Found out last month that both @rs and I had Arm Lifts scheduled for the same week, just two days apart. @rs got the deed done yesterday, and I'm heading in for it tomorrow morning. We thought it would be fun/interesting/just-something-to-do to start a thread where we both could post to document our progress for a one-stop view of two different experiences of the same procedure.

So here we go!

@rs @ms.sss

My Day 3 Post-op Update:

Edited December 21, 20196 yr by ms.sss

37 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

My Day 3 Post-op Update:

Hope you don't mind, but commenting here

A total of 400g of skin & fat was removed, though he said it was mostly skin

Holy crap that's a tiny amount (0.88 lbs for my fellow Americans). For contrast I had 4.5 lbs removed from my LBL. I'm an inch taller and about 15 lbs (pre surgery) heavier than @ms.sss

There was only a "little bit" of muscle tightening done on my abdomen

I'll have to ask my surgeon how my muscle were. He predicted I had no real need for tightening (I told him to anyway, cause I want a wasp waist please). I wonder if resistance to diastasis recti is genetic? I assumed mine was because I've never had children. But I was talking to my mom, and she performed the "test" my surgeon did for me (basically how much of difference does "sucking in" make), and she doesn't seem to have much if any diastasis recti either despite pregnancy and weight fluctuations.

There was minimal lipo on my flanks and pubis, and no lipo on my arms nor stomach

So interesting your surgeon did lipo. Mine didn't as I he didn't feel there was much if any benefit. And you are far leaner than I am.

He had predicted pre-surgery that I would not need to have the drains in very long due to my size

I wasn't aware of the connection, but when I mentioned my lack of swelling to my surgeon he said it is due to my lower BMI. Apparently fat swells more than any other tissue.

1 hour ago, sillykitty said:

Hope you don't mind, but commenting here

A total of 400g of skin & fat was removed, though he said it was mostly skin

Holy crap that's a tiny amount (0.88 lbs for my fellow Americans). For contrast I had 4.5 lbs removed from my LBL. I'm an inch taller and about 15 lbs (pre surgery) heavier than @ms.sss

There was only a "little bit" of muscle tightening done on my abdomen

I'll have to ask my surgeon how my muscle were. He predicted I had no real need for tightening (I told him to anyway, cause I want a wasp waist please). I wonder if resistance to diastasis recti is genetic? I assumed mine was because I've never had children. But I was talking to my mom, and she performed the "test" my surgeon did for me (basically how much of difference does "sucking in" make), and she doesn't seem to have much if any diastasis recti either despite pregnancy and weight fluctuations.

There was minimal Lipo on my flanks and pubis, and no lipo on my arms nor stomach

So interesting your surgeon did lipo. Mine didn't as I he didn't feel there was much if any benefit. And you are far leaner than I am.

He had predicted pre-surgery that I would not need to have the drains in very long due to my size

I wasn't aware of the connection, but when I mentioned my lack of swelling to my surgeon he said it is due to my lower BMI. Apparently fat swells more than any other tissue.

No don't mind at all..

We should change the name of this thread to a tale of two arm lifts AND tummy tucks.

And it really is fascinating that methods employed by our various surgeons vary so much!!!!

On 12/19/2019 at 7:39 PM, rs said:

Eventually I want everything but I just can't spend that kinda money right now. Hoping to do so over the next couple years.

What other procedures are you looking to get?

Day 4 Update:

What other procedures are you looking to get?

Circumferential LBL which will include TT, lower back skin, and butt lift. Probably a breast lift and might need implants too because I pretty much have nothing left after WL. Good news is that this extended arm lift has helped with side boob and actually it seems as if upper back skin is better so shouldn't need to combine breast lift with upper back lift. Depending on how LBL turns out then maybe inner thigh surgery.

@ms.sss finally took a shower today and washed my hair. Did ok. Wore the drains on a lanyard as the Dr and others recommended. Washed the compression garment and let it air dry all day. Went to put it back on tonight and, as expected, I just couldn't do it. Pulling it up the arms made me cry. So I put on a long sleeve shirt of mine with the tightest sleeves possible. Just going to wear this instead. Will wear it to my Dr appt tomorrow too. Just can't handle that garment!

4 hours ago, rs said:

@ms.sss finally took a shower today and washed my hair. Did ok. Wore the drains on a lanyard as the Dr and others recommended. Washed the compression garment and let it air dry all day. Went to put it back on tonight and, as expected, I just couldn't do it. Pulling it up the arms made me cry. So I put on a long sleeve shirt of mine with the tightest sleeves possible. Just going to wear this instead. Will wear it to my Dr appt tomorrow too. Just can't handle that garment!

aww...sorry to hear about your continued troubles with that wretched garment of yours! Perhaps your Dr. can give you some ace bandages to use instead? Or maybe he/she'll say you don't even have to wear anything anymore *crosses fingers*.

