title: Upper arm contouring with brachioplasty after massive weight loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the obese population increases in Korea, the number of patients who are trying to lose weight has been increasing steadily. In these patients, skin laxity and deformation of the body contour occurs, which could possibly be corrected by various body contouring surgeries. Here, we introduce the brachioplasty method and our experience of various body contouring surgeries performed in our center.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2009 to August 2011, five cases of brachioplasty were performed. When the patient presented with sagging of the lateral inframammary crease and bat wing deformity in the axilla, extended brachioplasty was performed; in this case, the deformation of the axilla and lateral chest was corrected at the same time. A traditional brachioplasty was performed when contouring was needed only for skin laxity in the upper arm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complications, such as hematomas or nerve injuries, were not evident. Some patients experienced partial wound dehiscence due to tension or hypertrophic scars found during the follow-up. In general, all of the patients were satisfied with the improvement in their upper arm contour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the demands for body contouring surgery, the number of brachioplasty surgical procedures is expected to increase significantly, with abdominoplasty comprising a large portion of these surgeries. For the brachioplasty procedure, preparation and preoperative consultation regarding design of the surgery by experienced surgeons was important to prevent complications such as nerve damage or hematoma formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Ho
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Cheol
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rhie
keywords: Surgery, plastic; Upper extremity; Weight loss