It is one of the most sought after plastic procedures, for those who want a more delicate and harmonious face. Initially, this surgery appeared for dental purposes, but its benefits grew in the aesthetic area.

The face has a complex anatomy, among its many structures there are adipose tissue compartments that act as protective pillows. In these compartments, there is one that extends over the entire lateral surface of the face, from the temporal bone to the mandible, receiving the name Bichat Ball or Bag, in honor of the French anatomist who discovered it.

In the hollow region of the oral cavity (the cheek) it is thicker, thus giving a more rounded appearance to the face.

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WHAT IS BICHECTOMY?

It is the surgery that removes Bichat's fat bags, with the objective of modifying the face at the level of the cheeks, leading to a thinner and more delicate facial contour.

This characteristic has an important genetic load, that is, it depends on family inheritance.

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HOW IS THIS TECHNIQUE PERFORMED?

The procedure is performed by cutting the inside of the mouth, this speeds up the healing process and leaves no visible marks on the face. Through this incision, the Bichat ball is located and extracted partially, or in selected cases, fully. Then the section and the rest are cauterized. In the end, a suture is usually made with absorbable suture, without the need to remove the stitches.

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RECOMMENDATION

Before performing the surgery, the patient's condition is examined. It is very important to know the patient's previous health status and expectations regarding the procedure. It should be clarified that overweight people may have different results because they have increased fat tissue.

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The age to start performing this procedure is 19 years, in men or women who want to define the lines of the face, reducing the size of the cheeks. This is the right age, as the patient has fully developed the face.

People with excess body weight, with morphological changes in the face or uncontrolled systemic diseases will not be able to perform this procedure.

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TYPE OF ANESTHESIA

It can be general or local with sedation, depending on each particular case.

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ADMISSION TIME

The length of stay can be from 6 to 8 hours, with an average surgical time of one hour to an hour and a half.

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POSTOPERATIVE

It is generally a well tolerated procedure and not too painful. During the first few days, it is common to see a swollen face (edema) and inflammation in the region where the surgery was performed.

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Avoid physical exertion, baths with very hot water and hot meals for 7 days after surgery. Physical exercises can be performed after 14 days.

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The final result can be seen within 2-3 months of the procedure, but within 3 weeks you may experience changes in the face.

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  The use of sunscreen (SPF) daily on the face is important after the procedure is performed, as it prevents hyperpigmentation.

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COMPLICATIONS

Choosing a good professional to perform this type of procedure reduces the possibility of complications. Although they are rare, they can be mentioned:

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• Incisions in regions of the oral cavity that can produce temporary or permanent paralysis in a woman due to involvement of the nerves in the face.

• Excessively or incorrectly removed from the Bichat bag, which may leave asymmetry.

• bleeding

• Infections

DEFINITIVE RESULT

As with all surgeries, the result is progressive, in the first weeks edema and inflammation predominate; then, 3 weeks after the operation, we observed the first changes and 6 months after surgery, we can see a result closer to the definitive one.

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WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE BICHAT BALL?

To the ignorance of many, the bichat ball becomes important in the first years of life to help the baby to suck and feed. In adulthood, it has no function and constitutes a structure of adipose tissue between the muscles of the face.