Arm lift - traditional scar vs back of the arm?

[2Bsmaller18 435]

I have some across a "new" technique that a few surgeons do and have seen info. on you tube for a incision that goes along on the back of the arm. The supposed benefit is that if you raise your arm up then people don't see the scar since it's on the back of the arm. Maybe it's just me but I think a scar along the back of my arm that's visible 100% of the time in any short sleeves would be more noticeable. Sure only the people behind you see it but I still think that a scar on the inside of the arm is better.

Thoughts?

[ms.sss 14,634]

My surgeon said it was all preference: If I don't want to see it, choose back of the arm. If I don't want others to see it, choose the inside of arm.

With that said, I chose inside-the-arm (coming soon end of December btw, super stoked) because:

1) I have been known to be "hyper-pigmentation-y" and I will likely have thick scars for a while (my WLS scars are still very dark and visible) and I don't want people (both strangers and ones known to me) to ask me: "What happened to your arm?!?"

2) I am also getting skin removal on my side boob, so there are going to be scars under there anyway.

Edited November 1, 2019 by ms.sss

[sillykitty 10,704]

3 hours ago, ms.sss said:

My surgeon said it was all preference: If I don't want to see it, choose back of the arm. If I don't want others to see it, choose the inside of arm.

I think this sums it up. I'd make the same choice as @ms.sss, and choose inside of the arm, so it would be less visible to others.

I'm curious to see how my LBL left scars heal. If they heal quickly and well, I'll consider an arm lift down the road at some point.

[2Bsmaller18 435]

4 hours ago, ms.sss said:

My surgeon said it was all preference: If I don't want to see it, choose back of the arm. If I don't want others to see it, choose the inside of arm.

With that said, I chose inside-the-arm (coming soon end of December btw, super stoked) because:

1) I have been known to be "hyper-pigmentation-y" and I will likely have thick scars for a while (my WLS scars are still very dark and visible) and I don't want people (both strangers and ones known to me) to ask me: "What happened to your arm?!?"

2) I am also getting skin removal on my side boob, so there are going to be scars under there anyway.

That makes sense. I think I prefer the traditional scar placement. I also asked about the bra roll/side boob. He would continue the incision from the arm all the way down. I am now thinking I wonder if it could be a separate incision so if i was wearing a tank top the side boob scar would be under a bra not all the way up towards my arm pit. Is yours going to be one long continuous incision?

[rs 1,473]

That makes sense. I think I prefer the traditional scar placement. I also asked about the bra roll/side boob. He would continue the incision from the arm all the way down. I am now thinking I wonder if it could be a separate incision so if i was wearing a tank top the side boob scar would be under a bra not all the way up towards my arm pit. Is yours going to be one long continuous incision?

I'm scheduled for an extended arm lift in mid December. Good question about having separate incisions, skipping over the arm pit area. I don't think I've read about that option but it would be nice.

[ms.sss 14,634]

22 hours ago, 2Bsmaller18 said:

That makes sense. I think I prefer the traditional scar placement. I also asked about the bra roll/side boob. He would continue the incision from the arm all the way down. I am now thinking I wonder if it could be a separate incision so if i was wearing a tank top the side boob scar would be under a bra not all the way up towards my arm pit. Is yours going to be one long continuous incision?

No, it's not going to be a continuous incision, my surgeon had said he doesn't do this for a few reasons, the main one being that with a continuous incision, there is a risk that the part where there is a "curve" (i.e., in the armpit) may form a "skin webbing" during healing (and end up looking like the skin at the base between your fingers) .

Edited November 2, 2019 by ms.sss

[rs 1,473]

On 11/2/2019 at 9:54 AM, ms.sss said:

No, it's not going to be a continuous incision, my surgeon had said he doesn't do this for a few reasons, the main one being that with a continuous incision, there is a risk that the part where there is a "curve" (i.e., in the armpit) may form a "skin webbing" during healing (and end up looking like the skin at the base between your fingers) .

@ms.sss is your Dr still calling it an extended arm lift if it isn't actually one big continuous incision? I haven't been able to find any pictures/info online that talks about this as an option. Do you have any more info to share? Maybe a pic from your Doctor's website? I like the idea of the incision being separated at the arm pit area. Thx.

[ms.sss 14,634]

4 hours ago, rs said:

@ms.sss is your Dr still calling it an extended arm lift if it isn't actually one big continuous incision? I haven't been able to find any pictures/info online that talks about this as an option. Do you have any more info to share? Maybe a pic from your Doctor's website? I like the idea of the incision being separated at the arm pit area. Thx.

On my invoice, the procedure is just called BRACHIOPLASTY.

The side boob skin removal is not considered part of the arm lift/brachioplasty with my surgeon. It is part of a separate procedure invoiced as BILATERAL BREAST REDUCTION REVISION, which is basically a breast lift with auxiliary breast removal from flanks. My doc is awesome as he is charging me with a revision instead of a first time breast lift (which really is what I am getting but is about 5K less expensive) as I had a breast reduction several years ago, and he is already going to be there doing the arm lift anyway.

With that said however, I did speak to another surgeon (who I didn't end up going with) who combined the arm lift and auxiliary breast removal (without breast lift) and he called it BILATERAL ARM LIFT WITH CHEST WALL EXTENSION. He wanted to do it as one continuous incision.

Edited to add: Neither my surgeon nor the other fella I mentioned above post patient photos on their websites (I had to go in for appointments to look at their patient results books)

Edited November 4, 2019 by ms.sss

[rs 1,473]

On my invoice, the procedure is just called BRACHIOPLASTY.
The side boob skin removal is not considered part of the arm lift/brachioplasty with my surgeon. It is part of a separate procedure invoiced as BILATERAL BREAST REDUCTION REVISION, which is basically a breast lift with auxiliary breast removal from flanks. My doc is awesome as he is charging me with a revision instead of a first time breast lift (which really is what I am getting but is about 5K less expensive) as I had a breast reduction several years ago, and he is already going to be there doing the arm lift anyway.
With that said however, I did speak to another surgeon (who I didn't end up going with) who combined the arm lift and auxiliary breast removal (without breast lift) and he called it BILATERAL ARM LIFT WITH CHEST WALL EXTENSION. He wanted to do it as one continuous incision.
Edited to add: Neither my surgeon nor the other fella I mentioned above post patient photos on their websites (I had to go in for appointments to look at their patient results books)

Oh ok. Thanks for the additional information.