To Augment Cheeks And Enhance Facial Contours.
As we grow old, we tend to lose some of the fat lying underneath the skin in our face, but the buccal fat pads stay the same. With time, you will observe a round or square-shaped face. Additionally, the buccal fat pads do not respond to weight loss and can give you an asymmetrical appearance. Therefore, removing the buccal pad fat tissues from the cheeks offers you a more proportionate, toned, and symmetrical face. Eliminating them also tightens your skin and gives you a slim, chiseled face.
What are buccal fat pads and where are they located?
The Buccal Fat Pads are a part of several enclosed fat masses in the cheek areas. Each of these masses can be discovered below the cheekbones and behind face muscles, making them distinguished as compared to the supplementary fat sitting below the subcutaneous skin. If your buccal fat pads are big, they end up making your face look puffy or round despite not having more proportion of fat on your body.
The primary function of the buccal fat pad is to fill deep cavities of tissues. They operate as gliding pads during contractions of mimetic and masticatory muscles. Researchers have proposed this theory as factually based on the loss of volume of the intermediate lobe due to suckling and chewing from infancy to adulthood. Furthermore, these pads aids in cushioning main structures from the impulsion of external forces or the extrusion of muscle contraction.
What is buccal fat pad removal?
Buccal fat pad removal also referred to as buccal lipectomy or cheek fat removal, is used to eliminate excess fat pads from the cheeks and redefines facial angles. It treats chubby, round or fuller cheeks that otherwise cause an asymmetrical facial appearance. It can be achieved as a single surgery, or be combined with a number of cosmetic procedures such as chin implant surgery, neck liposuction, facelift, or rhinoplasty.
The procedure:
The patient is given intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. The surgeon will choose whatever best suits the patient and will move ahead with the surgery. A buccal fat removal surgery needs an incision on the inside of the mouth, towards the back of the oral cavity i.e. near the second upper molar. The Buccinator muscle is then confronted and without making an incision, the fibers are first separated until the buccal fat is seen. Once the buccal fat is seen, an incision is made.
A small, 2 cm long incision is made between the cheek and gums, near the second molar on both sides of the mouth. Seldom, the buccal fat pad may be removed during a facelift and not necessitate an incision inside the mouth. With the help of this incision, the fat will be excised, sculpting the cheek to a slender and pleasing contour.
Later, dissolvable sutures are used to close the incision inside your mouth. These sutures are absorbable, but each Plastic surgeon executes the surgery differently. So, be sure to avoid stroking the sutures with your tongue until the process is cleared by your surgeon.
Advantages of buccal fat pad removal:
Buccal fat pad removal tenders various benefits, such as:
- Enhanced cheek definition
- Highlighted facial contours
- Improved facial harmony
Sometimes, buccal fat pad removal is achieved in combination with other facial rejuvenation procedures, such as:
Facelift: Lessens the appearance of visible signs of aging in the neck and face.
Mid-Facelift: Treats evident signs of aging in the lower eyelids and cheeks.
Blepharoplasty: Fixes under-eye bags and drooping upper eyelids.
Neck- Lift: Corrects visible signs of aging in the neck and jawline.
Chin Augmentation: Includes the placement of a small implant in the front of the chin to augment contours of the chin, neck, and jawline.
Disadvantages of buccal fat pad removal:
- High and prominent cheekbones.
- Sunken cheeks under the bones.
- Infection, bleeding, or numbness.
- Moderate pain and fluid accumulation.
A Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon devotes significant time and resources to minimize complications during buccal fat pad removal surgery.
The buccal fat pad removal recovery period may last up to 7 to 10 days. During this time, a patient may need to follow a soft or semi-liquid diet so tissues in the mouth can recover fast.
