Upper Body Lift Procedure

General anaesthesia is given by our very competent anaesthetist and intensivist. This surgery is performed in three sequential steps by Dr Amit Agarwal. We have to reposition the patient at least two to three times during the surgery to access different areas of the upper body. The procedures done are brachioplasty for upper arms +/- liposuction, breast reshaping by reduction/liftin females or chest contouring in males and back lift.

• Brachioplasty - This targets the sagging skin in the upper arm area. An incision is made along the premarked lines on medial side of the arm carried to underneath the armpit and extended along part of the upper chest wall and toward the back (if excess skin is present in lateral chest area also). Excess skin and fat will then be removed through this incision and arm is tightened and reshaped. The incision is then closed with absorbable sutures and glue. Scar will be on inner side of the arm and armpits hidden under clothes. In few cases, some temporary drains are placed under the skin to remove excess fluid.
• Reshaping of breasts - An incision is made- around the areola, extending from the bottom edge of the areola down to the breast crease (the inframammary fold) and then underneath the breast, horizontally along the Breast crease. Reshaping is done by uplifting the breast tissue to improve the firmness and contour, enlarged areolas are reduced by excising skin at the perimeter, areola and nipple are repositioned to a natural height and excess breast skin is reduced. Sutures are layered deep within the breast tissue to support the newly shaped breasts. With this the remaining skin is tightened, and the incisions are closed with absorbable sutures and glue over drains. Scar will be around the areola with a vertical extension and along the breast crease horizontally. In males, hanging skin at the breast region is treated as in gynaecomastia surgery. Excess skin resection is done and nipple with areola is moved upward to a desired location.
• Back lift - removes excess rolls of skin from the lower, middle or upper back region. An incision is made on the back little away from midline and carried to side of the chest. The excess skin is removed and the incisions will be closed with absorbable sutures and glue. Scar will be on the mid back region, near the bra line for women and well hidden under the Tshirt for men.

Upper arm lift results are visible immediately after the surgery, but best results are perfectly visible when the swelling subsides completely.

Possible side effects and risks

The complications and aftermaths of the surgery vary from person to person and their physical well-being. Upper body lift usually gives desired results but there can be some risks involved which include:

• Risks related to general anaesthesia which are very rare-General Anaesthesia is very safe in present times and with best machines and a qualified anaesthetist, chances of encountering any complication is less than 0.1 percent in a healthy individual. We at Kayakriti Plastic Surgery and Dental centre are equipped with world class anaesthesia workstation, other equipments and two very qualified intensivists for the surgical procedures to be very safe and smooth.
• Visible scars at the incision sites which cover a large area of your chest, arms and back. The scars usually fade with time and are well hidden under the bra strap in females and clothing of males.
• Risks related to higher BMI (Body Mass Index). Higher the BMI, higher are the risks of wound healing problems
• Seroma formation or fluid accumulation can occur which subsides with time.
• Rare chances of infection and wound dehiscence are there which may require prolonged antibiotic therapy and re-suturing respectively.
• Bleeding or haematoma formation under skin flaps which might mere require observation or surgical drainage
• Slight asymmetry of the breasts or loss of sensitivity around the nipples
• There can be persistent swelling and bruising in the surgical area which reduces with time.
• If you have a poor blood supply, the healing will be poor and chances of wound healing problems is more. (More common in smokers, people with high BMI, diabetics, hypothyroidism and in people with multiple diseases)
• Sometimes irregular contours are seen, which can be corrected with the use of the pressure garment.
• Change in skin sensation is noticed which recovers with time.
• Irregular pigmentation or hypertrophic scarring of the surgical suture line which also recovers with time or might require application of creams.
• Rare chances of nerve compressions or damage in the arm.
• The rare event of Deep Vein Thrombosis, fat embolism, pulmonary or cardiac complications, and lidocaine toxicity can occur or precipitate in patients with multiple pre-existing diseases diagnosed or undiagnosed by routinely available standard tests.

These are the risks and possible complications which should be discussed by you with Dr. Amit Agarwal before the procedure.

It is also very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to maintain your shape and contour. If you are unable to maintain it or plan an exercise regime, there can be deposits of unwanted fat at other sites other than the surgical. Then probably you may have to undergo another surgery.