Arm and Thigh Surgery

• Arm lift / Brachioplasty • Thigh lift •

Arm lift / Brachioplasty

The arm lift (brachioplasty or arm dermolipectomy) procedure removes excess skin located on the inner arm. This excess, often unsightly, may make it difficult when wearing clothing.

Several types of arm lift treatments are available, Dr. Laveaux will propose the most suitable method for you:

  • the vertical scar lift is used in cases of severe excess skin. It causes a scar all along the inside of the arm, even beyond the elbow in some cases.
    The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia. The hospitalisation lasts 10 to 24 hours. The duration of the operation ranges from 1 and a half to 2 hours.
  • the horizontal scar lift is designed to correct moderate skin excess of the upper arm. The improvement is more moderate, but the scar is discreetly hidden in a fold of the armpit.
    The operation takes place on an outpatient basis under assisted local anaesthesia (diazepine-induced analgesia). The procedure lasts about 1 hour.
  • the T scar lift is a compromise between the two previous techniques, by correcting the excess skin of the upper arm leaving a horizontal and vertical scar of only a few centimetres.
  • In some cases depending on the quality of the skin and with limited excess skin, a scar-free arm lift may be offered using J-plasma Renuvion® technology.
Guidelines for the procedure

Depending on the case, the arm lift is performed either under assisted local anaesthesia as an outpatient or during hospitalisation for 24 hours under general anaesthesia.

The duration of the procedure varies between 1 and half and 2 and half hours. In all cases, liposuction is almost always performed to remove excess fat from the entire circumference of the arm.

No drain is inserted.

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Postoperative effects

Pain is variable, generally mild and mainly due to liposuction. The dressings are semi-permeable, therefore showers are allowed.

Complete healing is achieved within 2 to 3 weeks. Special dressings will need to be applied to the scars, even after healing, for 2-3 months to improve their appearance.

A compression garment is not recommended to avoid swelling of forearms and hands.

The patient may return to work between 1 to 3 weeks after surgery depending on the job.
Resuming sporting activities varies between 4 weeks and 6 weeks.

Outcome

The final result is achieved after 6 to 12 months, especially because of the time needed for the scars to heal.

The scars are long yet discreet due to their quality and clearness once healed. They are well situated and are invisible from the front and the back when the arms are at your side (the most frequent position).

Risk of complications

As with any surgery, a number of complications can occur. But the likelihood of these complications is reduced in the hands of a qualified plastic surgeon and in the presence of a competent anaesthetist.

The patient’s compliance to instructions given by the surgeon is also essential and include:

  • stopping smoking 1 month before and after the procedure (reduction of all risks) ;
  • stopping the pill two months before and after the procedure (reducing the risk of phlebitis and pulmonary embolism) ;
  • not taking aspirin for 10 days before and after the procedure (reduced risk of hematoma) ;
  • where applicable, achieving the target weight your surgeon has determined before surgery, (reduced risk of phlebitis and pulmonary embolism and the risk of a poor cosmetic outcome).

Rare complications that could occur include, but are not limited to risk of hematoma, infection, scarring and thrombo-embolic complications (phlebitis).

In the event of a complication, appropriate measures will be taken.

Health insurance coverage

As this procedure is considered purely for aesthetic purposes, no coverage is provided by health insurance.

In some cases (excess skin after significant weight loss) a partial reimbursement of the cost of the procedure may be considered upon prior agreement. A medical doctor from your health insurance fund will then have to examine you

In case of prior agreement, you will be responsible for the additional surgeon and the anesthesiologist fees which will be redeemable in whole or in part by your health insurance.

Thigh lift

The thigh lift (or thigh dermolipectomy) procedure moves excess skin located on the inner thighs. This excess, often unsightly, can cause discomfort when wearing clothing.

Several types of inner thigh lifting treatments are available, Dr. Laveaux will propose the most suitable method for you:

  • the vertical scar lift is performed in cases of excess skin predominantly along the width of the thighs. It causes a scar along the inner thigh, even beyond the knee in some cases ;
  • the horizontal scar lift is designed to correct the excess skin along the length of the inner thigh. The improvement is more moderate, but the scar is more discreet, located in the groyne crease. To ensure that the pulled skin remains in place, it is set deep into the thigh ligament. This binding leads to depressions that resemble cellulite that spontaneously disappear after a few weeks ;
  • the T scar lift is a combination of the two previous techniques, and is performed to correct an excess of skin both along the inner thigh and around the thigh.
  • In some cases depending on the quality of the skin and with limited excess skin, a scar-free thigh lift may be offered using J-plasma Renuvion® technology.
Guidelines for the procedure

Depending on the case, the procedure is performed either under assisted local anaesthesia as an outpatient or during hospitalisation for 24 to 48 hours under general anaesthesia.

The duration of the procedure varies between 2 and 3 and half hours depending on the amount of work to be done.

In most cases, a liposuction is performed to remove excess fat from the entire circumference of the thigh.

No drain is inserted.

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Postoperative effects

Pain is variable, generally mild and mainly due to liposuction. The dressings are semi-permeable, therefore showers are allowed. Complete healing is achieved within 2 to 3 weeks. Special dressings will need to be applied to the scars, even after healing, for 2-3 months to improve their appearance.

Sometimes a daily anticoagulant therapy may be prescribed for 8 to 10 days to reduce the risk of developing complications.

Wearing a compression garment (panty) is recommended 24 hours a day for 1 month.

The patient may return to work between 1 to 4 weeks after surgery depending on the job.
Resuming sporting activities varies between 4 to 6 weeks.

Outcome

The final result is achieved after 6 to 12 months, especially because of the time needed for the scars to heal.

The scars are long yet discreet due to their quality and clearness once healed. They are well placed and invisible from the front as well as the back when standing with the feet in the walking position (the most frequent position).

Risk of complications

As with any surgery, a number of complications can occur. But the likelihood of these complications is reduced in the hands of a qualified plastic surgeon and in the presence of a competent anaesthetist.

The patient’s compliance to instructions given by the surgeon is also essential and include :

  • stopping smoking 1 month before and after the procedure (reduction of all risks) ;
  • stopping the pill two months before and after the procedure (reducing the risk of phlebitis and pulmonary embolism) ;
  • not taking aspirin for 10 days before and after the procedure (reduced risk of hematoma) ;
  • where applicable, achieving the target weight your surgeon has determined before surgery, (reducing risk of phlebitis and pulmonary embolism and the risk of a poor cosmetic outcome).

Rare complications that could occur include, but are not limited to risk of hematoma, infection, scarring and thrombo-embolic complications (phlebitis).

In the event of a complication, appropriate measures will be taken.

Health insurance coverage

As this procedure is considered purely for aesthetic purposes, no coverage is provided by health insurance.

In some cases (excess skin after significant weight loss or after bariatric surgery) a partial reimbursement of the cost of the procedure may be considered upon prior agreement. Your health insurance fund’s medical advisor will need to examine you in this case.

In case of prior agreement you will be responsible for the additional surgeon and the anesthesiologist fees which will be redeemable in whole or in part by your health insurance.

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