Plastic surgery on the "Batwings", Arms ?

Well it is happening, the dreaded, wrinkly upper arms....  I had really big upper arms before, so I kind of expected this to be my problem area. No matter how much I am exercising, they are still pretty flabby and wrinkly.... plus I am 49 yrs old, so that does not help!  Anyhoo, just wondering if any of you veterans have had the plastic surgery on your upper arms and how did it go for you?  Were your results what you hoped for?  How about the recovery and pain?  What kind of fee can I expect?  Really hope to hear from some that had it... Thanks ! 

I'm 52, have lost about 75 pounds....still have much more to lose. My body is flapping!  lol  I plan to invest in Spanx and sleeves.  The thought of having the flesh removed just makes me a little nauseous.  I may change my mind, but for now...I'm just going to cover it.
Good luck with whatever you choose! 

Janet

I had mine done.  They look MUCH better than they did before, but my scar lines, like those of most people whose brachioplasty incisions I have seen up close, are less than perfect (the contours of the arms are difficult to work with) -- sometimes there are small wavy spots or, more frequently, the scars are not exactly symmetrical from one arm to the other --  and the scars ARE noticeable  when you wear sleeveless outfits (mainly the portion of the scars near the elbow) even if the surgeon hides them as best he can in the natural crease of the arm.  I have a weird spot on the back of one arm that has like a dimpled area, but overall, I much prefer the scars to the 4" batwings I had before!  I would, however, NOT do it just for a little bit of sagging and some crepe-y skin.

My brachioplasty was pretty painful for quite a while.  Mostly the armpits (my incisions go from elbow, up the arm, through the armpit and down the side of the breast (so he could remove that flap of excess skin under the bra band area).  I had to stop wearing the compression garment after just a couple of days because the seam in the armpit area was rubbing my incision raw and caused two small sections to open up (so those parts of the scar are wider than the rest).  It took me a long time to get full range of motion back (arms extended all the way up reaching for the sky), and the swelling lasted off and on for several months (despite wearing Ace wraps daily instead of the compression garment), but MOST of the swelling was gone in a month.  He also removed my sweat glands and hair follicles in my armpits (no more shaving and no more sweating!).

Fees vary widely from place to place and surgeon to surgeon, but in Ohio I paid $5500 for mine with a plastic surgeon who uses a surgical facility rather than a full service hospital (which costs more).

Lora

I had a brachioplasty.  My results were amazing and pain wasn't too bad either.  The most difficult part of the arm recovery was not being able to lift my arms much for a couple of weeks and the tightness when I was able to raise them.  My scars are barely noticeable and I'll take those scars any day to the melting skin.

I will say I wish I had done more muscle building because at almost 49 I do have some minimal loose skin that is probably more related to age than anything.  I keep saying I'll do some weights to build muscle but as usual me and exercise of any type just don't get together enough, lol

As for price I did mine with multiple procedures and can't remember the exact amount that related to arms (I did get a discount for multiple procedures) but the cost Lora said I believe was about the going price for me too.

I had brachioplasty done as soon as I got to goal. My arms are amazing and I get lots of compliments on them. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

How are the scars?

Mine flap as well, but probably not so bad to have surgery at this point. What I do find funny is how many different names there are for this problem - I call them Bingo Wings - lol

I like that!  Bingo Wings!  I thing we need to start a thread to hear from folks and their words for this area that is probably one of the most notable to us.  It limits our comfort zone in wearing sleevless tops, dresses and also my sleeves need to come to close to my elbow for me to be comfortable. Forgot capped sleeves.  Ugh.  You really have to have really thin great arms for that and was never a fan anyway even when I was young.  But yes, I think all the women on here that have had it done really look great in their pictures.  Scars and all I feel would be worth it.  Jane

I always see dresses with capped sleeves and think "That's so cute!" Then my arms look like little sausages trying to escape the casing, lol. Ah, capped sleeves...meant for those chicken bone arms I guess.

I did find one capped sleeve blouse that had a button under the arm that you could undo to loosen them up a little bit. I wish they'd do that for more shirts!

I've seen so many of the RNYers on here who have had just beautiful results from their brachioplasty, so I'll bat for the other side on this one.

For me, what it boils down to is not wanting to give up the time and having limited mobility for an extended period. I've been through a shoulder surgery and an elbow dislocation, both of which kept me in a sling for months and took a long time to rehab. I feel like I've worked so hard to get where I am as a physically fit person, that letting that progress lapse is worse to me than having droopy upper arms. It's hard when you never, ever could run as a kid and finally build up the ability to do 4 miles without feeling awful, to think about having to build up the muscle tone and endurance again.

Secondly, I felt like it was reinforcing the idea that my body type is somehow less beautiful. There was a lovely girl at the beach when I was in the Bahamas. She'd clearly lost a significant amount of weight and had an abdomen full of extra skin, but she was smiling wearing her bikini in the sun. I thought to myself, "Why can't I do that?" In my opinion, feeling as though I should be ashamed of my extra skin or wanting to hide it felt kind of like being obese and trying to hide my body all over again. I didn't like that, so I stopped caring and embraced tank tops and two piece bathing suits. So what? If my skin is so gross that it somehow offends a person looking at me, that's the individual's problem, not mine. And honestly, that was kind of liberating.

All of my individual notes aside, it is a very personal decision. Some see it as the final step in achieving a body that makes them feel truly confident and happy. Some are uncomfortable with the extra skin and the friction it can cause. Some just plain want to reward their hard work in an aesthetical way. Whatever you choose will be right for you. :-) Good luck with the journey!