Buccal Fat Removal | Surgical Technique and Intraoral Anatomy

After mucosal incision, the fibers of the buccinator muscle are gently spread bluntly with dissecting scissors to expose the glistening yellow capsule of the buccal fat pad. Gentle external pressure on the cheek causes the buccal extension to herniate smoothly into the surgical field. The surgeon teases the necessary volume forward, achieves meticulous bipolar hemostasis at the vascular base, and excises the measured portion before closing with absorbable sutures.

Stensen’s duct opens into the oral cavity directly opposite the maxillary second molar and courses immediately superior and lateral to the buccal fat capsule. The buccal branches of cranial nerve VII, providing motor innervation to the upper lip and oral sphincter, run across the outer surface of the pad. Employing blunt dissection without sharp, blind cutting ensures these neurovascular structures remain completely uninjured.