Surgical cheek slimming through buccal fat pad removal — for international patients from the United Kingdom. A brief procedure, no external incisions, and a result that develops naturally over six months.
Bichectomy — also called buccal fat removal or cheek reduction surgery — is a procedure that removes part or all of the buccal fat pad: a discrete pocket of fat that sits in the lower cheek, between the masseter muscle and the buccinator. Its removal reduces lower facial fullness, sharpens the jawline definition, and produces the hollowed, contoured cheek associated with a more sculpted facial profile.
The procedure is performed entirely through the inside of the mouth. A small incision inside the cheek — invisible from outside — allows the buccal fat pad to be accessed, partially or fully removed, and the site closed with a single dissolvable suture. There are no external scars. Operating time is approximately 45 minutes. Most patients return to desk work within three to five days.
At Op. Dr. Özlem Oymak's practice, the bichectomy consultation begins with a structural assessment of the face: the size and position of the buccal fat pad, the overall facial proportions, bone structure, and — critically — how the face is likely to change with age. Buccal fat naturally diminishes with age; removing too much in a young patient can produce a gaunt, skeletonised appearance in the mid-forties that they did not anticipate.
“Bichectomy is not suitable for everyone who asks for it. The consultation exists to find out whether it suits you — and to tell you honestly if it does not.”
For UK patients, the all-inclusive fee covers both sides in a single session with a short two-night stay in Bursa. The timeline from first consultation to operating slot is typically three to six weeks.
It is also the procedure most frequently performed on patients it does not suit. Understanding these four critical considerations before booking is more valuable than any before-and-after image.
Buccal fat naturally reduces with age. A full cheek at 25 becomes a defined cheek at 35 — and a hollow cheek at 45 — without surgery. Removing buccal fat in a young patient with good natural volume risks producing a prematurely aged, gaunt appearance a decade later.
Patients over 30 with stable facial volume that has not noticeably reduced with age tend to be the most appropriate candidates.
Bichectomy reduces lower facial width. On a face that is already narrow, or has a strong lower jaw, the reduction can look disproportionate — elongating rather than sculpting. The procedure suits round or full facial structures more than narrow or angular ones.
Bone structure assessment at consultation determines whether this procedure will achieve the result you are imagining.
Removed buccal fat cannot be replaced. It is not like filler — there is no reversal agent. The decision to remove it should be made with certainty, and with a clear understanding of what the face will look like as it ages further.
Dr. Oymak does not perform bichectomy on patients who appear uncertain at consultation, regardless of how much they have researched the procedure.
The buccal fat pad is not uniformly removed. Partial removal — targeting the lower portion of the pad that contributes most to lower cheek fullness — produces a more controlled, sustainable result than complete excision. Most good-outcome bichectomies involve partial rather than total pad removal.
This distinction is discussed and agreed at your consultation, before the operating date is confirmed.
The procedure is technically simple — but the decisions made during it (how much to remove, and from which portion of the pad) determine the quality of the long-term result.
A small incision — approximately 1.5 cm — is made inside the cheek mucosa, parallel to the occlusal plane. There is no external approach, no skin incision and no visible external marking at any stage.
The buccinator muscle is gently divided and the buccal fat pad capsule is identified and opened. The fat pad — a discrete, encapsulated lobular structure — is carefully delivered through the incision and separated from the surrounding tissue.
The inferior and anterior portions of the buccal fat pad — the components most responsible for lower cheek fullness — are excised under gentle traction. The superior and posterior portions are retained to avoid over-reduction and temporal hollowing from excessive removal.
Both sides are treated in the same 45-minute session. Symmetry of removal is assessed by comparing the excised volume from each side — exact symmetry of the pad itself is less important than symmetry of the post-operative contour result.
The intraoral incision is closed with a single dissolvable suture that requires no removal. The mucosa heals rapidly — most patients notice no discomfort at the site from day three. Antiseptic mouthwash is used for one week to support healing.
Bichectomy is performed under local anaesthesia — no sedation or general anaesthetic is required. The procedure is entirely comfortable and patients are alert throughout. Most patients eat soft food the same evening.
Bichectomy is frequently performed alongside rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty or other facial procedures in the same session when general anaesthesia or sedation is already planned. Combining procedures reduces total recovery time and, in many cases, the overall cost of treatment.
Immediate post-operative swelling temporarily obscures the result — the cheeks may look fuller than before surgery for the first two to three weeks. The contour change becomes visible from week four and continues to refine through month six as the surrounding tissue settles fully.
For the right patient — assessed carefully at consultation — bichectomy produces a specific set of lasting improvements.
The primary goal. Partial removal of the buccal fat pad reduces the volume in the lower mid-face. The change is structural and permanent: the fat does not return.
Reducing lower cheek volume makes the zygomatic prominence relatively more visible — producing the mid-face definition associated with the procedure. Most pronounced in patients with good underlying bone structure concealed by buccal fat.
The intraoral incision heals completely within the mouth. There is no external mark, no visible scar, and no evidence of the procedure once the incision has closed. This is one of the few facial procedures that leaves absolutely no visible trace of surgical access.
Most patients return to desk work within three to five days. There is no splint, no compression garment, no restriction on facial movement. The main post-operative instructions are a soft diet for one week and antiseptic mouthwash. Day case — no overnight hospital stay.
Bichectomy requires just two nights in Bursa — the shortest trip of any procedure in the practice. For patients combining bichectomy with another procedure, the stay extends only by whatever the primary procedure requires.
