Obesity rates are on the rise and they show no sign of stopping any time soon. As a result, record numbers of women are seeking arm surgery or brachioplasty.
But there is a catch…
After the surgery, you can be left with unsightly amounts of excess arm tissue, including skin. Thus, the arm lift has been gaining an increasing amount of popularity-even among women who haven’t lost massive amounts of weight, but want smaller arms.
And the plastic surgeons are ready to fill this modern demand. But before you decide to go under the knife, please consider the following:
1. Cost: The average amount you can expect to pay for a typical arm lift is $4,000. This number can go up or down depending on the location and experience of the surgeon. Unfortunately, since arm lifts are cosmetic procedures, most insurance companies won’t cover them.
Now you could jump on the medical tourism bandwagon and travel to another country for the procedure, but getting quality care offshore could be hit or miss. And do you really want to put yourself at risk for a botched arm lift?
2. Ulnar nerve damage: Now this only happens in about 5% of patients-a very low number. However, 5% is still 5%. And you should definitely take this into account before moving forward with the procedure.
You see, once a nerve is damaged, you could lose sensation and mobility in your arm and/or hand.
3. Length of procedure: An arm lift is not an “in and out” surgery. In fact, the average arm lift lasts about 2. 5 hours. This number can go up depending on how much tissue needs to be removed.
4. Seromas: These are pockets of clear fluid that develop along the lines of incision. They are clear because they do not contain red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen through your blood. The good news is that seromas are relatively easy to treat.
Nonetheless, one study showed that more than 1/3 of patients develop seromas.
5. Adding a liposuction increases complication rates: Many women undergoing an arm lift also need a liposuction for the best results. Unfortunately, when an arm lift and liposuction are combined, the percentage of complications increase.
By the way, an arm lift involves the removal of skin and some superficial tissue, while a liposuction involves the extraction of fatty tissue with metallic “sucking” rods.
One way around this is to simply burn off as much fat as possible with diet and exercise before the procedure so that you don’t need the liposuction.
6. Acute anemia: This is one of the most common complications and involves feeling fatigued and weak. And while not serious, it’s still a nuisance.
Just in case you didn’t know, anemia is a condition when red blood cell counts go down and by extension, levels of oxygen. And oxygen is needed to produce energy in your body.
7. The need for more procedures: Quite often, just an arm lift will NOT leave a woman with an acceptable appearance. Many women find that excess fat and skin needs to be removed from the pectoral (chest) and axilla (arm pit) areas as well. And the stacking of additional procedures on top of the arm lift increases the risk for complications.
Now I realize that this article is very one-sided and sounds quite negative. Well, the truth is that arm lift procedures have come a long way and are safer than ever. Nevertheless, you need to be aware of the potential risks involved.
After all, no one is going to look out for your health as much as you will.
In any case, don’t miss part two of this article in which I discuss the positive aspects of getting an arm lift.
CLICK HERE to discover how to get sexy and sculpted arms!
