Cosmetic Surgery

Buccal Fat Removal

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Buccal Fat Removal, Lipectomy, Face Thinning Surgery, Cheek Reduction, Bichatectomy

The word buccal origin­ates from the Latin “bucca” which means “puffed cheeks”. So buccal fat removal is a process that helps to slim down cheeks.

If you are blessed with a round face, with puffy cheeks, but desire a slimmer, more chis­elled lower 1⁄3rd of your face, then this type of cosmetic surgery might be an option for you.

The surgery involves removing the buccal fat pad situ­ated in your lower cheeks, this causes your cheekbones to stand out and be more defined.

Rounded lower cheeks gener­ally run in families, and the round-ness of the cheeks is gener­ally unaf­fected by weight loss and exercise.

Buccal fat pads do however reduce in size as the patient ages.

The advant­ages of buccal fat removal is that it can give you the contoured, high cheekbone look that your could not achieve through diet or exercise.

There is very little down­time, with most patients resuming their day to day activ­ities in 2 – 3 days.

The treat­ment is done under local anes­thesia and lasts about 30 minutes.

The results of this oper­a­tion are delib­er­ately subtle (to avoid the gaunt, starved look) and are similar to the cheek hollowing you would get if you were gently sucking a straw.

Generally, only a small walnut or large grape size fat is removed, to avoid over excision and excessive cheek thinning.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Buccal Fat Pad be removed by Liposuction?

The buccal fat pad is a deep fat pad and not connected to the subcu­taneous fat, that is gener­ally reduced by liposuc­tion. Given the prox­imity of the important facial nerve, liposuc­tion is not an option for buccal fat pad reduction.

Where is the scar of Buccal fat removal?

The oper­a­tion is performed as a local anes­thesia surgery, from a small cut inside your mouth, after removal of the fat pad, absorb­able stitches are used to close the cut.

Can I drive back after the surgery?

We recom­mend that you either take the a taxi or are driven back after the surgery.

What are the complications of Buccal Fat Removal?

Just like after dental surgery, you might have swelling in the lower cheek (described as the “chip­munk look”). You have to be aware that you will lose volume in the lower 1⁄3rd of the cheek as you age. Given this occur­rence, we tend to avoid buccal fat removal for patients in their 20’s and 30’s. We are also very conser­vative in how much of the buccal fat pad is removed. To avoid the gaunt look we often combine the buccal fat removal with dermal fillers on the cheekbone and jawline to create the sculpted look.

Can I get nerve injury during buccal fat removal?

While the buccal fat pad shares the same space as the parotid duct (the tube that brings saliva from the Parotid Salivary gland) and the buccal branch of facial nerve, injuries to the nerve are rare and gener­ally are due to the push and pull at the time of surgery. In the majority of cases any changes in smile or lip posi­tion resolve spon­tan­eously over weeks to months as the swelling reduces.

What aftercare is advised after buccal fat pad removal?

Dr Prashant advises his patients to take it easy for the first 2 – 3 days, avoiding bending, stooping, lifting heavy things and not doing any exer­cise for this period. You can reduce the discom­fort and swelling by applying ice packs. We advise our patients not to open their mouths wide and chew hard things (avoid burgers, steaks, nachos). It is best to have a liquid or soft diet for the first 3 – 4 days and to use a mouth­wash after every meal.

How long does it take for the results of buccal fat pad removal to show?

The swelling of surgery takes between 3 – 4 weeks to go and the stable results of the surgery will be apparent at 3 – 6 months post op.

Has Chrissy Teigen had buccal fat pad removal surgery?

Yes, Chrissy Teigen has been open about having had buccal fat pad removal oper­a­tion, to give her a slimmer more contoured lower face.

Approximate Costs

An accurate estimate of the costs is only possible after an in-clinic consulta­tion with Dr Prashant. We charge a £50 deposit to secure your consulta­tion with Dr Prashant, this amount will be deducted from the costs of the treat­ment you go on to have at our clinic.

The cost for Buccal Fat Removal starts from £2500 to £3000