Arm Lift (Brachioplasty) Surgery Sydney

Arm Lift (Brachioplasty) Surgery Recovery

Your post-operative plan will be detailed and involve multiple weekly in-clinic post-operative care visits with our nursing team for several weeks. You will receive your post-operative clinic appointment schedule prior to your surgery. This is designed to allow our team of nurses and Dr Dona to monitor your progress, commence post-operative treatments and wound care, and ensure you achieve all the correct recovery milestones.

We integrate light-based therapy into your post-operative wound healing process. In addition, light therapy promotes the healing cells used to mature your surgical scars much faster, thus providing optimal scar formation.

How Many Hours Does It Take To Do A Brachioplasty?

Depending on how much reconstructive work is required, it take anywhere between two and four hours.

How Many Days Do I Need To Be In Hospital After A Brachioplasty?

Occasionally, depending on how much needs to be done, some patients could have arm reduction surgery as a day surgical procedure – in other words, go home the same day. However, most patients will spend at least one night in Private Hospital and will be medically fit to return home at this stage. Although, some of our patients will benefit from another day or two in hospital.

Can I Walk Around When I Get Home After Surgery?

When you return home, you will be encouraged to be up and as mobile as possible. However, you always want to listen to your body and mobilise within a range that is comfortable for you.

How Much Swelling Can I Expect After Surgery?

You are placed in an arm compression garment immediately after surgery, that will help to manage your swelling. You will need to wear your garment for at least four weeks.

Your arm, and in particular your hands will be quite swollen after surgery. You can expect to see a significant reduction in the initial swelling within the first two weeks following your surgery. In addition, it is not uncommon to see a slight difference in the swelling from one side to the other.

How Do I Sleep After Surgery?

There is no set sleeping position that is advised following your surgery –you can sleep in any position(s) that you are most comfortable in. However, you may find that sleeping on your back to be the most comfortable for the first few weeks.

When Can I Start Driving Again After A Brachioplasty?

You should not consider driving for the first two weeks after surgery. After this time, you should only drive if you feel safe doing so.

When Can I Go For A Swim After Surgery?

We will advise you to refrain from bathing or swimming until at least three weeks following your surgery.

When Can I Go Back To Work?

You will be able to return to a light office or a desk role at approximately two weeks post-surgery. Light hospitality work may be possible at four weeks post-surgery. Any employment that involves heavy lifting or straining must be avoided for six weeks.

When Can I Return To Doing My Normal Activities And Training After A Brachioplasty?

At four weeks post-surgery, you can gradually return to normal training and physical activities. Consider the first four weeks after surgery as RECOVERY, and after four weeks, consider all activities as REHABILITATION. Undertake any physical activities that you wish to do and be guided by your comfort and strength, which will slowly improve.

When Can I Expect To See My Final Surgical Results After A Brachioplasty?

It will take at least six months before you are feeling “normal” and able to do all the things you could before surgery. It will be at this stage that we assess your final surgical results. However, the scars will take up to 24 months before they have matured.

IMPORTANT: For most parts of the body, once a scar has matured, it will usually result in a fine white line. However, sometimes the scar quality is not ideal.

When it comes to brachioplasty surgery, the opposite is true. For whatever anatomical reasons, brachioplasty scars usually become thick and wide, often developing hypertrophic or keloid scarring. This can be quite frustrating for both patient and surgeon alike.