Arm liposuction

Many women are bothered by excess tissue on their upper arms, which are often referred to as "flabby arms". Neither sport and exercises for firm upper arms nor diet can improve this problem. Flabby upper arms in old age or even in younger years, which "bounce" with every movement, are often unsightly and a psychological burden for those affected. In very specific cases, such annoying skin flaps and excess fat pads can occur in combination with fat swelling on the legs – this phenomenon is also known as lipedema (lipedema of the upper arms).

Most women suffer from flabby arms due to a genetic predisposition and a tendency towards weak connective tissue (similar to Cellulite, which is why flabby arms are sometimes referred to as "cellulite of the upper arms"). Angular arms occur when excess fat stretches the skin very much, which leads to "sagging" of the lower arm area. There may also be a disproportion between the growth of the skin and the underlying muscles: In this case, gravity pulls on the skin and easily detaches it from the muscles. The skin is no longer tightly lined and unsightly skin flaps appear. No matter what those affected try, it is very difficult to lose weight on the upper arms or to lose the specific upper arm fat. Patients who have stretch marks on their upper arms or wrinkled upper arms also like to have their upper arms tightened.

Treatment

Before treating the upper arms, it is important to determine what is bothering you the most: Is it the volume due to excess fat? Is it the sagging skin? Or both? A possible lipedema disease should also be confirmed or ruled out. Based on the diagnosis, an individual treatment plan can then be drawn up to achieve the best result.

When performing liposuction on the arms, it is important to note that the skin on the upper arms only tightens moderately after normal liposuction, which is why additional procedures are usually required. Smooth liposuction is used to reduce volume, but it must always be performed on the arms in combination with tightening cannulas so that the skin does not sag or droop afterwards.

If there is a lot of excess skin or to tighten wrinkled upper arms, skin tightening is the main procedure. We advise against surgery with a scalpel to avoid unsightly scars on the inside of the upper arms. Instead, we recommend what is currently the best alternative to surgery: RENUVION. RENUVION combines the unique properties of helium plasma with the efficiency of highly focused energy, creating a dual thermal effect that gently tightens the tissue. A cannula heats the connective tissue between the skin and muscles, causing it to contract as a result of the heating. Figuratively, this can be imagined as when a steak contracts due to the heat on a grill.

Water-jet liposuction (WAL) is used exclusively for lipedema. Numerous studies have shown that WAL is the best method of choice in this case because it is most gentle on the tissue (especially the lymphatic channels). The fat is washed out of its bed between the connective tissue fibers by the water jet without damaging them.

Procedure of the treatment

The procedure itself takes about 1 hour; however, you should expect a total stay of 3 hours including a welcome, preliminary discussion, infiltration, suction, resting time, dressing and farewell.

In twilight sleep, the tissue is slowly filled with local anesthetic (tumescent solution) and then suctioned out. The mini punctures for the cannulas are made in the elbow area and close to the shoulder at the junction between the upper arm and shoulder. They are so small that they are invisible after just a few weeks. The first step is liposuction of the upper arms (smooth lipo), after which the skin is tightened using special cannulas.

If the skin is very loose, the tightening cannulas are not enough; RENUVION is needed to treat the excess skin. In this case, regular liposuction is performed first, followed by heating the tissue with RENUVION. This method achieves a maximum temperature of up to 85°C on the connective tissue fibers under the skin, which explains the tightening effect. The simultaneous use of helium protects the surrounding tissue from the heat in such a way that burns are ruled out.

Immediately after the procedure, you will be bandaged and allowed to go home; the bandage can be removed the next day. There is no need for compression or other special aftercare. The results are visible the very next day; however, it takes at least 6 months for the final result, as the tightening process takes time.