Arm Liposuction in NYC

Page Content Authored by Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. David Rapaport

If you think about it, your arms are the most visible body part after your chin and neck. In fact, if you look around you right now, you will likely see only bare faces, chins, necks, and arms as the only body parts above the waist that are exposed and bare for all to see. 

Perhaps for this reason, it’s not surprising that many people, almost always women, are very interested in contouring their arms. It is not unusual to have a relative disproportion of fat in the upper arm area and the good news is that these can be easily and permanently reshaped with a one hour minimally-invasive liposuction procedure.

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Conveniently located to serve New York City

The scientific fact is that our fatty proportions are genetically based and while weight loss from dieting and exercise makes fat cells smaller, just like eating and not exercising makes fat cells bigger when we gain weight, the cells and therefore the underlying disproportion always remain unless they are physically removed. Permanent reshaping of fatty tissues is best done with liposuction. Liposuction provides permanent changes in your contour because it actually removes the problem fat cells, and fat cells don’t grow back, nor do they migrate from place to place.

At Rapaport plastic surgery we have real expertise in contouring arms, with over 30 years of liposuction experience, and hundreds of happy liposuction patients in New York, Tel Aviv, and around the world.

Arm Liposuction Results

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    female holding up arm after going through arm liposuction in New York City

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    woman in new york cit holing up arm after getting arm liposuction

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*Individual results may vary.

A Pioneer In Plastic Surgery

Why Choose Dr. Rapaport for Arm Liposuction in NYC?

Double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Rapaport has been performing liposuction for over 30 years in New York City and consistently creates attractive, natural-looking results. One of NYC’s best plastic surgeons, Dr. Rapaport specializes in liposuction and has helped numerous patients reduce arm fat using arm liposuction surgery.

Dr Rapaport’s approach focuses on educating his patients regarding all of their options and helping them truly understand the benefits and drawbacks of each. He is meticulous in his approach to liposuction, as well as to patient safety and comfort during the procedure. Making sure that they receive the form of anesthesia that is best for their body and personality. In many cases of single or two area liposuction that may be local anesthesia, or possibly IV, twilight anesthesia, where the patient remains in full control of their own breathing and airway.

When choosing a surgeon to perform your liposuction, it is important that you inquire about how often they have performed the procedure and what complications they have personally
encountered, including whether they have ever lost a patient.

Dr. Rapaport can proudly and honestly state that he has never experienced a major complication from liposuction. Never has a liposuction patient of his required blood transfusion or hospitalization, nor has he experienced any surgery related patient deaths.

Dr. Rapaport performs arm liposuction and numerous other face, breast, and body procedures at our cutting-edge surgical suite in our NYC facility. We’re located near Le Charlot Parisian bistro and SummerStage in Central Park.

Dr. Rapaport has been honored as a Top NYC Plastic Surgeon by New York magazine for several years and a Castle Connolly Top Doctor since 2016. His artistic approach, combined with his eye for balanced proportions, helps him achieve optimal arm liposuction results.

Meet Dr. Rapaport

Learn More About Arm Liposuction

Dr. Rapaport performs arm liposuction under local or twilight (IV) anesthesia. Both options allow the patient to breathe on their own during surgery, and do not require narcotic medication following the procedure. In fact, when performed alone, most arm liposuctions are performed under local anesthesia with no IV at all, but rather a gentle dose of oral relaxation agents given before the procedure. Often arm liposuction is combined with Lipo of other areas, and, depending on the number of areas, the use of IV twilight sedation may be recommended to ensure a most comfortable experience.

During the actual procedure, Dr. Rapaport will inject a numbing agent and create a tiny incision through which the procedure will be performed. This incision is typically about 4 mm in diameter, which is just half  the width of a USB-C plug. 

Next, Dr. Rapaport injects tumescent fluid through the small incision. This fluid contains a numbing agent as well as a drug called epinephrine. The latter constricts blood vessels, so that fat can be aspirated with essentially no blood loss. The actual suctioning of the fat is performed with a cannula, or metallic rod, that is less than 4 mm in diameter. Because each stroke of the cannula is suctioning a very tiny amount of fat, and the cannula is moved in and out literally hundreds and thousands of times, this type of action produces gentle and subtle changes during the course of the procedure enabling excellent control of contour by an experienced plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Rapaport.

Liposuction and New Technologies Used by New York Plastic Surgeon Dr David Rapaport.

Depending on the patient’s anatomy and specific tissue characteristics, such as whether the fat is more fibrous or soft, Dr. Rapaport may use a technology called PAL (Power Assisted Liposuction). This technology mainly reduces the work on the part of the surgeon, but can also remove fat more quickly. PAL also facilitates the use of a process called equalization in which case a special cannula is used without suction to help even out microscopic imperfections in the fatty contour.

 Dr. Rapaport may also perform VASER lipo, liquifying fat cells with ultrasound energy for easier removal. This technology is used in a highly selective manner because it does involve very high levels of heat and can therefore increase risk of damage to skin and other tissues. In general, Dr. Rapaport prefers the power assisted technology because it does not involve heating of the tissues.

