Everything To Know About Cheek Reduction Surgery

Chubby cheeks can disfigure your face and one of the ways of fixing this problem is through cheek reduction surgery, also known as buccal fat extraction. Buccal fat extraction is a facial plastic surgery process whereby excessive fats are eliminated from the cheeks. If you are worried about your flabby look, this surgery may be a choice for you.

Are You an Ideal Candidate?

You can be an ideal candidate for cheek reduction surgery if you are healthy for a surgical process and your cheeks are extremely flabby. The right approach for discovering your eligibility is to get in touch with a certified plastic surgeon who has experiences in carrying out cheek reduction as well as other facial plastic surgical processes. In the course of your consultation, your surgeon will properly examine your facial anatomy and compile your medical history. You should discuss your expectations with the professional and he should be able to give you all the necessary information that will ensure a successful cheek reduction surgery. The result of the consultation will determine whether you are fit for the surgery. Furthermore, your surgeon will give you the full analysis of the process and this may include the long-term effect of the cheek reduction surgery. Your age, facial shape and anatomy will be taken into consideration during your consultation. Our face naturally thins as we age, hence, the surgery may not be ideal for everyone. It is important for you to note that weight control is very essential because if you gain weight after the surgery, your cheeks may become chubby again.

Preparation for The Surgery

Before your cheek reduction surgery, your surgeon will give you a detailed instruction on what to do and avoid before the process. Your surgeon will inform you about the right medication and herbal supplements to take as well as those to avoid before they will take you to the theater. They will also give you the right guidelines on what to do after the process and during the recovery period. In addition, you may be asked to stop smoking before the surgery if you are a smoker. Smoking can be very detrimental to the procedure and can tamper with your recovery which may lead to unfavourable results. Quiting smoking before the surgical procedure will go a long way in reducing the risk that may occur.

The Procedure

The surgical procedure does not take more that one hour if handled by a competent surgeon. It takes place as an outpatient process with the use of a general anesthesia or local anesthesia alongside sedation. If you combine the procedure with others like eyelid, brow lift or facelift surgery, it may take more time. After applying anesthesia, your surgeon will make incisions in the treatment area. The incisions are usually not more than 4cm long and are specifically situated at the opposite side of your second upper molar. The surgeon then removes the the buccal fat through these incisions before sealing them with sutures. The incisions will then be placed with a gauze that has been soaked in an antibiotics or your head may be wrapped in a pressure dressing. You may need to ask your surgeon for his preference and the reason for choosing it.

Risks Involved

Just like every other surgery, there are risks and side effects in cheek reduction. Some of these risks are bleeding, anesthesia complications, nerve damage, infection, assymetry, too much scar tissue, lumps on the cheek and so on. However, you can greatly minimize the risk if you use an experienced, certified surgeon and take to his pre- and post-surgical instructions. For instance, if you take your antibiotics as prescribed, you will be able to ward off infections. And if you stay away from drugs like aspirin, bleeding will be prevented after the surgery.

Recovery

After the process, you may feel dizzy and sick due to the anesthesia. You may also experience bruising, swelling and slight discomfort. All these are normal. But your surgical expert will recommend some drugs that will reduce the potency of the side effects. The surgeon will also recommend you to sleep with your head raised up in order to enhance the healing process. You may have some difficulty with eating after the procedure because the incisions are made in the mouth. Because of this, you should take soft foods for about five days after the fat extraction in your cheek. And you should not forget to rinse after every meal. It is also important to avoid acidic foods like tomatoes and oranges so that the foods don’t aggravate the incisions. In most cases, surgeons use edible sutures so that you don’t need to worry about their removal. After the first week, any swelling should have diminished significantly. You should endeavor to abide by the instructions of your surgeon as regards returning to usual activities.

The Cost

There are many factors that affect the cost of buccal fat extraction. They include the experience of the surgeon, his location, the type of anesthesia that the surgeon will use and so on. Usually, the cost of the plastic surgery will consist of several factors. Such as the surgeon’s fee, laboratory fees, facility fee, anesthesia fee, medication costs, just to mention a few. If you’ve other procedures performed other than the buccal fat extraction, it will have an effect on the overall cost. However, keep in mind that you’ll be saving a lot of money on the long run if you combine procedures. For instance, if you are doing lip reduction with the cheek reduction, you will pay less than going through the two processes separately. Even though cosmetic plastic surgery is not generally provided for in most insurance policies. You can speak with your surgeon for a convenient payment plan.

On A Final Note

Getting the cheek reduction surgery lies solely on the competence of the surgeon. Because of this, you should do everything possible to use a certified practitioner to get an optimum result.