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A youthful face is a full face. This fullness gives the face a heart shape. Some people have excess fat within the cheek, buccal fat, that causes their face to be more square because of the extra fullness just above the jawline. Many patients feel self-conscious of their “baby face” and choose to have buccal fat removal surgery to reduce the size of their cheeks. This cosmetic procedure may be known as buccal fat removal surgery, buccal lipectomy, or cheek reduction surgery and can improve overall facial aesthetics, helping you look more your age and creating your desired facial shape. Because of its potential complications and impact on facial aging, buccal fat pad removal should be performed by an experienced, qualified plastic surgeon such as Dr. Sabbagh or Dr. Baca.
How is Buccal Fat Removal Performed?
Buccal fat removal is usually performed under local anesthesia with IV sedation. To perform buccal fat removal, a small incision is made inside the mouth on the inside of the cheek. This allows for no visible scarring. Through these incisions, your plastic surgeon will carefully remove the buccal fat pad on each side. When these steps are complete, the incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches. This process typically takes about an hour or less.
expectations
What to Expect for Your Buccal Fat Removal
Anesthesia
Local with sedation
Length of Surgery
One hour
In / Outpatient
Outpatient
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- What does buccal fat removal do?
Best Buccal Fat Removal Candidates:
Buccal fat removal candidates are generally healthy and at or near a stable weight. A good candidate typically has a naturally fuller or rounder-shaped face despite being at a healthy weight. If you do not have a fuller face shape, you should not have buccal fat removal to avoid a hollow or sunken appearance as you grow older. Similarly, older patients may be advised to avoid buccal fat removal to avoid signs of aging like jowls. During a consultation at Straith Clinic, your plastic surgeon will review your health history and evaluate your buccal fat pads and overall face shape to determine whether you are a good candidate for buccal fat removal.
3 weeks
Buccal Fat Removal Recovery
After your buccal fat removal surgery, you can return home on the same day. Your plastic surgeon will provide you with a mouthwash to prevent infection and instruct you to follow a liquid diet for the first several days of your recovery period. You can expect some swelling and bruising, which should subside within about a week after surgery. Most patients are fully healed at three weeks after their buccal fat pad removal, but many return to work, school, or other routines earlier. Your plastic surgeon will monitor your healing during follow-up appointments.
What are the Risks of Buccal Fat Removal?
Like all surgeries, buccal fat removal involves some risks. These include adverse reactions to anesthesia, bleeding, or infection. These risks can typically be avoided by choosing a qualified plastic surgeon who will carefully review your health history and by following their advice through your recovery period.
In addition to these risks, there is a risk of a gaunt or aged appearance if you undergo buccal fat removal but are not a good candidate. As you age, fat in the cheeks is naturally lost over time. For this reason, patients and their plastic surgeons should be careful to only pursue the procedure if they have adequate buccal fat pads to remove.