What is a Bichectomy?

Today, it is very popular to achieve a more prominent cheekbone appearance and a thin face appearance with increasing aesthetic expectations. For this purpose, the procedure applied to surgically remove the intra-cheek fat tissue called “Bichat Fat Tissue” on the face is called Bichectomy Operation.

Bichectomy, which provides a better appearance of the face, is also known as cheek surgery.

Who Can Have a Bichectomy?

Bichectomy can be performed on men and women over the age of 18 with a normal weight and a round face. However, it is not recommended for people with overweight or obesity and patients over the age of 45.

The adipose tissue called Bichat can maintain the volume of the face in sagging and loss of elasticity with age and can be effective in reducing these sagging. For this reason, whether patients who are thought to have more Bichat adipose tissue than normal are suitable for bichectomy operation should be determined by experienced physicians with all conditions and indications. Since the clinical condition of each patient may differ, it is very important that the physician who will perform the operation evaluates the patient in detail.

In order to know whether you are a suitable patient for bichectomy surgery, you may be asked questions by the physician and then some tests may be requested.

Bichectomy makes the face look longer and thinner and helps to eliminate the round appearance of the face. Patients who undergo a bichectomy operation can be discharged on the same day as they are treated as outpatients.

How is a Bichectomy Performed?

Bichectomy is a type of outpatient surgery. It is also known as cheek thinning aesthetics. Bichectomy surgery is performed under local anesthesia. It is very important to clean the mouth before the surgery. Cleaning before bichectomy surgery will help reduce infection problems that may occur.

Bichectomy is a type of operation that the surgeon performs by intervening with a small incision inside the cheeks, next to the fat bags. After local anesthesia is applied to the patient, the surgeon makes an incision of about 1 cm into the cheek and lifts the bichat (fat tissue) bags with forceps to give a natural appearance. After the fat bags are removed, precise measurements are made to make sure that the fat from the right and left parts of our face is removed in equal amounts and the procedure is completed. There are various techniques for the bichectomy procedure. In our clinic, bichectomy operations are performed by our surgeon without bleeding and stitches. The entire bichectomy surgery takes between 30 and 45 minutes and the patient is discharged on the same day.

Before Bichectomy Surgery

In order to achieve a faster recovery after the bichectomy surgery, it is recommended that the patient stops drinking alcohol and smoking one week before the surgery.

If the patient is taking regular medication for health problems, he/she should inform his/her doctor of all medications he/she is taking before the surgery. Pregnant women or people with serious health problems should consult a doctor before deciding on a bichectomy.

After Bichectomy Surgery

The recovery process of each patient may vary after bichectomy surgery. However, patients generally recover within 14 days after the operation. The healing process progresses better with the correct application of the physician’s recommendations to the patient after the procedure. During the first three days after the bichectomy surgery, it is recommended to consume soft foods and cold drinks and not to smoke.

Bichectomy Surgery Results

Since bichectomy surgery does not require hospitalization, the patient can quickly adapt to daily life immediately after the operation.
In case of any infection, antibiotic treatments and oral care products prescribed by the physician should be used regularly and in accordance with the instructions to prevent infection.

After the bichectomy surgery, it is necessary to stay with a pressure bandage for at least 2 hours, the bandage also prevents bruising. Some swelling may be felt on the face, but this is normal.

You can reduce swelling by applying a cold press directly to your cheek for 15 minutes every 4 hours for 3 days after the bichectomy surgery. Since the bichectomy surgery is performed inside the mouth, it is very important to gargle with salt water every 12 hours for 7 days and use the medications prescribed by your physician.

In addition, the patient should avoid heavy and physical activities for the first 5 days. You can continue your daily activities normally 5 days after the operation. It is strongly recommended to use sunscreen, especially if bichectomy surgery is performed in the summer months.

There is no scarring after the bichectomy operation. Since the operation is performed from inside the cheek, no surgical scars are encountered when viewed from the outside. After the operation, it may take a certain amount of time for the swelling to subside and the patient’s face to settle completely. This situation may vary from person to person.

Is Hollywood Cheek Aesthetics Performed with Bichectomy Surgery?

Bichectomy and Hollywood cheek aesthetics are confused with each other. In Hollywood cheek aesthetics, the facial appearance of people looks much different than it is, while in bichectomy, only the fat in the cheek area is intervened. Although this does not cause a very different appearance in the person’s facial appearance, it causes a more prominent cheekbone appearance.

Hollywood cheek aesthetics is performed with more complicated operations. The rate of fat removed in Hollywood cheek aesthetics is more and different than bichectomy. In addition, various interventions such as dermal fillers are applied to the cheekbones and chin area.

Risk Factors After Bichectomy Surgery

Unexpected situations or risk factors may develop in almost all surgeries. In bichectomy, also known as facial thinning aesthetics, some risks may occur during the fat removal operation. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the physician in detail before the surgery and to examine the operations he/she has performed before.

Although bichectomy surgery seems like a simple surgery, the nerves in the facial area may be damaged, facial paralysis or permanent damage may occur. The salivary glands may also be damaged due to its close proximity to fatty tissues. Therefore, it is very important that the physician who will perform the operation is an expert in his/her field.

Some of the risk factors that may occur after bichectomy surgery are as follows;

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Difficult healing of incisions
• Hematoma
• Anesthesia-related conditions and risks
• Fluid accumulation (seroma)
• Numbness or other changes in sensation
• Swelling
• Facial paralysis
• Injury to the tongue area
• Cardiac and pulmonary complications
• Asymmetric facial features
• Inadequate aesthetics
• Possibility of reoperation
• Persistent pain

It is extremely important to follow the doctor’s recommended treatment methods for the patient’s recovery. However, it is important to remember that any surgical procedure can have complications.

Are There Harms of Bichectomy?

First of all, it is important to remember that the most important factor in bichectomy surgery is the doctor. The experience of the doctor is as important as the methods used during the operation. Issues such as how the doctor will intervene and shape the facial area are completely shaped by the doctor’s experience.

Bichectomy has no known harm in general, but risk factors related to the surgery may develop. Since the fat bags in the cheek are close to the nerves, it may cause pain due to the pressure applied to the nerves during the operation. Among the most common factors during bichectomy surgery is the risk of infection.

If you want to have this operation safely, you can apply to our clinic.