Buccal fat removal cost in Turkey

What is buccal fat removal?

Buccal fat removal, also called cheek reduction or bichectomy, reduces a selected amount of the buccal fat pad from the lower cheek. The surgeon reaches the pad through a small incision inside each cheek, so the operation aims to reduce cheek fullness without an external facial scar. The realistic goal is a more defined transition around the cheek hollow; it is not a weight-loss treatment and it cannot promise a particular face shape.

The treating hospital or clinic handles appointments and communication; it arranges practical services only where these are included in the written offer. The surgeon named in that plan examines your face and decides whether bilateral buccal fat reduction is appropriate. A written quote should identify the surgeon, facility, anaesthetic plan and aftercare; a headline price is not a substitute for that assessment.

Who may consider cheek reduction?

Adults who are bothered by persistent fullness in the cheeks and whose weight is reasonably stable may ask about this procedure. Good facial proportions, healthy tissues and realistic expectations matter more than copying a photograph. Removing less than the whole fat pad may be appropriate because the amount is tailored to the anatomy and the desired change.

The procedure may be unsuitable or postponed if the face is already narrow, if natural age-related loss of facial fat could make the cheeks look hollow later, or if a medical, medication or smoking issue needs attention first. An active mouth problem or any condition that could make an incision less safe should be discussed before travel. Suitability is confirmed by the surgeon after reviewing your history and examining you; this page cannot approve you for surgery.

Technique and how it differs from other facial procedures

For isolated buccal fat removal, the surgeon normally makes a small incision inside both cheeks, gently exposes the fat pad, removes the planned amount and closes the incision, often with dissolvable stitches. The work is directed at the buccal fat pad rather than the skin or every layer of fat under the face. Because the surgeon can tailor the amount, “more removal” is not automatically a better result.

• Buccal fat removal: reduces selected volume in the lower cheek through the inside of the mouth.
• Facial liposuction: is a different operation aimed at fat beneath the skin in a named area; it is not included in this guide.
• Facelift surgery: addresses lax or descended tissues and is not a substitute for cheek-volume assessment. It is not included here.
• Fat transfer or fillers: add volume rather than remove the buccal pad and require a separate plan and quote.

These procedures should not be combined simply because they concern the same part of the face. If another operation is proposed, ask for its anaesthetic, risks, recovery and price to be itemised separately.

Procedure time, anaesthetic and discharge

The time in theatre depends on the amount removed, your anatomy, the anaesthetic and whether another procedure is planned. Isolated buccal fat removal is commonly performed as an outpatient procedure. Local anaesthetic numbs the area while you remain awake; general anaesthesia may be used when the operation is combined with another procedure or when the anaesthetist considers it appropriate.

When the clinical team clears you, you usually go home the same day. If you receive general anaesthesia, arrange a responsible adult to take you back and follow the discharge instructions. Your surgeon, rather than a travel advert, decides when you are fit to leave the clinic and fly.

How long should I stay in Istanbul?

Plan enough time for the consultation, the procedure, the first intra-oral review and clearance to travel. The exact number of nights depends on the written plan and the surgeon’s assessment. Keep your return flight flexible, and do not assume that an overnight stay, transfers, hotel nights or a companion’s room are included unless they appear in the quote.

Preparing for buccal fat removal

• Share your medical history, allergies, previous operations, dental or mouth problems, medication and supplements during the assessment.
• Keep your weight stable and explain the change you want without asking for a fixed celebrity result. The surgeon needs to consider how facial volume may change over time.
• Follow the surgeon’s instructions about smoking, fasting and medicines. Never stop an anticoagulant or other prescribed medicine without the clinician who manages it.
• Arrange transport and an adult to stay with you if the anaesthetic plan requires it.
• Prepare for a liquid diet for the first day or two, followed by soft foods as advised. Use only the mouth rinse and oral-care products recommended by the clinical team.