When there is also tissue laxity or impending tissue laxity, Dr. Rapaport will likely recommend the addition of Renuvion as a tissue tightening procedure. Renuvion involves delivery of heat to the honeycomb pattern of tissue, which is loose and empty after fat removal. The heat is produced via helium plasma that is ignited using radio-frequency stimulation, and thereby induces the production of collagen, which tightens the mass of tissue, Renuvion is FDA cleared and probably the safest way of tightening the tissues after they have been emptied of their fatty deposits. Bodytite (like faceTite) is a different form of heating technology with the same goal as Renuvion but possibly slightly less effective and with possibly higher risks. 

The entire procedure described above for the arms typically takes less than one hour to performOnce the arm-contouring surgery is complete, Dr. Rapaport closes each incision using a single suture so that the tiny wound heals as a fine line rather than a pit resembling a chickenpox scar, which is what happens if the incisions are not closed. Patients can usually go home within an hour of the procedure.

The best candidates for arm liposuction are frustrated by  fat deposits in their upper arms. Some  are also dealing with saggy skin, often referred to as  “bat wings.” Good candidates understand that the procedure is intended to make them look and feel better at their given weight. Liposuction, in Dr. Rapaport’s opinion, should not be looked upon as a weight reduction procedure per se 

Ideal candidates for arm liposuction have goodskin elasticity. This encourages skin retraction and prevents sagging. When there is already tissue laxity, or the sense that after the fat is emptied from the arm, then there will be tissue laxity (something we call impending laxity), Dr. Rapaport will recommend an advent procedure, typically Renuvion, to improve tightness.

Before a date is set for arm liposuction, patients will meet with Dr. Rapaport at our NYC facility, located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, on the edge of Central Park. This consultation involves a discussion of the patient’s goals, along with a physical evaluation of their arms. The surgeon will go over the procedure’s steps and answer any questions the patient may have. You can rest assured that all relevant options will be reviewed and questions answered with full honesty.

After your arm fat removal procedure in New York City, you’ll likely be able to return to full physical activity within 48 hours with the only exception being that we do not allow stretching the arms high above your head until after two weeks so as not to disrupt the wound closure. 

Swelling and bruising can last around two to three weeks and will gradually fade. Soreness can be treated with NSAIDs as needed; narcotics are not needed following well performed liposuction. .

You’ll need to wear elastic post-surgical compression garments on your arms for the first 48 hours after surgery. This reduces swelling, encourages healing, and helps the skin contour more effectively to the arms’ new dimensions. Ice packs can also reduce swelling and bruising.

The overwhelming major majority of patients who undergo liposuction (even of several areas with twilight anesthesia) on a Friday and return to non-physical work on Monday as well as to the gym for a gentle workout.

The price of arm liposuction can be impacted by a number of variables. The type of anesthesia used can affect the overall cost, as can the techniques involved, facility fees, and the time needed to perform the procedure.

NYC patients who are interested in financing their arm liposuction procedure can look into financing plans provided by CareCredit, PatientFi, and Cherry. These companies offer numerous options based on the needs of each patient.

Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Rapaport

Contact Rapaport Plastic Surgery today to schedule your personalized arm liposuction consultation with Dr. Rapaport. To arrange your appointment, call (212) 249-9955 or fill out our contact form. Our NYC office is located at 905 5th Ave. #1W, New York, NY 10021, not far from Ladurée on Madison Avenue and The Frick Collection art museum.

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Arm Liposuction FAQs

The best candidates for arm liposuction are frustrated by  fat deposits in their upper arms. Some  are also dealing with saggy skin, often referred to as  “bat wings.” Good candidates understand that the procedure is intended to make them look and feel better at their given weight. Liposuction, in Dr. Rapaport’s opinion, should not be looked upon as a weight reduction procedure per se 

Ideal candidates for arm liposuction have goodskin elasticity. This encourages skin retraction and prevents sagging. When there is already tissue laxity, or the sense that after the fat is emptied from the arm, then there will be tissue laxity (something we call impending laxity), Dr. Rapaport will recommend an advent procedure, typically Renuvion, to improve tightness.

The maximum total amount of fat that can be safely removed with any liposuction is 11 lbs. typically around half a pound or so a fat may be removed from each arm. Remember, it’s not about the amount of fat, but rather the contour that it creates.

Since a very small incision is created for arm liposuction, the procedure will result in a very small scar (usually just two to five millimeters). Dr. Rapaport meticulously closes these small scars so that they heal as vine lines rather than as pits which resemble chickenpox scars Incisions will be well-camouflaged in the natural contours of the arm, and scars will fade with proper care.

Arm liposuction offers permanent fat removal. Removed fat cells cannot return, nor do fat cells migrate from place to place. Therefore, the reshaping of the fat can expected to be permanent. With weight gain the entire picture will be larger and with weight loss smaller but the fatty proportions will be permanently improved