When we are young, ample, round cheeks are perceived as a marker of good health and many consider the rounded face to be a desirable feature. With age, some may prefer a less rounded face. This is where bichetomy or also called buccal fat removal or cheek fat removal may be able to help address your concerns. Buccal fat extraction, buccal fat excision, buccal fat removal involves carefully removing defined amounts of fat tissue from the buccal fat pads in the cheeks. The fat tissue is responsible for the rounded appearance of the cheeks. For some people, this results in prominent cheeks that may be out of balance with the rest of their facial features. If excessively rounded cheeks troubles you, with an associated loss of self-esteem, buccal fat removal may be a solution to help balance your facial features, and restore your confidence.

Ideal candidates for Bichectomy

This is a procedure suitable for patients of all ages who are concerned about the shape and appearance of the lower half of their face due to excess fat. It is an ideal treatment for patients who have facial fat that is resistant to dieting and exercise. Having larger cheeks is not always proportional to the weight of the patient, since even slim patients can have chubby cheeks.

If you already have prominent cheekbones and only wish to rejuvenate the overall appearance of your face, it’s critical that you have realistic expectations for the outcome of cheek reduction surgery. At the time of your online consultation with us, your online consultant will work with you to determine whether you are a good candidate for this procedure.

Are you interested in having Bichetomy? Make sure to contact one of our online consultants for any of your inquiries.

The Procedure

Bichectomy can be carried out under local or general anaesthesia. On average the procedure takes one hour.

The surgeon makes a small (2-4 cm) cut between the inner cheek and the gum near the second molar from the back. The outer cheek is then pressed on to enable an adequate amount of buccal fat to protrude through the incision, which is teased out with surgical forceps. The incision is then closed with dissolvable sutures.