Arm Lift

Discomfort is completely normal after an arm lift, but most patients in the Washington, D.C. area find it manageable with proper medication and rest. You may feel some tightness, soreness, or swelling in the first few days, especially around the incision sites.

To promote healing and minimize complications, you will be seen in a series of post-op appointments, including the day after surgery. These appointments will continue throughout the first year after the procedure to make sure you are healing as planned. For your added convenience, you also have direct access to Dr. Bitar’s cell phone number, should you need to reach him outside of office hours. The final post-operative visit, one year after surgery, is one of our favorites, as the results are fully apparent, and we love seeing our patients happy. You are always welcome to return and visit us, even years after your surgery.

Most patients experience a dramatic improvement within the first 4 to 6 weeks, as swelling subsides and the skin begins to settle. Final results—meaning smooth, tightened contours and a more sculpted shape—typically become visible around 3 to 6 months post-op.

Absolutely. Many of our Washington D.C. area patients choose to combine their arm lift with other body contouring surgeries, especially after significant weight loss. Popular combinations include breast lifts, tummy tucks, or back lifts to restore balance and definition throughout the upper body.

At the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute, we take pride in ensuring that we provide our patients with the best possible surgical experience, anticipating potential problems or setbacks and addressing them before they occur. This process encompasses preoperative preparation, the actual surgery, and postoperative care.

• General Complications
  General complications can occur with any surgery. Cosmetic surgery is typically a safe procedure performed on healthy patients and, like all surgeries, carries a low risk. To further reduce the risk of complications, we operate at a first-class surgery center with board-certified anesthesiologists and nurses. To avoid postoperative complications, we advocate for early mobilization – patients seen in our office one or two days after surgery- and active participation in their own postoperative care. When we create a partnership, the results invariably improve.

• Bleeding
  Bleeding after an arm lift is rare. Before surgery, our patients are tested to make sure they don’t have any common bleeding disorders by their own physicians and by lab tests. In our practice, the rate of significant bleeding is less than 1%. The treatment of a hematoma or blood clot under the skin of the arm involves opening the incision and removing the blood clot. Typically, this is a straightforward procedure.

• Infection/Wounds
  In our opinion, the most important step in avoiding infections and wounds is to perform the surgery at a first-rate surgical facility with a board-certified anesthesiologist and skilled nurses. Patients are given the appropriate intravenous antibiotic coverage throughout the surgery. During the surgery, the patient’s skin surface is cleaned thoroughly. After the procedure, my patients are prescribed antibiotics to minimize infection. As a result of these extra precautions, my rate of infection after an arm lift is extremely rare. Conservative removal of skin is crucial for achieving good results, as well as preventing the skin from being under too much tension after the arm lift. Wound healing problems may occur at the superficial incision level, where tension is highest, and a small open wound may develop, which typically heals nicely with dressing changes and antibiotic ointment.

• Nerve Injury
  There are important nerves that pass from the neck, down the arm, and to the hand. In performing an arm lift, it is important to avoid injuring these nerves. The way to minimize nerve injury is to resect a conservative amount of skin, thereby creating minimal tension in the upper arm while achieving an aesthetically pleasing result. Occasionally, nerves can become stunned or bruised, and function may take several days to weeks to return. Our rate of permanent nerve injury in arm lifts has been minimal.

• Seroma, Lymphocele, Lymphedema
  There are important lymph nodes and vessels around the elbow and in the arm. In performing an arm lift, it is important to preserve as many of these lymphatic channels as possible. This will reduce the chances of a lymph collection or prolonged swelling. If you have a history of a mastectomy or radiation to the area, you should discuss this further with your surgeon.

• Smokin
  Smoking is an absolute contraindication for an arm lift. The carbon monoxide and nicotine in cigarette smoke cause a severe reduction in blood supply to the skin and breast tissue during healing. This results in delayed wound healing, wound separation, skin death, and a higher risk of infection. Cotinine testing is performed in patients with a smoking history to ensure that they are safe when having this procedure.