Question:
Anyone out there 6 months, or more, past brachioplasty (bat wing removal)?

Anyone out there past 6 months from their brachioplasty (bat wing removal)? I'll be having surgery soon, am 54 years old, and, like my Grandma Lillian, know I'm in for some MAJOR sagging bat wings (like down to my hips!) What successes/failures are there out there. How many inches can they remove? How successful can it be? Tell me everything.    — Cathy S. (posted on November 25, 2002)

November 25, 2002
I can't answer your question, but for more info, go to spotlighthealth.com, click on morbid obesity and support groups. They have a support group just for plastic surgery and you should pose your question there too for max response.
   — Cindy R.

November 25, 2002
I am exactly one week post op for brachioplasty. Do not expect the insurance company to pay for it, unless you can show functional impairment. I forked over $3K to the doc (she usually charges $2K, but I had an excessive amount of skin to remove, down the sides of my back). The hospital is going to want about $2K for the day/overnight stay. I went in at 7:30AM and was discharged same day at 10PM. I have a incisions from about 3 inches in from my wrist all the way down to the bottom of my ribcage. They removed about 5 pounds of tissue from each arm. I have no problems with range of motion, but the itching is driving me nuts. I picked up some Benadryl which has helped immensely. She pulled the loose skin and removed the excess and as a result, I no longer have any hair under my arms. I have to watch for webbing in that area as scar tissue forms. This can be corrected if it occurs. My arms are swollen, but even so are about 1/3 of the original size. When the swelling goes down, they will look pretty normal, instead of like very large scrotal sacks. She had to cut a surface nerve on my left forearm, and she was very careful to minimize any damage to the lymph nodes in my armpits. So far, so good. I am on an antibiotic and pain meds for the next 5 days. I have been able to drive, go grocery shopping, and cook very lightly. Good Luck! I hope this answers your questions about brachioplasty...
   — merri B.

November 25, 2002
I had a brachioplasty 2.5 years ago and I am VERY happy with it. Mine was an armpit incision plus a thin line from armpit to elbow. It is inside the arm so is not very visible anyway, and with time it has faded out almost completely. My arms are very taut and muscular --it's great! I did pay for it myself, and it was expensive. $4100. But it was worth every penny to me! Feel free to email me for pictures. Good luck! hugs, Ann rny 9/10/99 260/124
   — [Deactivated Member]

November 25, 2002
I am 12 months post-op brachioplasty, and couldn't be happier with my results! I have elbow to armpit incisions that are strategically placed so that they cannot be seen at all unless I raise my arms above my head. The incisions have faded to fine white lines. Brachioplasty involves cutting through some superficial nerves, so the incision line was completely numb immediately post-op, and now has only limited sensation, but that certainly is not a bad trade-off for beautifully slender arms :-) I did develop a recurring seroma (fluid-filled cyst) in one arm, and had to have the fluid drained off with a needle and syringe several times, but because of the superficial numbness that was a completely painless procedure in my case. After draining the seroma a few times, the problem was resolved. My surgeon does not recommend compression sleeves for his patients, and I wondered if the seroma would have occurred if he had used them. However, I have heard of other brachioplasty patients who did wear compression sleeves and also developed seromas, so who knows? I found the surgery itself to be the most "comfortable" surgery I ever had....painless and with no restriction of movement. Immediately after surgery I was able to turn, reach, use my arms with no problems. An added bonus was that my primary and secondary insurance providers covered the surgery (along with my panniculectomy). I can only wish you the same great results!
   — Diana T.