Buccal fat pad reduction is a very common facial plastic surgical procedure that is performed to slim the cheeks. The buccal fat pads are located deep within the cheeks. These can range in size depending on age, facial shape, and genetics. We frequently will see large buccal fat pads in infants with large chubby cheeks.The results are a subtle reduction of facial volume; revealing the natural contours of your cheekbone. Is Buccal Fat Removal (Cheek Reduction) Right for Me? Chubby cheeks are a natural part of youth that go away over time. If you are over the age of eighteen and want a naturally defined cheek line, a consultation with Dr. Rubinstein will guide you to the right solution.
What is the procedure for buccal fat pads removal (cheek fat reduction)? The buccal fat pads removal surgery is performed under local anaesthesia with medications (if needed) to reduce anxiety and pain. The procedure will take less than one hour. To begin the procedure, a small incision (1 - 1.5cm) will be made inside the mouth.
This is frequently associated with someone that is unhealthy or looks older than they are. Dr. Somenek respects the fat pads and only removes enough to contour the cheeks while preserving the remaining fat for continued structure and support to the face. Patients will occasionally request liposuction to this area. The reason why Dr. Somenek does not perform liposuction to the buccal fat pads is two fold. One is that there are many branches of the facial nerve that control movement to the muscles in the face.
Perhaps the most modern facial plastic surgery techniques today involve changes to the volume of the face. It is recognized that volumizing of the face provides a more youthful appearance in most patients; while sometimes particular areas of excess fat can be addressed to create a more sculpted attractive appearance. Below is a description of some of these techniques. Removal of buccal fat is an office based procedure designed to remove the cheek baby fat that in many patient persists through adulthood, creating a fuller rounded facial appearance that many patients seek to have eliminated.
The surgery takes less than 1 hour to complete. Recovery from buccal fat removal is very straightforward. After the procedure is completed, the patient is able to resume relatively normal but nonstrenuous activity that day. The patient should consume a liquid diet for the rest of the first day, and advance to soft, easy to eat foods for the following 5 days.
The procedure itself is fairly simple and not overly-invasive. A small incision is made inside the mouth and the lump of fat is gently removed. There is usually some swelling for most patients afterwards " typically 2-4 days, but every patient is different. Ideal candidates for a buccal fat removal procedure need to be over the age of 18 and in good health. They also should have realistic goals of the outcome of surgery and be psychologically stable.
This kind of time-scale will apply to any desk jobs that don’t require too much talking. Any more active jobs may require further healing time. This, of course, should be discussed with your surgeon before you agree to undergo the procedure. You will be prohibited from any kind of exercise for around 3 weeks after your operation and for several weeks it will be very important that you do not raise your blood pressure as this can slow-down the healing process.
Often times the candidates refer themselves as having chubby cheeks or chipmunk cheeks. The reason most of the times is heredity and not being overweight. Buccal fat pad is divided into anterior, intermediate and posterior lobes. There are four extensions called buccal, pterygoid, pterygopalatine, and temporal, derived from posterior lobe.
