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?
November 9, 2017
Answer: Buccal Fat post op expectations 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.
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November 9, 2017
Answer: Buccal Fat post op expectations 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.
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April 16, 2021
Answer: Recovery after buccal fat 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.
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April 16, 2021
Answer: Recovery after buccal fat 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.
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