What are the dangers of buccal fat pad removal? What are the side effects of buccal fat pad removal?

Although buccal fat pad removal is now a relatively mature plastic surgery project, if mistakes occur during the operation, it may leave some sequelae, so everyone must go to a regular hospital to undergo this operation.

What are the dangers of cheek fat pad removal?

Generally speaking, buccal fat pad removal surgery is very safe and will not cause any harm. However, the prerequisite is to choose a regular professional plastic surgery hospital and an experienced doctor to perform the operation before the surgery to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the surgery. Otherwise, side effects may occur. Possible harms of buccal fat pad removal:

1. After buccal fat pad removal surgery, there will be local swelling, which usually takes 1 month to completely subside. If it is performed at the same time as other facial plastic surgery, facial swelling may last for 2 months.

2. Postoperative conditions after buccal fat pad removal include hematoma, infection, and damage to the facial nerve and parotid duct, but the incidence is extremely low.

Side effects of buccal fat pad removal

1. In rare cases, because the buccal fat pad surrounds the parotid duct, if the operation is not performed properly, it is likely to cause the parotid duct to open, which may cause salivary fistula. Salivary fistula refers to the phenomenon that saliva flows out of the cheek skin surface because saliva does not pass through the duct system but directly enters the mouth. Saliva will affect the healing of the wound, and epithelial cells will grow along the fistula to cover the entire wound surface, thus forming a permanent fistula.

2. The obvious harm of buccal fat pad removal is local swelling, which usually takes 2 months to completely subside.

3. Another possible danger of buccal fat pad removal is hematoma, infection, and damage to the facial nerve and parotid duct, but the incidence is extremely low.

Preparing for buccal fat pad removal

1. Within two weeks before buccal fat pad removal surgery, it is strictly forbidden to take drugs containing aspirin or other drugs that may reduce platelet coagulation function.

2. Patients with hypertension and diabetes should truthfully inform the doctor of their condition during the initial consultation so that the surgeon can adjust the buccal fat pad removal surgery plan in a timely manner.

3. A comprehensive physical examination should be performed before surgery to ensure that the patient is in good health and has no infectious diseases or other body inflammations.

4. Before buccal fat pad removal surgery, the face should be kept clean and makeup is strictly prohibited.

5. Female patients should avoid buccal fat pad removal during menstruation, pregnancy and gestational age.

6. Male patients should quit smoking and drinking one week before cheek fat pad removal.

What is a buccal fat pad?

The buccal fat pad can prevent the cheek from collapsing when the baby sucks milk, so the buccal fat body is more developed in children, and their faces are always fat and round. According to the distribution characteristics of the capsule, blood vessel source and fixing ligament, the buccal fat pad is divided into three lobes: anterior, middle and posterior. The posterior lobe sends buccal process, pterygoid process, pterygopalatine process and temporal process to the surrounding space. Each lobe has an independent capsule, which is fixed to the surrounding tissue structure by the buccal fat pad maxillary ligament, posterior zygomatic ligament, medial edge ligament of the inferior orbital fissure, lateral edge ligament of the inferior orbital fissure, temporalis tendon ligament and buccal muscle ligament. Each lobe has an independent blood vessel source, forming a subcapsular vascular network. The buccal fat pad has filling, sliding, protection and buffering functions. The anterior lobe has the parotid duct, buccal nerve and facial nerve running through it, which mainly plays a protective and lubricating role; the middle lobe degenerates in adults; the posterior lobe is adjacent to the masseter and buccal muscles and has little effect.