Complication of the upper arm lift

As with any operation, complications can occur during an upper arm lift, especially in extreme cases.

The likelihood of their occurrence increases if the findings of skin sagging are extreme, usually as a result of very severe weight loss.

Therefore, especially in the case of extreme findings, a plastic surgery upper arm lift performed by a specialist (at the Yuveo Clinic Düsseldorf), accurate preparation and aftercare are of crucial importance in order to avoid serious complications.

What special complications are possible with an upper arm lift?

Specific complications are directly related to the treatment in question. Typical are

• Numbness and numbness:
  When tightening the upper arms, the operated areas may be numb due to injury to small skin nerves. This change usually disappears within a few weeks.
• Tissue death:
  Circulatory disorders can occur at the corner sutures in particular due to tension and pressure. This can lead to the skin or even subcutaneous tissue being lost after tightening the upper arms. Circulatory disorders of the skin during tightening operations are much more common in smokers than in non-smokers. We therefore recommend that you stop smoking around such an operation.
• ‘Dog ears’:
  ‘Dog ears’ are small excess skin that can occur at the ends of the suture, mainly in the crook of the elbow, during tightening operations such as an upper arm lift. They can usually be avoided intraoperatively. If not, they can be corrected later under local anesthesia.

What general complications should be avoided when tightening the upper arms?

In addition to the specific complications, there are also a number of general complications that can occur when tightening the upper arms:

• Bleeding and bruising
• Thrombosis and embolism (caused by blood clots)
• Infections and wound healing disorders
• Scarring disorders, over-threshold, bulging scars
• Injury to neighboring structures
• Complications relating to anesthesia.