When another facial procedure is planned under sedation or general anaesthesia, bichectomy can be added to the same session at marginal additional time and cost. The most common combinations are with rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty.
Unlike fillers, bichectomy produces a result that develops naturally over four to six months as post-operative swelling resolves. At six months, the result looks like a structural feature of the face rather than a treatment that has been applied to it.
The removed buccal fat does not regenerate. Unlike facial contouring through injectable treatments — which require maintenance every six to twelve months — bichectomy is a permanent structural change that does not require follow-up treatment to maintain.
Land in Istanbul, step into a private Mercedes. Just over an hour later you are in Çekirge — Bursa's thermal district, where Dr. Oymak's practice and Acıbadem Hospital are based.
The same surgical standard UK patients travel for — without the noise of Istanbul.
Bichectomy has a narrower suitability range than most facial procedures. Dr. Oymak applies these criteria carefully before agreeing to operate.
Every international bichectomy patient follows the same four-stage pathway. From first enquiry to operating slot: three to six weeks.
A complimentary 20-minute private video call with Dr. Oymak — never a coordinator. We ask for photographs showing the face from the front, three-quarter and side in advance.
You leave with an honest assessment of whether bichectomy is appropriate for your facial structure, the expected result, and whether a combined procedure makes sense.
A fully itemised written quote in GBP — surgery, Acıbadem hospital, medication, twelve-month aftercare. No verbal extras.
A mandatory two-week reflection period applies before any deposit. Given the irreversibility of the procedure, this period is non-negotiable.
Day 01 — private airport transfer, hotel check-in, pre-operative assessment.
Day 02 — bichectomy at Acıbadem Bursa under local anaesthesia. 45 minutes. Day case — back at the hotel within two hours.
Day 03 — post-op review. Fly home.
Video reviews at week 1, month 1 and month 6 — directly with Dr. Oymak. The six-month review confirms the settled result once all post-operative swelling has resolved.
Direct WhatsApp access for the full first year.
Bichectomy is priced per session — both sides are treated simultaneously and the quote covers both. No separate charge per side. If combined with another procedure, the quote reflects the combined plan.
Travel and accommodation are arranged separately at preferred partner rates. No surprises on the day of discharge.
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She told me at consultation that my cheek fullness was partly masseter and partly buccal fat — and that Botox would address one and surgery the other. I appreciated that she was specific rather than just agreeing to operate.
I was back at my desk four days later. No one noticed I'd been away. The result at six months is subtle — that was the intention. My cheekbones are visible in a way they never were.
I combined bichectomy with rhinoplasty. One trip, one recovery, one anaesthetic. The result at nine months looks completely natural — both procedures. Bursa was genuinely an unexpected pleasure to visit.
The mandatory two-week reflection period between consultation and deposit felt like an inconvenience at the time. In hindsight, it was the right call. I used the time to look at the result timeline honestly and I was more certain by the end of it.
Two nights. That's all it took. Wednesday flight, Thursday procedure, Friday rest, Saturday home. No downtime that mattered. Six months on, my face looks like mine — just more defined.
I'd researched this for two years. What stopped me was fear of looking hollow at 45. Dr. Oymak was the first surgeon who addressed that concern directly and explained partial versus full removal. That explanation was what made me book.
Bichectomy is the surgical removal of part or all of the buccal fat pad — a discrete pocket of encapsulated fat in the lower cheek between the masseter and buccinator muscles. Its removal reduces lower facial fullness, sharpens the appearance of the cheekbones and produces the contoured mid-face associated with a more sculpted profile. The procedure does not change the jaw, address subcutaneous fat, or affect the upper or mid face. The change is permanent.
This is the most important question to consider before booking. Buccal fat naturally reduces with age — a full face at 25 typically has naturally defined cheeks by 35–40. Removing the buccal fat pad in a patient who will experience significant natural facial volume loss in their thirties risks producing a gaunt, hollow-cheeked appearance earlier than anticipated. Dr. Oymak assesses this risk individually and will advise against the procedure if it applies to you.
No. Removed buccal fat does not regenerate. There is no reversal, no repeat, and no second chance. This is why the mandatory two-week reflection period between consultation and deposit applies without exception, and why Dr. Oymak does not operate on patients who appear uncertain or ambivalent at consultation.
No. The single incision is made entirely inside the mouth — on the inner surface of the cheek mucosa. There is no external skin incision and no visible external marking. The intraoral incision closes with a single dissolvable suture and heals completely within one to two weeks, leaving no scar noticeable in normal daily life.
Yes — and it is frequently combined with rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty or other facial procedures when a sedation or general anaesthetic is already planned. Adding bichectomy to an existing operative session adds approximately 45 minutes to the operating time at marginal additional cost, and avoids a separate trip and recovery period.
Bichectomy with Op. Dr. Özlem Oymak is quoted on an individual basis following your video consultation — both sides in one session. The quote covers the procedure, Acıbadem hospital day case, all materials, medication and twelve months of structured aftercare. The trip requires only two nights in Bursa.
Post-operative swelling means the cheeks may look similar to — or temporarily fuller than — before surgery for the first two to three weeks. The contour change begins to appear from week four and continues to refine through month six as surrounding tissue settles fully. The result requires patience.
A complimentary 20-minute private video consultation. You will receive an honest assessment of whether bichectomy suits your facial structure, an itemised written quote, and — if you choose to proceed — a plan for just two nights in Bursa.
Share your details and our patient coordinators will contact you to guide your personalized treatment journey with Dr. Özlem Oymak.
