Upper Body Lift

An Upper Body Lift tightens and removes loose skin and fat from the upper arm and armpit areas as well as back and side rolls. For some patients this procedure is combined with breast or arm lift surgery. As well as all of Dr. Carmina’s surgeries, this procedure requires specialized sculpting to meet the individual needs of her patient.

Dr. Carmina knowing the importance of a positive and open line of patient and doctor communication will go over all details making everything very clear for her patient before surgery.

Depending on the extent of your procedure the surgery may take from 3 to 5 hours. You will experience some pain, however Dr. Carmina will prescribe pain medication for you. Recovery time can be from 6 to 8 weeks; however you will need to avoid lifting heavy objects for the first three months and continue to be careful with lifting for another month.

Dr. Carmina will want you to wear a compression garment. You can return to work, if it´s not strenuous, in 2 weeks. It is always best to listen to your own body and check with us if in doubt. Remember Dr. Carmina’s bilingual staff is always here to help you through your entire journey.

These procedures will rejuvenate your look and result in a smooth, more youthful appearance of your upper body. Your desire to wear the clothing of your choice with confidence will become a reality.

Dr. Carmina Cardenas requires a BMI (Body mass index) of 30 or below in order to be a safe candidate for any plastic surgery procedure, post-bariatric patients are required to be 1 YPO from bariatric surgery and have at least 3 consecutive months of steady weight in order to be eligible.

AWL patients are typically candidates for:

1. Lower Body Lift
2. Upper Body Lift
3. Inner Thigh Lift
4. Facelift / Necklift

A combination of regional anesthesia and IV sedation (twilight) is used where the patient is not unconscious, but sedated, this allows the anesthesiologist to monitor oxygen levels in blood, this is especially important when performing the repair of the abdominal wall muscles, as the patient need to breathe by itself, something that cannot be achieved with general anesthesia.

A local anesthetic is injected into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine, the anesthetic will wear off a few hours after the procedure without the negative effects that general anesthesia typically produces such as nausea, vomiting, etc.

Will you be awake, during the procedure?  Yes and no. During the entire procedure, you will be conscious, which means you can respond to commands such as opening and closing your mouth. Although, during twilight sedation, you will be in a drowsy, dream-like state.

Although Plastic Surgery is an elective procedure it is still a real surgery and therefore there is always a potential risks of complications as in any other major procedure,  DVT (deep vein thrombosis), PE (pulmonary embolism) or VTE (vein thromboembolism) which is a combination of the two are the most fatal risks and therefore you should discuss this with Dr. Cardenas thoughtfully, other potential risks may be but are not limited to:

The honest answer is NO, but risks can be reduced considerably if doctor and patient work together; You’ll be provided with a list of pre-operatory exams that need to be performed prior to surgery and a protocol of actions that you will need to follow in order to reduce the risks, but the patient must always be aware that risks cannot be eradicated completely.

Remember AWL and especially post-bariatric patients are at a greater risk of complications, therefore, pre and post operative instructions must be followed with diligence.

The risk of fatal complications in plastic surgery (when following the recommended standards) is less than 1%, meaning that Plastic Surgery is very safe; As shown in the previous chart, other complications may happen and are more frequent, is plastic surgery worth it even after considering those risks?

Plastic Surgery is a very personal decision; therefore, it is very important that you have a comprehensive understanding of the risks involved and the benefits that plastic surgery may bring to your life,  the following  chart represent the improvements in the overall quality of life that patients who underwent surgery with Dr. Cardenas over the last 3 years reported.

1. Following pre and post operative instructions diligently.
2. Having a discussed emergency plan that both parts can follow in the event of a complication (Supportive PCP at home, family of friend’s support group that can help you at home in case that you need to travel back).
3. Constant and open communication and collaboration.

All our patients have a PROTECTION PLAN included that can cover up to $3,500 dlls in expenses for treatment in the event of a complication that requires the patient to return to our facilities.