Bichectomy is a cosmetic surgery that has become popular among celebrities and young users of social networks. Their goal is to achieve more angular faces. Is it a risk-free intervention?
- Bichectomy: possible complications
- Bichectomy: when it is not convenient
- Considerations before having a bichectomy
Bichectomy has been performed for years but lately it has become popular because some public people have acknowledged having undergone this operation. It is a surgical intervention that consists of removing the fatty accumulations that are in the cheek area. This is done with the intention of stylizing the face and thus making it appear more angular.
In addition, it is believed that its popularization has to do with the tendency to use filters on social networks that precisely achieve this effect. Are surgeries like bichectomy really needed? Is it a risk-free surgery?
BICHECTOMY: POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS
Bichectomy involves removing the adipose body from the cheek. It is usually done under local anesthesia, making an incision inside the mouth to access the adipose body of the cheek and remove it. The wound is closed with suture and an elastic compression bandage is placed for at least 3 days.
Although it is considered a safe operation, it is not without some risks, as with all surgeries. According to a review of cases published in the International Journal of Morphology, only 8.45% (of 220 patients analyzed) had minor complications. However, the paper says, the effects on facial aging and long-term effects have not been analyzed and, therefore, the harmless effect of the procedure for those characteristics is unclear.
Complications after bichectomy can be several:
- Haematoma
- Infection
- Trismus
- Prolonged edema
- Facial nerve injury
- Parotid duct injury
- Irregularities and asymmetries of the facial contour.
It should also be borne in mind that Bichectomy involves passing the trans operative period and that during this period (which can last up to a month) annoying symptoms can also be perceived:
- The operated area may become inflamed the first few days,
- The patient should sleep a little incorporated the first few days and avoid hot meals
- You have to spend several days without chewing too hard food, without physical exercise and take the medication prescribed by your surgeon.
BICHECTOMY: WHEN IT IS NOT CONVENIENT
We all have Bichat fat on our faces but sometimes it is not advisable to remove it. To be able to perform this operation in a totally safe way, the patient must be a young or middle-aged person, with a more or less round face and no signs of sagging in the lower third of the face.
Remember that plastic surgery is of great help to treat burns, frostbite, implants of limbs … However, as Dr. Pablo Saz explains, the praise of the beautiful part of surgery, of its spectacular achievements in some cases, makes patients opt for surgery today to modify their image even when it is not necessary.
“Cosmetic surgery is advertised with the propaganda of models that represent only successes, while hiding the large number of side effects and patients who suffer them,” explains Dr. Pablo Saz.
If you are thinking of having this Bichectomy, always look for a surgeon who guarantees a job well done and quality. Remember that most of the work of the plastic surgeon aims to correct failures of previous surgeries. Sometimes, after the bichectomy, an intervention called “lipofilling” or fat filler must be performed, which consists of taking fat from other parts of the body and grafting it into the area of the Bichat balls.
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE HAVING A BICHECTOMY
Before undergoing an operation, it is advisable to assess very seriously whether this intervention is really necessary. Remember that the use of social networks and the popularization of filters that allow us to achieve an unrealistic beauty, can lead us to seek through surgery a body image that, in reality, is not natural at all.
According to psychologist Raquel Tomé – member of the Governing Board of the Official College of Psychologists of Madrid – it has been observed that girls who retouch and edit their selfies more have more problems with their body image and reflect a deficient acceptance of themselves (International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2020).
Jasmine Fardouly, an independent research psychologist at the University of New South Wales in Australia, has noted that Instagram use has been linked to concerns about body image. So, before undergoing an aesthetic intervention, assess if you really need to improve your image or if it is social networks that are pushing you to do so.