963 514 050PLASTIC SURGERY
Bichat Bags
Medical discharge
2 - 3 hours
Length of treatment
30 - 45 min
Labor and social recovery
1 month
Type of anesthesia
Local anesthesia
Duration of results
Permanent
Time of year
All year round
First described by French anatomist Marie François Xavier Bichat (1771-1802), they are fatty deposits found on the cheeks just in front of the masseter muscle. The purpose of their removal is to sharpen the cheeks and accentuate the cheekbones to achieve an effect similar to the shadowing obtained when applying rouge to the sides of the face.
Sometimes Bichat Bags extraction can be supplemented with a facial liposuction.
WHO NEEDS IT?
Bichat Bags extraction is recommended for patients with a very rounded face.
ANAESTHESIA
Usually local anaesthesia is applied save for those cases in which Bichat Bags removal is performed alongside some other major surgical procedure.
SURGICAL TECHNIQUE
A small incision of about 1.5 cm. is made in the inner side of each cheek and the Bichat Bags are extracted by applying pressure on the cheeks’ external sides. It is an easy, painless intervention performed on an outpatient basis.
DURATION OF THE INTERVENTION
The intervention lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and it is quite similar to a dental treatment.
RECOVERY
Swelling is usually minimal and decreases gradually. The results will become appreciable a month after the procedure. As the swelling reduces in a progressive manner it is easy for friends and colleagues to attribute the change in looks to weight loss or the extraction of the wisdom teeth.
The patient can go back to work the day following the procedure.
RISKS
- Haematoma: Is the abnormal accumulation of blood in the intervened area. It is evacuated through a minimal incision.
- Infection: The risk of infection is very rare nowadays as it is prevented with antibiotic treatment. It is higher than in other minor interventions as the incision is in contact with the mouth where there is a greater amount of germs, so achieving asepsis is difficult.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Buccal hygiene with antiseptic rinses before and after the procedure helps greatly reduce the risk of infection.
