Arm Lift Cost: Average Price, What Affects It & Financing

An arm lift, also called brachioplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin and sometimes fat from the upper arm. Cost is a common first question, and the honest answer is that it depends on what a given quote includes. Whether the procedure is right for you is a decision for a board-certified plastic surgeon, and this page sticks to pricing.

Published figures come from different organizations, and they do not measure exactly the same thing. One reports a surgeon's fee. Others try to describe the whole bill. The sections below show how to read them.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) publishes the average surgeon's fee. Its statistics leave out anesthesia, the operating room or facility, and other related expenses, so the ASPS number understates what you will actually pay.

CareCredit publishes two different averages for arm lift, one on its cosmetic costs hub and another in a guide on skin removal surgery after weight loss. The pages may come from different surveys or time periods, which could explain the gap. Neither is a quote; both are rough reference points.

Surgical fees differ across the country because operating costs and demand are not the same everywhere. The state figures below come from CareCredit's skin removal guide.

These three states are examples, not a full ranking. Prices can also differ widely within a state, so a nearby metro area may be priced differently from a smaller town.

Ask every practice to itemize the following so you can compare quotes on equal terms:

• Surgeon's fee. This is the figure that ASPS reports.
• Anesthesia. It is commonly billed separately.
• Facility fee. A hospital, surgical center, or accredited office suite charges for the space, equipment, and staff.
• Compression garments and supplies. Some practices include them, others do not.
• Follow-up visits. Ask whether post-operative appointments are covered.
• Pre-operative testing and prescriptions. These are often billed separately.

• How much skin is being treated. The extent of the procedure is set by the surgeon after an exam.
• Combined procedures. An arm lift is sometimes combined with other body contouring surgery, which affects how the total is built.
• Surgeon and facility. Training, demand, and the type of operating room all play a role.
• Location. The state figures above show how much it can vary.
• Anesthesia and time in the operating room. Longer procedures generally cost more.

Insurance typically treats an arm lift as cosmetic and does not pay for it. Some plans consider skin removal after major weight loss on a case-by-case basis, and that usually requires documentation from a doctor. Your insurer is the only one who can say what your plan does, so ask for the coverage rules in writing and talk with a licensed surgeon about what a request would involve.

Many practices offer in-house payment plans or work with outside medical financing. Those products have their own interest rates and terms, and some promotional rates change once the promotional period ends. Ask for the total amount you will repay, and compare it with the cash price.

You can also ask whether paying in full earns a discount, and whether a health savings account or flexible spending account can be used. Rules for cosmetic procedures vary, so confirm with your plan administrator before you schedule.

• Check that the surgeon is board-certified in plastic surgery with the certifying board.
• Confirm that the facility is accredited.
• Get an itemized written quote from at least two practices.
• Ask what the practice charges if a revision is needed, and get the policy in writing.
• Be wary of a quote that is far below the rest, and do not treat travel abroad as a way to save. This page does not recommend it.