IllusioImaging surgeons. She told me that at first it was really frightening but as she saw the results she said that it's worth the try, she haven't discussed with me the cost but I think she's happy of what she got. :) I think it increase her self confidence. Hope you'll feel the same way. :)

Hi there, I would suggest you to ask for a help from an expert surgeon. Dr. Kyle SOng from Illusio Imaging is a certified Plastic Surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of breast lifts and arm lifts each year. Surely he will give you the best surgery result. Goodluck!

Are you exercising?  Doing some lifting?  If you don't want surgeries, see what your body can do if you work your arse off.   We never know what our final result will be with our particular skin & bodies - it takes a year after weight loss for skin to bounce back where it will be.  Some end up with a mess of stretched skin and some of us  are left with bodies we are happy enough to live with - we can make this better by firming up underneath excess skin.

Arms are a huge recovery an big scars too.

All best