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.
The cost of an arm lift, which includes liposuction of the arms, and a thigh lift (thighplasty), which includes liposuction of the thighs, varies depending on several factors. These factors include the complexity of the procedure and your specific aesthetic goals. We will give you a personalized price quote at your consultation so you can take it home and consider your options. Keep in mind that we offer payment and financing options to make paying for your procedure more convenient and affordable.
For optimal healing, it’s essential to follow your aftercare instructions closely and allow adequate downtime. You can expect to experience some swelling, and it may take a few months for that swelling to subside completely. While every patient varies, here’s a typical timeline of what to expect throughout your recovery.
In addition to adhering to your post-op protocol, you can ease your recovery and enhance your results by following these tips:
Before surgery:
After surgery:
Dr. Hagopian may employ SAFELipo® during your arm lift or thigh lift and suggest one or more complementary body contouring procedures to help you achieve optimal results. For example, a drainless tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) can complement an arm or thigh lift by further balancing your body contours. Or, you may wish to opt for a breast lift or nipple and areola reduction to complete your look.
If you’re yearning for your pre-baby body, Dr. Hagopian sculpts your physique by customizing and combining procedures during mommy makeover surgery. Many women choose this approach because it addresses multiple concerns, including the arms, thighs, tummy, and breasts, and often requires only one surgery and recovery window.
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.
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.
Brachioplasty is an out-of-pocket procedure in our practice.
This is typically a drainless procedure, but there could be extenuating circumstances requiring
drains for the best healing outcomes.
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
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.
Arm lift surgery can significantly improve the appearance of your arms, boost body image, and allow for greater comfort and confidence in clothing, workout gear, and swimwear. Arm lift patients on the popular medical review site RealSelf give the procedure an impressive 91% “Worth It” rating.
Remember, an arm lift is a body contouring vs weight loss procedure. The amount of weight lost is typically minimal—usually just a few pounds from the removal of excess skin and fat. The main goal of the procedure is to improve the contour and appearance of sagging arms, not to achieve significant weight loss.
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.
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.
A thigh lift is typically not covered by insurance and is an out-of-pocket procedure
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.
Thigh lift surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia, so you won’t experience pain during the procedure. After surgery, you can expect some mild to moderate discomfort during the first week, including swelling and bruising. Dr. Hagopian prescribes pain medication to maintain your comfort throughout your recovery.
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.
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.
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.
You can expect your thigh lift results to be long-lasting, especially if you maintain a stable weight and healthy lifestyle. While the procedure removes excess skin and fat, it doesn’t stop the natural aging process. However, most patients enjoy their results for 10 years or longer.