I took the boob bandages off a couple hours ago cuz the itching was driving me crazy. Happy to report no blisters! I replaced the bandages with a previously approved sports bra, which fits looser than it did before...does this mean my boobs got even smaller???? To me they look the same size, just perkier and higher...am going to need to get re-measured later to figure out. And with the boob bandages gone, the arm garment/shrug is loose again across the bodice, but the sports bra is at least keeping it in place (am wearing the bra over the arm garment/shrug).

I'm sooooooo looking forward to my own shower today! My surgeon says when drains come out, I can shower...which is in exactly in 8 hours and 18 minutes from now.

Were you able to reach up and wash your hair on your own?

5 hours ago, rs said:

@ms.sss finally took a shower today and washed my hair. Did ok. Wore the drains on a lanyard as the Dr and others recommended. Washed the compression garment and let it air dry all day. Went to put it back on tonight and, as expected, I just couldn't do it. Pulling it up the arms made me cry. So I put on a long sleeve shirt of mine with the tightest sleeves possible. Just going to wear this instead. Will wear it to my Dr appt tomorrow too. Just can't handle that garment!

I had a hard time with my compression garment the first couple of weeks, too (actually, even longer since I had some issues off & on with my incisions), so I wrapped my arms up in ace bandages instead.

Thank you for posting your experiences. I am currently recovering from Tummy Tuck and inner thigh liposuction. My surgery was December 11th. I had a drain, but it did not collect any fluids and they removed it at my first follow up appointment. I have numbness around my new belly button, but I am kinda glad because it doesn’t hurt. Do you have any numbness? I know it was listed as a possible side effect.

6 minutes ago, okayestmom said:

Thank you for posting your experiences. I am currently recovering from Tummy Tuck and inner thigh liposuction. My surgery was December 11th. I had a drain, but it did not collect any fluids and they removed it at my first follow up appointment. I have numbness around my new belly button, but I am kinda glad because it doesn’t hurt. Do you have any numbness? I know it was listed as a possible side effect.

yes - I was completely numb from navel to pubic bone for the first year post-surgery. My sensation started to come back after 12 months, but definitely not all of it (yet). I'm probably still a good 50-75% numb. I understand that some people never get their sensation back - and for others they do mostly, but it's not uncommon for the numbness to stay permanently along the incision lines.

Wow! You are all doing terrifically well! Congrats ladies!!! TY for letting us follow your journey!!!

@rs So sorry about your struggles with compression wear! It can be totally annoying!! AND painful!

4 hours ago, okayestmom said:

Thank you for posting your experiences. I am currently recovering from Tummy Tuck and inner thigh liposuction. My surgery was December 11th. I had a drain, but it did not collect any fluids and they removed it at my first follow up appointment. I have numbness around my new belly button, but I am kinda glad because it doesn’t hurt. Do you have any numbness? I know it was listed as a possible side effect.

Wow, another Winter 2019 PS patient! We need to start a club. ❤️

RE: numbness: I can't tell yet if I have any numbness, haven't been really able touch any of my incisions yet as they are all covered up under tape and stuff....

On 12/17/2019 at 10:54, ms.sss said:

K, just got a chance to take some before pics of my arms (see below).

And here are some background details:

• 
  5'2" female, 14 months post op, weight stable +/- 5 lbs for about 7 months.
  


• 
  Today's weight 115.7 lbs, 21.2 BMI, 13.7% body fat
  


• 
  Procedures, as listed on procedure form: BRACHIOPLASTY (aka Arm Lift) + BILATERAL BREAST REDUCTION REVISION (aka Breast Lift).
  


• 
  I am getting the Breast Reduction Revision mostly for the fact that it addresses my excess side boob skin. The actual boob lift aspect of it is just an added bonus.
  


• 
  In June 2019, when I booked the procedures, the cost of these two is/was $10,000 CAD (plus 13% taxes), and it includes all costs associated with the procedures, including 2 overnights in a private room.
  

https://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/image/95959-al1jpg/

https://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/image/95960-al2jpg/

. I think your arms before look really good!

aww...sorry to hear about your continued troubles with that wretched garment of yours! Perhaps your Dr. can give you some ace bandages to use instead? Or maybe he/she'll say you don't even have to wear anything anymore *crosses fingers*.

I took the boob bandages off a couple hours ago cuz the itching was driving me crazy. Happy to report no blisters! I replaced the bandages with a previously approved sports bra, which fits looser than it did before...does this mean my boobs got even smaller???? To me they look the same size, just perkier and higher...am going to need to get re-measured later to figure out. And with the boob bandages gone, the arm garment/shrug is loose again across the bodice, but the sports bra is at least keeping it in place (am wearing the bra over the arm garment/shrug).

I'm sooooooo looking forward to my own shower today! My surgeon says when drains come out, I can shower...which is in exactly in 8 hours and 18 minutes from now.

Were you able to reach up and wash your hair on your own?

Yes, was able to wash my hair. Kinda surprised actually. In the waiting room at Dr appointment now. Definitely going to ask about ace bandages. Looking forward to getting these drains out too.