Bat-Wings: The Dreaded Hanging Arm Skin After WLS
Gastric bypass surgery is just the first step that many morbidly obese patients take in total body reshaping. A residue of massive weight loss is the dreaded “bat wings.” You know what I’m talking about: that upper arm skin that hangs like bat wings if you open your arms to fly. Wave your hand and the bat wings will too. For some, after massive weight loss, there is so much skin that it is difficult to find shirts with sleeves that fit well and even worse, it is embarrassing to wear sleeveless shirts.
To do?
Exercise:
The first line of defense is to do weights or strength training during the rapid weight loss phase. Many patients report a satisfactory contraction of the skin on the upper arms when they have incorporated light exercise during weight loss. Bicep curls and tricep pulls are the best exercises for firming your upper arms. Arm training requires minimal equipment (2 light dumbbells, 3 to 5 pounds each) and limited space. It should be noted that the younger the patient and the fewer times they have seen a significant weight change, the more likely they are to tone and shape their arms with exercise. Now, that does not relieve older patients of the obligation to exercise; it just gives younger people who have weight loss surgery a little more encouragement.
Liposuction:
The next option, but not very plausible, is liposuction. Liposuction is only suitable when there is a lot of fat and the skin is tight. The lipo sucks in the fat and allows the skin to shrink. This is not plausible for most WLS patients because they have already lost the fat leaving an empty balloon of skin on the upper arm.
Brachioplasty:
The last resort is the $ 5,000 arm lift called a brachioplasty. Brachioplasty is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin from the upper arm.
Arm Lift Incisions and Scars
Scars are the biggest drawback of this operation. They will extend from the armpit to the elbow, along the inside of the arm. This operation changes one cosmetic problem (loose skin) for another (scars). In general, people with very loose sagging skin are more likely to find this exchange worthwhile. Those with a small amount of slack probably won’t want the scars.
Kaye Bailey © 2005 – All rights reserved