Recovery, follow-up and possible risks

Swelling, bruising and numbness around the incision sites are common early features. A liquid diet may be advised for a day or two, followed by soft food while the incisions settle. Healing often takes about three weeks, while the final facial contour may continue to change for several months. Many people return to normal activities after a few days to a week, but your surgeon decides when work, exercise, flying and other activities are appropriate.

Possible risks include bleeding, infection, asymmetry, altered sensation, prolonged swelling, poor healing, persistent pain, anaesthetic complications, salivary-duct injury and temporary or permanent weakness if a facial-nerve branch is injured. A disappointing or minimal change and revision surgery are also possible. Ask the operating surgeon to explain the risks that apply to your anatomy and the proposed amount of removal.

Contact the clinical team promptly for excessive bleeding, fever or other signs of infection, poor healing, marked asymmetry, an abnormal taste or a concern about salivary-gland injury. Seek urgent help for shortness of breath, chest pain or an abnormal heartbeat. Keep the agreed follow-up route available after you return home.

Questions from you

These notes answer questions people raise before they accept a written treatment plan. They describe what that plan should make clear. They are not a promise that any partner hospital uses a particular technique, device or payment arrangement. With your consent, an enquiry may be shared with an authorised healthcare partner.

What is the long-term volume effect of buccal fat removal or facial fat transfer?

ASPS notes that the cheek fat pad varies between people and between the two sides, and that removal is usually avoided in a thin, narrow face because ageing can make the cheeks look more hollow. With your own fat, the volume that remains cannot be known in advance. ASPS fat-graft principles list volume loss as a known risk, and there is no single injection standard. A possible second session should be separated from the first fee at the start. Fat entering a facial blood vessel can cause blindness or a stroke. The mechanism is fat forced backwards under pressure into the ophthalmic artery and the retinal branches. Published series concentrate that concern on the glabella, forehead, temple, nose and the area around the eye. There is no drug for fat that works the way hyaluronidase does for hyaluronic acid. A blunt cannula, small amounts, low pressure, injecting while withdrawing, and knowing the vessel depth are described as ways to reduce the risk. They do not remove it. Sudden loss of vision needs emergency eye care. Sources: ASPS buccal fat removal, ASPS fat transfer guiding principles.

If vision changes, the eye will not close, the face becomes weak, or a haematoma develops after I go home, what happens and who pays?

The symptoms that need review without delay depend on the operation. After a face, neck, brow or temple lift: rapidly growing swelling on one side, pain, breathlessness or new facial weakness. After eyelid surgery: a lid that will not close, severe pain, an eye being pushed forward, or reduced vision. After facial fat injection: sudden loss of vision. ASPS lists blindness among eyelid-surgery risks, while describing it as very rare. A significant haematoma is treated by evacuation, as described above. Fat in a vessel needs emergency eye assessment. The NHS asks people to settle in writing, before cosmetic surgery abroad, where reviews happen, what further surgery and a return journey cost, and whether the clinic’s insurance covers the patient. Travel insurance usually does not cover surgical complications. Follow-up after an operation in the UK is the surgeon’s responsibility. A clinic abroad may not offer the same follow-up or a doctor in your own country. The NHS uses 7–10 days after facial cosmetic surgery as a planning window before flying, because of clot risk. Your own surgeon gives the personal clearance. This page does not say that any partner pays for admission, revision or the return flight. Sources: NHS advice on cosmetic surgery abroad, ASPS eyelid surgery safety.

Can cheek volume be restored after buccal fat removal?

Some hollowing after buccal fat removal can be treated by adding volume, but this does not simply put the original pad back. In a published surgeon case, the correction used a dermal-fat graft; the clinician notes that injected fat survival is not assured. This is one case, so it does not establish how often revision helps or guarantee that your earlier cheek contour can be recreated. A facial plastic surgeon can assess whether the appearance reflects surgery, healing or natural ageing, then discuss possible benefits and limits. The published buccal lipectomy reversal case describes one such approach. ASPS cautions that removal may make a thin face look more hollow with age.