Its 11 days since I had buccal fat removal surgery I still have a swellon right cheek and a very weak upper right lips, advice?

Question

My surgeon struggled to find buccal fat in my right cheek. He had to dissect more and even my cheek was pulled a lot. Now after 10 days lots of swelling has gone but I can feel a lump in right cheek. My upper lip is not functioning well and looks very strange. My surgeon says it will go in 6 weeks, please tell me is it curable or is it permanent?

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Swelling is typical and will gradually resolve over a few weeks and may contribute to the lump you're feeling. I recommend following up with your surgeon. I hope this helps!

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Buccal fat takes place on the middle of the face.  Lumps are quite common early on and typically resolve.  Weakness could be temporary from nerve being stretched or possibly permanent.  Most buccal nerve injuries resolve over time.   Speak with your surgeon for specific details.  Best Anil Shah

John Mesa, MD · Answer

Prolonged swelling after buccal fat removal (more than a week) is possible specially if the surgery was difficult. Then the surgeon encounters a buccal fat that is very difficult to remove (e.g when the surgeon struggles to take the fat out), the more surgical dissection of the area the more and longer swelling the patient is going to experience. In my practice I recommend my patients with prolonged swelling to continue icing the face and avoiding exercise activities while the swelling is present. 
Patients with questions and concerns about their buccal fat removal healing process should address those concerns with the surgeon that performed the operation, ideally during a follow up consultation.

Edward J. Gross, MD · Answer

It can be challenging to find the buccal fat pad in some patients, although rarely. Therefore the dissection and swelling would be greater on that side. Good news is the muscle swelling will resolve and function should improve over 2-3 months, if not sooner. NSAID's, Ultrasound therapy, and massage will help. If no improvement is seen in 3 mos., micro-current treatments would be the next step. It is best to work with an surgeon experienced in this area.

Miguel Mascaro, MD · Answer

Thank you for your pictures.  The lump that you are feeling is likely swelling within the muscle that was dissected through in order to tease out the buccal fat.  It can happen whenever there is a particularly tricky, or difficult dissection.  Good news is that it goes down - but it will just take some time.  I would make sure you continue to have close follow up with your doc such that they can continue to monitor your improvement.  Same can be said about nerve weakness.  That's why its so important to be diligent and careful in the dissection, and be comfortable with the anatomy of the area.  It can take some time for nerve function to return if there is swelling or if the nerve was interacted with during your procedure.  To be honest, the best person to discuss your prognosis with as well as possible reasons for your weakness would be your operating surgeon.  Continue to keep him in the loop with any issues.  Best of luck.

Its 11 days since I had buccal fat removal surgery I still have a swellon right cheek and a very weak upper right lips, advice?

Answers (5)

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