Hagopian Plastic Surgery: Thomas Hagopian, MD
99 Krog St. NE, Unit C110
Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone: (404) 885-8542
Tuesday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
After significant weight loss, or sometimes as a normal process of aging it’s very common to develop excess skin on the upper arms and thighs. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Hagopian can tighten loose skin on your limbs with an arm lift or thigh lift at his Atlanta, GA, plastic surgery practice.
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An arm lift surgically removes redundant lax skin from the upper arms through incisions along the inside between the armpit and the elbow. A thigh lift removes excess, sagging skin from the upper thighs through incisions concealed in the natural creases of the thigh. While you are under general anesthesia, Dr. Hagopian trims away excess tissue and gives your limbs a firmer, smoother look that’s more in line with your new silhouette.
Plastic surgery is the perfect field for Dr. Hagopian, who has a knack for fixing things and helping people. He’s a former firefighter/paramedic, and he had a business building highly sought-after custom taillights in medical school. He met his wife, Nurse Hagopian, at Emory University, and they bonded over many shared interests, including a commitment to exceptional patient care.
Meet Dr. Thomas Hagopian
Nurse Hagopian is an Atlanta native, a self-identified nursing ethics nerd, and an ANCC board-certified adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. She’s passionate about studying informed consent, empowering fellow nurses to use their voices, and collaborating with people in addressing their aesthetic care needs.
Meet Nurse HagopianYou may be a candidate for an arm lift or thigh lift if you have experienced significant weight loss and want to tighten skin on the arms and/or thighs only. If you are also looking to address laxity on your abdomen or buttocks, you may be a better candidate for a body lift or may benefit from combining your procedure with a drainless tummy tuck for more comprehensive results.
An arm lift, which includes liposuction of the arm, starts at $6,000. A thigh lift or thighplasty, which includes liposuction of the thighs, starts at $7,000. The total cost may vary depending on the complexity of the procedure and other factors. You will be given a personalized price quote at your consultation.
Most people return to desk work after a week or 2 and begin to resume exercise after 4 to 6 weeks. It’s normal to experience some swelling that may take a few months to subside completely.
If you would like to learn more about tightening your skin with an arm lift or thigh lift, please call (404) 885-8542 or request a consultation online.
What is a Brachioplasty, or Arm Lift?
A Brachioplasty, or Arm Lift is a procedure to remove extra skin from the arms. The goal
of this surgery is to improve the contour, or shape of the arms. Brachioplasty can consist
of just the upper portion of the arm, from shoulder to elbow, or be an extended
Brachioplasty and capture the forearm as well.
Who is a candidate for an Arm Lift?
Any patient with significant excess skin in their arms, whether that be from weight loss,
aging, or prior liposuction is a candidate for Brachioplasty.
Is an Arm Lift covered by insurance?
Brachioplasty is an out-of-pocket procedure in our practice.
Will I have drains?
This is typically a drainless procedure, but there could be extenuating circumstances requiring
drains for the best healing outcomes.
What are the minor and major complications? Signs and symptoms?
The most serious complication is a blood clot. Although this is rare, it is a medical
emergency. Signs of a blood clot include swelling to one leg with pain and redness in the
area. If you experience these symptoms, immediately report to the emergency room for
evaluation.
The minor complications after Brachioplasty are wound healing issues, hematoma,
infection, or seroma.
A seroma is a fluid collection and small seromas will typically heal on their own.
A seroma that is the same size or shrinking will often go away. Targeted
compression on these smaller seromas will help them heal fast. A hematoma is
a blood collection that typically is hard and painful. There can be skin changes
(redness, darkening, bruising). Usually, hematomas go away on their own, but if
they are growing or become extremely uncomfortable additional surgery may
be required. Both are unilateral, meaning one-sided.
Occasionally a wound can form on the incision, usually in the armpit where
there is a lot of friction and moisture. This can happen for a number of reasons
including infection, tension, or the skin not getting enough blood at the end of
surgery. Usually, these wounds are small and heal with a little ointment and a
band-aid, but sometimes they can be large and require treatment at a wound
care clinic or even a surgical revision
What is the activity restriction after my Arm Lift?
Patients may resume light cardiovascular activity 3 weeks after surgery. Examples
include walking or stationary biking. No lifting your arms above your shoulder for 3
weeks. You will begin stretching your shoulder at 3 weeks. You may resume all physical
activity at 6 weeks, when the incisions have reached peak tensile strength. Avoid lifting
anything heavier than 5 pounds for the first 3 weeks after surgery.
Do I need compression? What kind of compression is best?
We recommend compression for 3 months after surgery. We will provide the surgical
garment that you will leave the hospital wearing. Ensure you have one size down from
your current size in compression to wear starting at the 1-week post-op mark.
