Buccal Fat Removal Surgery Or Cheek Fat Reduction Surgery.

Buccal fat is the fat between the cheekbones and the jaw bone. The amount of buccal fat pad varies among individuals and some of them can have a lot of fat giving a chubby cheek appearance. The goal of buccal fat removal surgery is to thin the cheek below the cheekbones giving a narrow and chiseled structure of the mid lower face. This gives a V line shape of the face which appears youthful and photogenic. Removing the fat can highlight the structure of your bone in the face, especially your cheekbones and a hollowed out area between the cheeks and jawline. It is also called cheek fat removal surgery.

Who Can Undergo Buccal Fat Reduction?

You may consider having this procedure if you :

Don't like your chubby cheeks
You have stable weight and a healthy lifestyle
Or desire for a V line shaped face

If a mild sucking in of your cheek gives a look you desire for, probably buccal fat removal is a procedure you will need.

During your consultation be prepared to discuss your aesthetic goals, your medical condition, any previous allergies, family history of any illness, your current medications including herbal supplements, vitamin supplements, tobacco and alcohol intake.

Dr Sandhya would examine your face, your bone structure and soft tissue envelope. She would also take some photographs to assess your facial profile. She will discuss with you the possible outcome of cheek fat reduction surgery and also the complications and risks involved with the surgery.

Procedure

Cheek fat reduction procedure is done in a hospital setup or or as an office procedure. You will be discharged the same day as a daycare procedure.

It can be done by injecting a local anesthesia in your cheeks skin or by providing a mild intravenous sedation. A small incision is made inside your cheek and the buccal fat is gently exposed. The fat pad is pressed on either side, and the buccal fat is removed. The incision site is closed with dissolvable sutures.

Following the surgery you will be given instructions to keep your surgical site clean. This includes use of an antiseptic mouth rinse twice daily. A liquid diet is advised for the first few days followed by a soft diet. You will be prescribed a mild painkiller also.

Few things expected after cheek fat removal surgery include:

Swelling at operated site
Numbness along suture line
Bruising in inner cheek

Recovery after buccal fat removal procedure is around 10 to 15 days. You can go back to work in 2-3 days. Results after the procedure will be seen in 2-3 weeks once the swelling resolves, but the final outcome may take 2-3 months.

Risks and complications

There are very few risks associated with this procedure. The common side effects of procedure like swelling and bruising resolve in 10 to 15 days.

Complications like injury to the salivary duct infection at the surgical site, abscess formation, need for redo surgery, and asymmetry are very rare. This procedure does not leave any scar.