Tag Archive | Weight loss
Brachioplasty
Brachioplasty, also known as an arm lift, is a surgical procedure to remove skin and fat from the upper arm, reducing skin redundancy, be it from fatty tissue, skin, losing weight or muscle.
Aging, fluctuations in weight, simple forces of gravity… all contribute to the loss of skin elasticity and tone.
Before
Brachioplasty, arm lift or arm tuck, can, and often is, coupled with liposuction. When the excess skin is detached, the remaining skin is stretched and stitched back into place. The surgery often lasts for 2-3 hours, and the patients can be sent home on the same day.
After
Our patients have the advantage of a special arrangement we have with Sheraton Hotel, so even if Dr.Fisher has some prior surgery and the patient is taken into the OR in the afternoon, they can rest comfortably, accompanied by our staff, and transition into a wholesome uninterrupted sleep. Healing time after the surgery will vary between individuals. Dr.Fisher will ask you to avoid engaging in strenuous activities such as lifting heavy objects.
Who are ideal candidates for brachioplasty? Those who have lost weight after a massive surgery (e.g. bariatric surgery or “stomach stapling”), who exceeded their tanning, or even people who find that aging process inflicted unwanted and undesirable effects on their bodies. If a patient has predominantly excess of fatty tissue (all over the body) then liposuction must be performed first (or alongside with brachioplasty). Naturally, people who have some counterindication, such as multiple infections of the sweat glands (Hidradenitis Suppurativa) must be treated appropriately first. In cases of radical mastectomy (extensive breast cancer surgery) swelling of the arms is normal and an added aesthetic procedure may neither achieve the desired effects and/or cause unnecessary complications.
Before deciding on getting an arm lift, one must reflect on the scars that will be permanently found on the side of his or her arms. Depending on the length of the incision, the scar could extend from just within the armpit area or down to the elbow. Although Dr.Fisher has already hidden these scars at the inner side of the arm, its appearance varies from one patient to the other and you should consult with Dr.Fisher on the issue in detail. What matters here is the extent of the procedure. Minimal skin excess may be treated with an incision in the armpit alone. Moderate laxity is treated with an incision from the armpit to the elbow. Most patients fall into this category. More severe cases are rare and may require extension of the incision past the elbow onto the forearm. Dr.Fisher performed dozens of incisions of all three types and has unparalleled experience in the area.
Finally, if you are planning or anticipate a significant loss of weight in the future, it is probably best to postpone your arm lift until after this has occurred to optimize your results.
Following arm lift surgery, many patients experience an immediate improvement in their self-esteem and discover a greater self-confidence. In addition, many also find greater access to different clothing styles and fashions and are less self-conscious at the gym, around the pool, or at the beach.
Ab Etching
In Los Angeles, we have summer virtually all year round and many bikini-loving beachcombers love to reveal their physical assets. Weight loss and toning is not all diet and exercise. From the breasts and buttocks to the waist and arms… your whole body is “suctionable,” as Dr.Fisher says. “What an ugly word,” he adds. “It is one of those flash-in-the-pan expressions I commented on in my last interview for Facebook and U-Tube. One should not be susceptible to new-fangled terms in science or art, terms that drive the banner of some lowest common denominator – spaghetti universe, Twiggi body… and such. ‘Suctionable’ seems to be one such term. It is, though, very descriptive. It says what we do in helping people feel better about themselves: we separate the chaff from the grain, so to speak. You see, it does not have to be on the beach – it can be in the privacy of your own home, while you are stepping out of the shower looking at yourself in your bathroom mirror. No-one can see you then – only you. However, how you look is how you feel, and that reflects and bears on your self-esteem when you are fully clothed among other people.”
Dr.Fisher wrote a whole book on the subject, aptly titled “Body Image.” He is currently preparing a second edition. He would welcome any reflections on liposuction that his former patients may have.
For those who have not yet had any cosmetic surgery done and are contemplating getting rid of love handles, hip rolls, muffin tops or whatever other part of your body, which you do not like, “suctionable,” albeit ugly-sounding, is a very descriptive term: we can simply “suck it off.” For example, “abdominal etching” involves the removal of excess fat in between the abdominal muscles, and in doing so creates indentations that give the appearance of a defined stomach. You may have seen this on some of our models on Facebook (all product of Dr. Gregory Fisher’s work). Think six-pack abs? Why not?
Now, as you are, touch yourself on the abdomen. You are sitting? Stand up, lean backward. Now, touch yourself on the abdomen. Can you feel the “sixpack” hiding below? A good surgeon-sculptor, such as Dr.Fisher, can touch you exactly the same way in the operating room, while you are under anaesthesia. He can follow your muscles, and feel where the indentations are. Then, he can suction off the exact amount of fat needed for your muscles to stand out. Of course, you do have to exercise a little and not be a total couch potato. “Abdominal etching” is an option only for individuals in whom total body fat is less than 18 percent. However, it is just as successful, if not more, as a stringent diet and hard exercise, much harder than you would have to exert without ab etching.
