The arms are one of the areas that consistently yield the highest level of patient satisfaction and happiness.

• Appropriate Patient

  Not every person is a good candidate. But for appropriate patients, the results are most gratifying. Liposuction of the arms is almost exclusively a procedure for women. Exercise of the arms does not reduce the volume of fat located on the arms. Most women do not want arms that appear muscular or masculine. A heavy, bulky arm gives the appearance of obesity, a thinner arm helps to give the appearance of a thinner body.

• Cosmetic Goals

  The aesthetic goal of arm liposuction is for a woman to feel more attractive in social situations while wearing short sleeve clothing.The goal of arm liposuction is 1) to improve a disproportionate appearance of the arm, while maintaining the quality of female beauty, 2) to allow the patient to feel more comfortable and less self-conscious when wearing a sleeveless blouse, 3) to achieve a thinner appearance of the arms when the arms are in a relaxed, dependent position alongside of the torso. The goal is not to remove the maximum possible amount of fat. Arms that are disproportionately skinny with an otherwise obese body might appear deformed rather than attractive.

• Postoperative Care

  Postoperative Care after liposuction of the arms is relatively simple with only a moderate degree of compression necessary for only a few days. Drainage from the arms usually lasts less than 48 hours after surgery. Dressings consist of absorbent pads, initially held in place by tubular elastic netting, over which are wrapped elastic non-adhesive ace-type bandages. The patient can usually remove and re-apply these dressings without assistance. Postoperative improvement is rapid. Virtually every patient attains a significant degree of improvement within a few days after surgery. Excessive compression may cause swelling of the forearms and hands.

• Pitfalls and Considerations

  The most common cosmetic problem associated with liposuction of the arms is excessive and uneven removal of fat. Arms that are devoid of subcutaneous fat are not attractive, and do not look like normal female arms. If virtually all the subcutaneous fat is removed from an area of an arm, the result is an unappealing lumpy-bumpy look. This lumpy appearance becomes grossly accentuated if the patient gains weight.