Why do most doctors remove buccal fat during a facelift?

Question

I am in my 50's , a runner and thin. 5'7" and 120 pounds. I am looking into travelling for a facelift as the costs have become too expensive for me. Two face only docs said they move that fat back up. The others remove it as they said the sagging jowl is atrophied bucal fat. Anyhow, I have enough hollowing of my face. I don't know what to believe at this point ?Again I am thin but have jowls now. Another doc calls it "running face" whatever that means. Thanks!

Jacob Tower, MD · Answer

Hello, hope you're well. Buccal fat does not necessarily need to be removed as part of a facelift procedure. It is only routinely exposed if deep plane dissection is done, so in reality, most surgeons do not even have access or exposure to the buccal fat for facial contouring. I only remove it if it is clearly herniating outward and contributing to jowling in this way--but that's the exception, and not the standard. 
Best,Dr. Tower

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

Greetings from Newton, MA!  If you are a runner it is unlikely you'll have significant fat in your face so removing the buccal fat is unlikely to be beneficial. Typically it is only on "chubby" faces that we would do this.  Runners do get a thin face and fat loss, but, there are ways to manage that as well.
Buccal fat removal seems unnecessary (though we don't have a photo of you here).

William Portuese, MD · Answer

In our practice, we've never removed buccal fat during a facelift procedure. In our practice, the goal of a lower face and neck lift is too tighten loose facial and neck skin, tighten loose facial and neck muscles, lift the jowls, and remove any fat deposits in the neck which also includes a platysma- plasty to significantly improve the jawline. If you're considering traveling for a facelift, Best to do that within United States to get the best results.

Adam Goodwin, MBBS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

so in my experience they shouldn't and they don't.

Buccal fat is an option if somebody has a slightly fuller face, but certainly in your case where you are very slim athletic, then this would be a bad idea. The best patients to do face lift alone on are those who are slim. The lift is easier, and the overall effect is better, but taking softness and volume away from a face where it is needed is suboptimal in my experience.

By all means take a look at my YouTube channel, Adam goodwin surgery, where I discuss buccal, fat face lift and a few other topics as you might find them helpful.

Hope that helps. Best wishes, Adam, Goodwin.

Why do most doctors remove buccal fat during a facelift?

Answers (4)

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