Buccal fat is a fat pad located in the cheek under the buccinator muscle and is there to provide a gliding surface for the muscle. It can cause chubby cheeks which blunt the cheek and jawline when enlarged.
Yes. Buccal fat removal surgery is a short procedure done under local anesthesia thru an in-mouth incision. It is relatively painless and patients can go to work the next day.
The surgery begins intraorally with numbing with a small needle right above the lower second molar. Then a quarter-inch incision is made through which the fat is expressed and removed. The incision is sutured with a resorbable suture.
Patients seeking buccal fat pad removal are looking for an accentuation in their facial features and a more prominent cheek area, more defined jawline area, and a slimmer face line.
Buccal fat pad excision is often done as a stand alone procedure. In other instances it is combined with chin and neck liposuction to further accentuate the jawline and slim the neck area. In other instances it is combined with a face lifting procedure to again achieve a more pleasing facial contour.
