A subtle reduction of the cheek fat pads sharpens the lower face and accentuates cheekbones. The procedure is short, the recovery is fast, and the planning must be precise.

Opening

Bichectomy — also called buccal fat removal — is a surgical reduction of the buccal fat pads, the small fat deposits that sit between the cheekbone and the jaw. When these pads are larger than they should be relative to the rest of the face, they create a fuller, rounder lower-face appearance. Reducing them creates a more sculpted, defined contour.

I am Op. Dr. Aytaç Kılıç, an ENT and facial aesthetic surgeon based in Antalya, with international surgical experience gained at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Otolaryngology. Bichectomy is a regular part of my practice — and the difference between a refined result and a hollow, prematurely aged look comes down to candidate selection and measured removal. We do not remove fat just because the patient asks; we remove it when the anatomy supports it.

What Bichectomy Is — and Is Not

The buccal fat pads (named after the French anatomist Bichat who first described them) are encapsulated pockets of fat in the lower face. Their size varies significantly between individuals. Patients with naturally large buccal fat often describe their face as looking “chubby” even when they are slim everywhere else.

Bichectomy removes a measured portion of this fat through small incisions inside the mouth. There are no external scars.

What bichectomy is not: it is not a treatment for general facial weight loss. It is not a substitute for healthy weight management. It does not address jowls, neck fat, or under-chin fullness.

Are You a Candidate

Bichectomy is appropriate for patients with naturally large buccal fat pads relative to overall facial proportions, realistic expectations of subtle to moderate definition, and a stable weight.

We deliberately turn patients away when they are very thin already; when their fat pads are of normal size relative to their face; or when their concerns are actually about jowls, neck contour, or skin laxity rather than buccal fat.

The honest reality: bichectomy is overdone in much of the social media world. Aggressive removal can produce a striking immediate effect but a less favourable long-term appearance. Measured removal is not a marketing line — it is what produces a result that settles naturally into the face over time.

The Procedure

Bichectomy is performed under local anaesthesia with light sedation. The operation typically takes around 20 minutes.

Small incisions are made inside the mouth, on the inside of each cheek. The buccal fat pad is identified, a measured portion is removed, and the incision is closed with absorbable sutures. There are no external incisions and no visible scars at any point.

Recovery

Most patients are able to return to ordinary daily activities within around two days. The only meaningful adjustment is to the diet during the first days of healing: very hot food and drinks should be avoided, and foods with small seeds, grains, or fragments (rice, sesame, granola, popcorn) should be kept off the plate until the inner-cheek incisions settle, so that nothing catches on the sutures. Outside of these dietary considerations, recovery is generally straightforward.

Some swelling is normal in the first days and subsides over the following one to two weeks. The change becomes more visible as residual swelling resolves, and the final contour settles into the face naturally over the following months. Long-term results are natural and stable; some redistribution of facial fat is part of normal ageing for everyone, with or without surgery.

How we follow you through recovery

Across this recovery, we ask every patient to send weekly photos and videos in the first month, then transition to a structured longer-term schedule that continues until we tell you it is no longer needed. Based on what we see, we adjust your guidance — including diet, oral hygiene, massage techniques, and any specific medications, vitamins, or topicals your healing requires. Patient compliance with this follow-up is part of the surgery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there visible scars?

No. All incisions are inside the mouth.

Are the results long-lasting?

Yes. The removed buccal fat does not regenerate, and results settle naturally into the face over the following months. As with every other part of the face, normal ageing continues, and some redistribution of facial fat over time is a natural process that occurs whether or not surgery has been performed.

Will I look hollow as I age?

This is the main reason we plan conservatively. Aggressive removal can produce a striking early result but a less favourable long-term appearance, particularly in patients who were already slim. Measured removal is what produces a result that settles naturally and remains balanced over time.

How quickly can I return to normal activity?

Most patients return to ordinary daily activities within around two days. Strenuous exercise should wait 2–3 weeks. The main practical adjustment in the first days is the diet — very hot food and drinks should be avoided, and foods with small seeds or grains (rice, sesame, popcorn, granola) should be kept off the plate until the inner-cheek incisions settle.

Call to Action

Bichectomy is one of the simpler facial procedures, but the wrong patient or aggressive removal produces results that age poorly. The first consultation is short, free, and conducted directly with Dr. Aytaç Kılıç via video. We will tell you honestly whether bichectomy is the right choice for you.