Arm Lift Surgery (Brachioplasty)

Preparing For Arm Lift Surgery

Preparing for arm lift surgery involves mental preparation, a review of your current medications and vitamins, and following standard pre-operative instructions. Mental preparation for arm lift surgery is key to a pleasant post-operative recovery. It is important to understand that you are undertaking a very commonly performed procedure and that Toronto arm lift specialist, Dr. Backstein, will have screened you pre-operatively to ensure you are a safe candidate for the procedure. Furthermore , arm lift surgery by its nature is a safe procedure since the surgical work is carried out in a superficial plane of the body well away from major organs. It is equally important to understand that immediately post-operatively your arms will look somewhat larger and less natural than they will several weeks post-op. In particular, swelling can develop in the hands and fingers as well as the upper arm. This look will resolve soon after your arm lift surgery. Some patients sense a feeling of numbness or even pins and needles in their fingers for several days after arm lift surgery.
Make sure you review any medications and vitamins at least two weeks prior to your surgical date. Medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, blood thinners/anticoagulants and vitamin E products should be discontinued completely for at least two weeks prior to arm lift surgery in order to minimize the risk of extra bleeding during or after surgery. Multi-vitamins may contain vitamin E and should be stopped if vitamin E is present. Finally, be sure not to eat or drink anything at all from midnight of the day before your arm lift surgery so as to enter the operating room with an empty stomach. It is wise to plan for around 4 weeks in which no heavy lifting or vigorous work using the arms is required at work at home. Stressing the arm lift incisions can lead to an increase in scarring and in the worst case scenario could cause the stitch line to separate. While it is difficult for many patients to refrain from significant use of the arms because of busy work and family lives, a strong committment to allowing your arm lift surgery to heal optimally will pay off in the long run with far less noticeable scars.