Bandages
In order to heal properly, you will have to wear a compression bandage on your arms during one week. You may also have some flexible and thin drainage tubes applied to each arm, they will drain off excess fluids from the wounds to an airtight plastic bottle. These drainages help reduce the incidence of bruises.

Amount of pain
Mild to moderate. It will bring great relief to you if you take anti-inflammatories every 6 or 8 hours.

Removal of the stitches
Between 7 to 14 days after the surgery.

Bruises and swelling
They are not too significant and they tend to disappear in 2 or 3 weeks.

Scars
We would like to say that this surgery is one of those surgeries that leave no scars behind, but we definitely cannot. The resulting scars run from the elbow to the armpit, along the interior area of each arm. The incision is made there so that it will be less visible. In due time, it will turn from reddish to pale pink, and then it will acquire the usual color of your skin. This may take between 6 to 18 months, according to your own healing process.

Recovery
You will be able to go back to work a week after the surgery, if your job is a sedentary one. If it is not, and it requires that you lift heavy objects or do physical exercise, you should wait between two and four weeks more. The first weeks after the surgery tend to be long and unpleasant. Some people may experience depression during this period. This is very usual after any kind of surgery, regardless of its triviality. You may even feel that you made a terrible mistake in deciding to have a surgery. But you shouldn't worry, most of the people who today are happy and satisfied with the results of a surgery have also gone through that phase.

Possible risks and complications
It is very unlikely for it to present any complications when performed by a qualified surgeon. However, every surgical procedure, regardless of its triviality, has some risks and we should always think of them as a possibility.

• Adverse reactions to anesthesia.
• Infections; although they are very unusual if you take the antibiotics your physician will prescribe.
• Uneven scars that may need a simple surgical intervention at a superficial level.
• If bruises get too large, they may require drainage.
• Skin necrosis occurs in a very small percentage of the cases, but it can be solved if it is taken care of in time.