Click here to see our recommended compression and order straight from Amazon.
How soon after an Arm Lift can I shower?
Begin showering 48 hours after surgery. Any adhesive or tape placed on your incisions
will withstand showering if you do not scrub the area. Let warm, soapy water run over
the incisions. Pat dry thoroughly, particularly the armpit (axillary) area.
How soon can I return to work?
Return to work in 2-3 weeks after surgery, depending on the activity level at your work.
What if I’m not happy with my scars or appearance after everything heals?
Remember that the swelling after surgery may take weeks to months to completely
resolve. At the 3-month mark we typically take the “after” pictures, which is when your
swelling and appearance will be mostly settled. Asymmetry can be helped with in office
procedures.
Scar revision is another in-office procedure that can help the appearance of your scars
after surgery. If you are prone to keloids, please tell your surgeon beforehand so we can
pre-treat you. If keloids develop after surgery and you have not had keloids before,
steroid injections may improve hypertrophy.
What is a Thigh Lift?
A thighplasty, or thigh lift is a procedure to remove extra skin from the thighs. The goal
of this surgery is to improve the contour, or shape of the legs.
Who is a candidate for a thigh lift?
Patients with excess skin typically have undergone prior liposuction or extreme weight
loss. This amount of skin can cause issues with skin moisture, exercise, or physical
activity, or finding clothes that fit appropriately.
Is a Thigh Lift covered by insurance?
A thigh lift is typically not covered by insurance and is an out-of-pocket procedure
Will I have drains?
A thigh is a drainless procedure, but your surgeon reserves the right to place them if
your outcomes will be improved. We will discuss this before surgery.
Are there common complications after Thigh Lift?
The most serious complication is a blood clot. Although this is rare, it is a medical
emergency. Signs of a blood clot include swelling to one leg with pain and redness in the
area, difficulty breathing or chest pain. If you experience these symptoms, immediately
report to the emergency room for evaluation.
The minor complications after abdominoplasty are wound healing issues, hematoma,
infection, or seroma.
A seroma is a fluid collection and small seromas will typically heal on their own.
A seroma that is the same size or shrinking will often go away. Targeted
compression on these smaller seromas will help them heal fast. A hematoma is
a blood collection that typically is hard and painful. There can be skin changes
(redness, darkening, bruising). Usually, hematomas go away on their own, but if
they are growing or become extremely uncomfortable surgical exploration and
removal are required. Both are typically unilateral, meaning one-sided.
Occasionally, a wound can form on the incision, usually in the groin where there
is a lot of friction and moisture. This can happen for a number of reasons
including infection, tension, or the skin not getting enough blood at the end of
surgery. Usually, these wounds are small and heal with a little ointment and a
band-aid, but sometimes they can be large and require treatment at a wound
care clinic or even a surgical revision.
Wound opening is most likely to occur at the junction where the lateral thigh
incision meets the inner thigh incision. This is called the “T” junction and it is the
area with the highest tension.
What is the activity restriction after Thigh Lift?
Patients may resume light cardiovascular activity 3 weeks after surgery. Examples
include walking or stationary biking. You may resume all physical activity at 6 weeks,
when the incisions have reached peak tensile strength. Avoid lifting anything heavier
than 5 pounds for the first 3 weeks after surgery. The most difficult movement will be
flexion of the knee joint, which brings the heel to the back of your thigh.
Do I need compression? What kind of compression is best?
For best results, wear compression for 3 months postoperatively. This helps your body
control swelling and prevent fluid collections like seromas. We will provide the garment
you will wear the day of the procedure. Ensure you have one size down from your
current size in compression available to start wearing around 1 week later.
Click here to see our recommended compression and order straight from Amazon.
How soon after thigh lift can I shower?
Begin showering 48 hours after surgery. Any adhesive or tape placed on your incisions
will withstand showering if you do not scrub the area. Let warm, soapy water run over
the incisions. Pat dry thoroughly, particularly the groin (inner thigh) area.
How soon can I return to work?
Patients may return to work 2-3 weeks after surgery, depending on the activity level at
their work.
What if I am not happy with my scars or appearance after everything heals?
Remember that the swelling after surgery may take weeks to months to completely
resolve. At the 3-month mark we typically take the “after” pictures, which is when your
swelling and appearance will be mostly settled. Asymmetry can be helped with in office
procedures.
Scar revision is another in-office procedure that can help the appearance of your scars
after surgery. If you are prone to keloids, please tell your surgeon beforehand so we can
pre-treat you. If keloids develop after surgery and you have not had keloids before,
steroid injections may improve hypertrophy.
