Postoperative care after Bichectomy

Achieving a more defined and elongated face is possible thanks to the Bichat balls’ extraction, a surgical procedure that allows removing these fat deposits easily and quickly.

Bichectomy is a cosmetic surgery operation that brings a change to your face by removing the Bichat balls. It is recommended that you have a round face in those cases or excess fat in the cheek area.

Before Bichectomy:

The days before the operation, oral hygiene measures should be taken. The surgeon will recommend to the patient the use of mouthwashes with chlorhexidine between 3 and 5 days before the intervention so that both the gums and the teeth and the rest of the mouth are perfectly clean during the operation. The use of mouthwashes almost a week before bichectomy, together with taking antibiotics prescribed by some doctors, serves to minimize the risk of infections. However, some specialists prefer that antibiotics be taken after the intervention.

Similarly, the surgeon will instruct the patient to avoid taking aspirin or anticoagulants about ten days before the treatment since these medications can cause problems in the surgical processes.

Finally, the patient will have to abandon unhealthy lifestyle habits. They are always indicated when it is a surgical operation, but in the case of bichectomy, being an oral surgery, the risks of infection are greater—quitting smoking a couple of weeks before the intervention is vital to avoid complications recovery phase. You will also not be able to drink alcohol a couple of days before the operation.

 

How is the operation going?

The operation is very simple and usually takes just over half an hour. During it, the surgeon will make two incisions inside the mouth, each one under the cheeks. By means of these, you will remove the bags of fat that make up the Bichat balls.

Afterward, you will place stitches to facilitate healing. Usually, absorbable stitches are placed, so the patient will not have to go after a week to remove them by the doctor. These stitches tend to come off on their own and facilitate the recovery process. If not, you will have to go to the consultation so that the surgeon removes the surgery’s remains.

Postoperative care after bichectomy:

With the operation’s simplicity and speed, the postoperative period of a bichectomy is usually not very painful. The recovery tends to be quick if the surgeon’s recommendations regarding hygiene, medications, and diet are followed.

After the surgical intervention, the patient will have to keep the surgeon’s compression bandage for a couple of hours. This bandage’s main function is to reduce the appearance of bruises and reduce the swelling that the operation will cause on the patient’s face. This does not mean that it does not swell, but it will swell less than without it with the compression band. That same night he will also have to sleep with his head slightly raised.

During the two days following the intervention, cold bands should be applied on the face, specifically on the cheek area. It is normal that you notice the area more inflamed than the day before and that your cheeks feel “hard.” These symptoms will pass in 7-10 days, maybe sooner.

If you have not taken antibiotics before surgery, you will start taking them after the operation. The surgeon will also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the normal swelling that occurs after the intervention. According to a medical prescription, both antibiotics and anti-inflammatories should be taken for about 5-7 days.

From the day of the bichectomy, the patient must follow a special diet provided by the surgeon, a diet that will help recovery. In this way, after the operation, the patient will be able to drink only liquids. When the doctor dictates, you can introduce soft foods that complement the diet.

Also, from the day after the end of the surgery, you will have to increase your oral cleaning, especially when you drink liquids and food. This will reduce the risk of infection. You will not be able to rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours. After two days, the doctor will advise you to rinse with salt water twice a day for a week. After 2 or 3 days you can go back to work.

After a week, you can introduce other foods, always following the recommendations indicated by the doctor. It will be then when the patient goes to the surgeon’s office for the review. Suppose the stitches that the doctor has placed are not absorbable. In that case, the doctor will remove them from the inside of the mouth and examine that the recovery follows its natural course, that is, that there is no infection and that the incisions heal properly.

After two weeks, the patient will be able to resume most of the habits they did before surgery, such as physical exercise and even smoking. However, bichectomy could also be used to end this bad habit.

As we have already mentioned, a compression band is used for a few hours. It is normal for the face to get swollen for a few weeks or so, and the patient will not be able to admire the results until a month has passed. It will be visible when their face has regained its normal appearance.

This surgical treatment will allow to slim the face and refine and stylize the facial features. Your face will appear more harmonious and balanced with the rest of the body.

As we have seen, it is a simple procedure that has hardly any complications and whose postoperative and subsequent recovery are quick and not very bothersome. Precisely for this reason, to avoid problems during or after the operation, we must go to surgeons specialized in medicine and aesthetic surgery, specialists with experience in performing this type of operation.