Brachioplasty

Important things to consider are the scar location, the scar length, and management of your scars

• Scar location is usually from the armpit to your elbow, placed either on the inside of your arm, or behind your arm. Both locations have their advantages and disadvantages – a scar on the inside of your arm may not be noticeable to people behind you, but is seen by yourself each time you look in the mirror; a scar placed more behind the arm is usually never visible to you, but may be visible to other people. Dr Colbert will discuss both of these locations with you.
• Scar length will depend on the amount of excess skin that you have. In general the greater the amount of skin excess, the longer the scar has to be. Dr Colbert frequently tells patients the scar is ‘trade off’ – shape and contour is greatly improved, but the trade off is a surgical scar in its place. Unfortunately short scar techniques don’t remove much skin at all, and using liposuction only usually removes fat only, leaving even more extra skin behind.
• Scar management starts from the moment the first incision is made: After the surgery, the incision site will be covered with dressings and compression garments to help reduce swelling and promote healing. Taping is used for the first several weeks, then surgical ointment or silicon gels are used to help hydrate the scar. Over time, the scars from surgery will gradually fade and flatten, but it may take several months to a year for the scars to reach their final appearance.

It is important to keep in mind that while scars from brachioplasty surgery may be noticeable, they are typically located in an area that is not easily visible in everyday clothing.

The results of a brachioplasty are generally long-lasting as long as you maintain a stable weight and healthy lifestyle. However, aging and weight fluctuations may cause some skin to sag again over time.

• Dr Colbert MBBS FRACS (Plastic Surgery) is an Australian trained and fully qualified Specialist Plastic Surgeon.
• Dr Colbert is one of only a few Specialist Plastic Surgeons in Australia who focuses exclusively on breast and body surgery.
• Dr Colbert personally performs all surgery and aftercare himself, and doesn’t get surgical assistants or nurses to treat you during or after your operation.
• Dr Colbert and his staff are renowned for their amazing patient care, delivered in a comfortable and stress-free environment.

Meet Dr Colbert

Costs associated with brachioplasty surgery can be confusing. To help make things clearer we have listed the the following fees that make up the final cost.

• Surgical fee
  • The surgical fee includes the surgery, all post-operative care, and standard post-operative dressings. Please note a quote for the surgical fee can only provided after a consultation with Dr Colbert, and as each patient is different we’re unable to give estimations over the phone. This surgical fee is payable before surgery in total, however Medicare and your health fund may provide a rebate.
  • The Medicare item number for a brachioplasty is 30169. To meet the criteria for this item number the arm excess needs to be causing skin rashes (e.g. intertrigo or another skin condition), with the excess skin interfering with your daily activities, and resulting from significant weight loss.
  • If you meet the criteria for 30169, then this means that Medicare may help provide a rebate for your operation. Your private health fund may also provide a rebate, provided that you are on a suitable level of cover for appropriate amount of time – but you should always check this yourself with your health fund.
• Anaesthetic fee
  • The anaesthetic fee includes general anaesthesia plus pre-operative and post-operative care.
  • After your consultation with Dr Colbert you will be provided with an estimation of your Anaesthetic fee on behalf of your Anaesthetist.
  • For procedures that have a Medicare item number, and provided you meet the criteria, then Medicare and your health fund may pay a rebate for some of the anaesthetic fee. Please note however there is usually an out of pocket gap, and your Anaesthetist will discuss this with you before your operation.
• Hospital fee
  • The hospital fee includes the operation room fee, bed costs, surgical or medication fees, and any other hospital extras.
  • Medicare does not cover this fee. If you have private health insurance then this may be covered by your insurance fund, but you should check with your fund if there is any out of pocket expenses. If you have no private insurance then you will have to pay this fee on discharge from the hospital.