Letty's Liposuction Directory

Got 'Wing' Flap?

Author: Letty's Staff Writer

Contrary to popularly held belief, liposuction is not a treatment best suited to obese folks.

In fact, it is most effective when used on individuals who are generally fit and toned.

These athletic individuals may have pockets of fat in various places around their bodies that are not responding to diet and exercise.

This article discusses upper arm lipo in-depth and hopefully will give everyone considering surgery – some well needed clarity on the topic.

Who is a good candidate for upper arm liposuction?

Because liposuction does NOT remove excess skin, two factors play a big role in determining whether or not a patient is ideal for upper arm liposuction.

1. 1. Good muscle tone.

   Individuals who are good candidates for upper arm lipo generally have good muscle tone in addition to some fat in the area.

2. 2. An adequate layer of fat.

   If a patient has a relatively thick layer subdermal fat (superficial fat underneath the skin) in the triceps area that the surgeon can pinch upon evaluation for surgery, then he or she is a better candidate for liposculpture.

   However just like too little fat is not ideal, too much underarm fat is also not conducive to a good post-surgical result.

Who is NOT a good candidate for upper arm liposuction?

For patients with extremely flaccid skin with no fat within the skin envelope - brachioplasty (an arm surgery where excess skin as well as fat are surgically removed) may be more appropriate.

Although some retraction of skin is expected with arm liposuction, patients with very large and fatty arms may not experience enough skin retraction post surgery. As a result, these individuals may not be pleased with the resulting hanging and flabby skin after the surgery.

For these large-armed individuals, brachioplasty may be a more appropriate surgical fix.

What are some of the risks of arm liposuction?

Although liposuction is less invasive than brachioplasty, there are still some risks that patients will have to take into consideration before they agree to the surgery.

1. Infection. One of those risks is infection. Any time the body is cut there is a possibility that infection can set in.
2. Numbness. If the surgeon isn't careful nerve endings can be damaged during the procedure leaving the area numb or tingly.
3. Asymmetry. Another risk to having arm liposuction is asymmetry in the final result. In other words, one arm can turn out larger than the other arm.

These are just a few of the potential complication associated with liposuction surgery. To get a more in-depth discussion of potential risks associated with your particular health profile, please consult a board-certified plastic surgeon.

What is the take-home here?

That brings us to conclusions.

Arm liposuction is great... for the right patient that is.

The surgery will generally look better afterwards if the arms are pretty well-defined beforehand. Excessively hanging skin, and big fatty arms - are problems best handled with other techniques.

Think of arm lipo as a fine-tuning surgery.

Arm Lipo References:

• Weider, Betty. "Spot removal: turn problem areas into your best body parts with these moves (Just for Women)." Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness (May 2004): 244+. General OneFile (2 Feb. 2011).

• Hannapel, Corienne E. "Liposuction Tx molds upper arms. (Body Sculpting)." Cosmetic Surgery Times Jan-Feb. 2002: 1+. General OneFile (24 Apr. 2011).

• Troy, bill. "From head to toe: great looks and increased safety profiles make liposuction a viable option in all areas – particularly for the neck, upper arms. (liposuction)." Cosmetic Surgery Times May 2003: S12. General OneFile (Apr 2011).

• Gorgos, Diana. "Liposuction for treating unwanted fat. (Dermatology Surgery News)." Dermatology Nursing. vol. 15.1 (2003): 72. General OneFile (Apr 2011).

• Brunk, Doug. "Device reduces arm circumference." Skin & Allergy News. vol. 41.6 (2010): 23. General OneFile (Apr. 2011).